Sturmovik

In case you were wondering which corner of Russia I'd gone to find the name for my blog, well, here's the explanation. Pictured above is the Soviet Il-2 Shturmovik (Ил-2 Штурмовик) ground attack fighter, whose name I've borrowed for the blog. Along with its successor the Il-10, it is the single most produced military aircraft design with a production run of 36163 units. It played a crucial role in the Soviet victory in WW-II, as it could fly day and night and penetrate the thick armour of the Panzer and tiger tanks of the Nazis. The enemy nicknamed it black death while the soviets called it the flying tank. It also had a great capacity to absorb damage, leading to the German nickname Betonflugzeug or 'concrete airplane'.

And I've played the Il-2 sturmovik simulation game as well. And I've named my bike after it. Need I say more? :)