The Il-4's altered nose, structure, and much larger turret made the redesign visibly different from the DB-3. Defensive firepower improved, and the aircraft could also carry rockets alongside its other strike loads. Yet maximum internal fuel still yielded roughly 2,100 nautical miles, while carrying about 2,200 pounds of bombs reduced that figure to roughly 1,400 nautical miles. The comparison shows why adding useful equipment does not automatically improve the operational reach that originally made an aircraft valuable.
Notable Point · 28:28-29:24
More Il-4 firepower did not deliver more range
The redesigned nose, turret, and weapons improved protection, but fuel and bomb loads exposed the limits of the heavier airframe.