Il 96 cargo plane. Russian aviation. Bradley Update

Il-96 is the first Soviet passenger airliner for long-haul flights with a wide fuselage. The Il-96 aircraft was developed by the Ilyushin design bureau in the late eighties of the last century on the basis of the previous aircraft, the Il-86. The new plane was distinguished by wings that had large area and installation of new PS-90A turbofan engines. The aircraft is equipped with four such engines, each with a thrust of 16,000 kgf.

The reason for the creation of new passenger aircraft is the constant development of our society and the increase in those wishing to use the services of airlines. That is why the new long-range passenger aircraft Il-96 was created. The main feature of this model is that it has a wide fuselage, which allows you to accommodate even more passengers and provide them with comfortable conditions flight. By using large aircraft, an airline can transport large quantity passengers at a time, and this allows us to reduce the price of this service. All these factors forced the leadership of the USSR to think about creating new car, which the IL-96 became. It was designed on the basis of the already existing Il-86 aircraft.

Where is the Il-96 passenger aircraft used?

Il-96 is a long-range aircraft that carries passengers. This aircraft model is capable of long-distance flights without landing. The main task of this model was to replace narrow-body aircraft that were used on flights both within the country and abroad. Before the creation of the new Il-96, all passenger transportation was carried out by the old Il-86. The need for a new wide-body aircraft grew every year, as the number of passengers who wanted to use airline services began to actively grow. Also, aircraft that had a wide fuselage could provide more comfortable flying conditions for customers.

History of the creation of IL-96 and its modifications

The designers began developing a new aircraft model in 1978. The new development was based on the existing domestic long-range aircraft Il-86D. The designers used the Il-86 as a basis right up until 1983, when they began to appear Hi-tech, which forced the creators to reconsider the project and use more advanced materials and technologies. The designers were faced with the fact that the units and parts they had developed were no longer relevant, and the global aircraft industry had stepped far forward.

For these reasons, the designers had to retreat from their plans and develop a fundamentally new machine, which was the basis for all subsequent modifications of the new Il-96 machine. The new Il-96 first took off from the ground in October 1988, and already in 1989 it was presented in Paris at the world air show. During the testing process, Il carried out many tests, the main one being long-range flight. Based on the new car, many new modifications were created that were more specialized.

The Il-96-400 modification was improved compared to the base model, as it increased engine power and the number of seats for passengers. A cargo model of Ila was also created, which is actively used in our time. Even more progressive was the Il-96M model, which was developed jointly with US airlines. But this model currently exists in one copy and is used only for presentation at air exhibitions around the world. As for the standard IL-96 model, it entered mass production only in 1993.

Description of the Il-96 passenger aircraft

This aircraft is built according to a monoplane design, which has low wings, as well as a classic fuselage tail. The main purpose of this unit is to transport 300 passengers, their luggage and additional cargo, which amounts to 40 tons. The passenger transportation range ranges from 4 to 9 thousand kilometers, depending on the modification of the aircraft. The designers provided for a maximum flight range of 11 thousand kilometers, so it is possible to change the number of seats for passengers in the cabin.

The fuselage of the Il-96 aircraft has the same diameter as the previous model, but the length of the new Il-96 is 5 meters less than that of the old Il-86. The designers, together with aerodynamics experts, carried out fruitful work to create an efficient wing for the new aircraft. The area of the tail feather was also increased in case of failure of one of the engines, this innovation would help keep the aircraft in flight.

The landing gear of this aircraft includes three main legs, which are located behind and take into account the centers of mass. A front support is also included in the chassis system. Each rear support consists of four wheels, which are equipped with effective braking systems. The front support has two wheels and does not have a braking system. All wheels that are part of the IL-96 chassis system have the same dimensions and pressure.

Lift off the ground is provided by four PS-90A engines. This model of turbofan engines is quite efficient and economical. Speaking about the fuel system, it should be noted that it works automatically, but if necessary, you can control it manually. Fuel enters the system from 9 tanks. Eight tanks are located in the wings, and one is located in the center of the aircraft.

Due to the fact that the Il-96 is a double-deck vessel, it can be used in two main versions: mixed and tourist. The first and main option is the tourist one. Its peculiarity is that passenger seats are arranged in 3 rows of 9 seats. When using this method of seating, the front cabin of the aircraft can accommodate 66 people, and the rear cabin - 234. With a mixed version, the aircraft is divided into three classes and can accommodate 235 passengers.

Il-96 in commercial operation

This aircraft entered commercial operation only in the summer of 1993; the first flight was from Russia to the USA. At the first stages of use, this unit carried out international flights around the globe, and then began servicing flights within our country. In domestic transportation, it connected Russian cities both long-distance and short distances. In 2005-2006, the Ilys began to be exported abroad, namely, three cars were sold to Cuba, one of them was of the presidential class. Nowadays, domestic airlines widely use the Il-96 to transport their passengers. Also, some companies have cargo models of vehicles in their hangars.

The two most widely used airlines in our country are Aeroflot and Cubana. The IL-96 has a big advantage over long distances because it is more spacious and comfortable for passengers than its narrow-body counterparts. Passengers themselves talk about the advantages of this model over all others.

Unfortunately, this airliner could not achieve very great popularity due to its high price and fairly high fuel consumption, this was also influenced by other economic factors. At the beginning of 2009, aircraft designers raised the issue of removing the Il-96 aircraft from mass production. This problem arose mainly due to high competition from foreign passenger aircraft models.

Interesting data about the Il-96 passenger aircraft

This passenger aircraft became the first aircraft with a wide fuselage, which was manufactured in the territory of the former USSR.

It is one of the safest passenger aircraft on the entire globe, since there has not been a single accident in which a person was injured.

Two modifications of this aircraft were built under the name Il-96-300PU. It is a command and control point in case of a nuclear attack. This model also has an increased flight range.

Many Eelas are given names. As a rule, they are named after famous pilots or astronauts.

This aircraft is distinguished by its reliability, since in all the years of use of these aircraft, only one of them, namely the presidential aircraft, received a flight ban, and that was due to problems with the landing gear.

The IL-96 is the first aircraft from the entire huge Ilov family that can be operated by only three people. This became possible due to the installation of the latest on-board equipment in the aircraft.

Despite the fact that today the creation of Il-96 passenger aircraft has been practically suspended, this airliner still faithfully serves the people in our country and abroad.

Il 96-Photo

The first test prototype of the Il-96 took off on September 28, 1988. After passing 1,200 hours of flight testing, the IL-96 received a certificate of airworthiness in December 1992. The aircraft was tested in different meteorological conditions, with a temperature range from -50 to +40, and in different climatic zones. The aircraft uses a fly-by-wire control system (EDCS). There is also a backup mechanical control system. Information about the states of the aircraft systems and flight indications is displayed on six color displays. The Il-96-300 aircraft has been in serial production since 1993. Production of the serial Il-96-300 is carried out by the Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Manufacturing Company (VASO).

IL-96 Interior photo

In 1993, the Il-96 was modified and designated Il-96M. This modification has an elongated body, and the aircraft is equipped with American PW-2337 engines from Partt & Whitney. This aircraft is capable of flying over twelve thousand kilometers and accommodating up to 435 passenger seats.

The best seats on the IL 96-300 - Aeroflot

IL 96-300 interior diagram

In 2000, the IL-96 was improved again. The fuselage from the Il96-M was used in the new modernization. This model was designated Il96-400. This modification is equipped with PS-90A-1 turbojet engines. Each has a thrust of more than 17,000 kgf. The aircraft's avionics also underwent changes. The flight range of the Il96-400 is thirteen thousand kilometers. And on the basis of this model, a cargo version of the aircraft was developed - Il96-400T. Today, the Il96-300 models and the cargo version of the Il96-400T are in operation. The passenger version of the Il96-400 is not in service, since there were no orders for this version from air carriers.

Among the numerous aircraft models manufactured by domestic manufacturers, the Il-96 stands out with particular reliability and excellent characteristics. According to analytical data confirmed by world experts, this particular model demonstrated safety during operation, given that there was not a single case of death on board.

Domestic manufacturers presented several modifications of the Il-96 to the public. After analyzing the flight characteristics and internal equipment, almost all models received high marks from experts. However, for various reasons, the serial production of some aircraft was frozen.

Engineers working at the Ilyushin design bureau developed the Il-95 aircraft back in the early 80s of the last century to serve long-term passenger flights. It was decided to use the IL-86 as the basis for the new model.

When creating an improved air transport, specialists made some changes to the basic design, as can be seen by looking at the photos. For example, the fuselage was shortened, and the length of the keel, on the contrary, was increased; the airliner was also equipped with modern avionics and a powerful power unit.

The Il-96-300 model was launched into mass production in the early 1990s, and after just a year, the airliner began serving passengers. Domestic aircraft manufacturers have built and put into operation 22 reliable and safe airplanes the series in question. Moreover, one of the models of this series, Il-96 300 PU, was used for air transportation president Russian Federation.

Unfortunately, further fate The aircraft project turned out to be quite complex. The first blow to the further development of the project was dealt by the Russian government by approving an order regarding the removal of the mandatory contribution from aircraft manufactured by foreign designs when importing equipment into the territory of our country.

The well-known airline Aeroflot, in response to the adoption of the new law, issued a statement that if duties are indeed reduced, the company is ready to buy Il-96 aircraft. The issue regarding the removal of duties was resolved, but, unfortunately, Aeroflot did not keep its promises, that is, it did not buy a large batch aircraft.

Despite such an unpleasant incident, the Russian airliner was of great interest to potential foreign buyers. Which, however, is not surprising, because even looking through photos of the IL-96’s interior, you can see its strengths. Buyers were no less impressed by the flight navigation system, created using a special design that allowed pilots to control the airliner without the help of a navigator.

Russian designers decided to equip this particular model with the latest equipment:

latest generation control system VSUP-85-4;
the latest indicators;
modernized electronic scoreboards.

The IL-96 cabin is quite spacious and has a modern air conditioning system that supplies the compartment with air supplied from the engines.

At the beginning of 2009, it was decided to stop production of the Il-96-300, since this model was considered unpromising. However, several airliners of this series were purchased by buyers from Cuba, and according to data, these aircraft are of domestic production and are currently used for their intended purpose.

Cabin Il-96-400

Creating a more advanced model

Russian designers created the Il-96-400 at the beginning of 2000 as an updated model of a previously developed airliner. When creating this modification, several changes were made:

the plane could accommodate many more passengers;
flight range has increased significantly;
specifications have been improved.

According to a report published by Izvestia, the resumption of production of the Il-96 will begin in the near future. After all, a business agreement has already been signed between the Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Manufacturing Community and the special flight squad “Russia” for the delivery of several units of Il-96-400 M by 2020. The message noted that one of the updated aircraft models will be used as presidential transport.

Currently, the airliner has successfully passed all tests, both factory and ground. Experts noted the excellent flight and technical characteristics, as well as the comfortable cabin and reliability of air transport.

The layout of the IL-96 interior provides for the arrangement of seats, which is shown in the photo below.

Passengers are in comfortable seats during the flight. Each ship has 8 toilet rooms and a buffet room.

Distinctive characteristics

When developing the Il-96-400M model, Russian engineers made many changes to the previously created air transport model, making the new aircraft strikingly different from many aircraft created by other airlines:

Many military units became interested in the model in question, classifying it as a tanker aircraft. This model is equipped with additional fuel tanks, which are located in the fuselage compartment. If necessary, an additional fuel system is simply connected to the main one, and its capacity allows you to additionally transport about 62 tons of fuel. This model is considered as a “two in one”, because if the services of a tanker are not required, the aircraft can quite easily be converted into a regular one air Transport. Moreover, the modifications will not affect the range that the aircraft of the new model range can cover.
It is equally important to note the second feature of the IL-96 - the safety of air travel. During the tests, the pilot was able to land the plane without damage according to the usual landing pattern, on which all 4 power units were specially turned off.

Not every air transport created by the hands of the world's most famous aircraft manufacturers can boast of such features.

We can imagine the working day of the President of the Russian Federation. As we know, he is forced to travel around the globe. The week is scheduled hour by hour: today he needs to go to America, in a few days to Australia, and he also solves numerous problems in the Russian Federation. It turns out that the fastest way to travel is by plane. Air Force One serves for Putin not only as a means of transportation, but also as a mobile control center for a huge state and at the same time an “office in the air.”

Since the beginning of the Great Patriotic War, high-ranking officials have been using airplanes as a means of transportation. A special aviation group was created. It provided aircraft and controlled the state of the “air residence” of the head of state.

Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin used the S-47 aircraft for his work (this is a copy of the Li-2). During the flight, he was accompanied by twenty-seven Red Army Air Force fighters.

Nikita Sergeevich Khrushchev made business trips mainly on the Il-18. He loved to travel. What the world remembers most is the trip to the United States of America in 1959. Then, for the flight, the Secretary General chose a Tu-114 aircraft, this is the largest aircraft in the world. He did not fly alone, but with his family and 63 accompanying persons.

The guests who arrived in America could not immediately and normally descend to the ground, since the air base did not have a ladder long enough to reach the doors of the tall Tu-114. A fire truck with a huge ladder was needed to receive Russian guests. Soon, aircraft designers created the Il-62 especially for him; it was Leonid Ilyich Brezhnev’s favorite plane; Yuri Vladimirovich Andropov, Konstantin Ustinovich Chernenko and Mikhail Sergeevich Gorbachev also flew it on their work trips. During its entire operation, the aircraft has never let its VIP passengers down.

Putin's aircraft fleet

What planes does Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin fly on? The aircraft fleet of the Russian head of state consists of 8 airplanes and 2 helicopters. He mainly uses the flagship Il 96-300PU (“control point”) for flights. This is a very large plane, it has everything you need for efficient work and good rest.

This aircraft is equipped with a complete set of electrical equipment. This is an excellent platform for managing the country and the army of our state. The Il-96-300 PU has all the appropriate means of communication, not excluding satellite ones, so it is impossible to hack the control system of the presidential aircraft.

The main advantage is that absolutely no one has any idea which route the presidential plane will take. And he can also choose any other equipment for air travel, for example, the following brands of aircraft:

TU-154M;
TU-134;
IL-62M;
Yak-40;
Il-96-300 (main);
IL-62 (reserve).

To be on the safe side, Air Force One always has another plane accompanying the head of state, this is what all presidents do. And Putin chooses the plane that will meet the conditions, the nature of the trip, and the flight distance. For example, for India one brand of aircraft is used, but for Yakutia a completely different one is needed.

Putin usually uses planes designed specifically for presidential flights on working visits, but it has also happened that he had to fly in a fighter jet. Or when you need to transfer to a helicopter, this is the Mi-8. On board the aircraft there is always a commander and two changes of crew, and also served by flight attendants of five men and five women.

In 2012, the Rossiya flight squad received another addition, another Il-96-300 with tail number RA96020, and in 2013 another one, which was ordered with tail number RA96021.

Presidential plane

Press employees are always interested not only in what aircraft the Russian President flies (by the way, photos of the presidential Il-96 are constantly published on the pages of the Russian press), but also how to get exactly such a job, but there is naturally a tough selection process.

The commission selects for work in the State Customs Committee "Russia": according to age, level of qualifications, the candidate must be responsible, diligent, trustworthy, and disciplined. Newcomers, as a rule, do not get on board number 1; first they need to go through all the steps of the career ladder and achieve the highest level of professionalism. This presidential plane is operated by Rossiya Airlines.

Putin's plane

The presidential aircraft IL-96-300 PU with tail number RA96012 has an unusual design, Holland offered painting services for the aircraft, interior decoration was done in Switzerland, it is made of walnut veneer, inlaid with precious stones, armored glass, the walls are decorated with tapestries, engravings on historical themes , plant works of art. Diamonite Aircraft Furnishings Ltd specialists were involved in the planning and technical arrangement of the premises on board the aircraft. The interior is dominated by light colors, but more in the color of the flag of the Russian Federation.

The rich decoration of the aircraft is not a toy for personal use, not for showing off; guests from abroad, diplomatic meetings, and authorized media representatives are often on this board.

The plane of the head of state is a special symbol; it creates a special reputation of the Russian Federation for foreign guests. There are no “gold toilets”; the decoration of the rooms is in the “sovereign” style. Nobility, beauty, quality, comfort, without unnecessary “tinsel”, vulgarity and flashy luxury.

The Presidential Board is a comfortable flying office for business trips around the world, it is not expensive toy like the eastern princes, who have swimming pools and concert halls with an orchestra. And the high cost of Air Force One is most associated with secret electronic equipment and the provision of special flight safety measures.

Putin’s Il-96-300 office can be called the “Flying Kremlin”; there are meeting rooms, a conference room, and luxury salons for accompanying persons and guests.

On board the aircraft there is everything necessary for governing the state, there are computers, office equipment, satellite communication systems, special communications, radio-electronic equipment at hand, a lower stairway is built in (so that the story of 1959 with Nikita Khrushchev does not repeat itself) and the engines are modernized (PS-90A).

Also on board there is a small gym, rooms for relaxing selected guests, a refectory, a bar room, shower cabins, a medical room, where, in addition to emergency medical care, resuscitation can be performed.

The technical specifications inspire confidence. The dimensions of the aircraft also do not leave anyone indifferent: the wingspan is 60 meters, the length is 55 meters, and the height is more than 17 meters. Take-off maximum weight 230 tons. Fuel reserve is 150400 liters. The flight speed is about 900 kilometers per hour, when landing - 270 kilometers per hour. Over 20 years of operation, the aircraft made about 12 thousand landings.

The aircraft landing gear has three main supports, which are located behind the center of mass, and a front support. Each of the three is equipped with a four-wheeled cart with brake wheels, and the front one has two non-braking wheels. All fourteen wheels have the same dimensions of 1300x480 millimeters.

The aircraft's power plant is four PS-90A turbofan engines (designed by P.A. Solovyov). The fuel system is automatic, but if necessary, you can use manual control. The fuel is in 9 tanks, of which 8 are located in the wing consoles and one in the center. For each of the four engines the system is designed separately. The consumable compartments are constantly filled with fuel, which ensures its reliable supply to the engines in all flight modes.

Safety first

Il-96 is a reliable aircraft. During their operation, which is more than 20 years, such aircraft have not had a single serious accident, but the news often talks about plane crashes of other brands of aircraft.

Firstly, about 30 aircraft of this brand were built and excellent craftsmen worked on each one individually; secondly, they are prepared for specific operators, and from this it follows that the quality of service is always at its best. The state of the aircraft is monitored by a detachment from the Presidential Administration Department, and this is more reliable than any private airline.

Currently, the special squad has four Il-96-300 of different modifications. The main one is the Il-96-300PU(M), an updated model.

The Il-96-300 presidential plane is protected not only from the ground, but also in the air. Many dispatchers and a large number of Air defense controls the moment during takeoff and landing of Air Force One, because that is when terrorists mainly try to attack.

In the air, Air Force One is protected by a cover team, and these, as you know, are experienced, qualified pilots. There are also additional security measures. For example, if a missile was torpedoed to destroy an aircraft, then its own on-board device will eliminate the attack using an anti-missile. The airliner is also protected by neutralizing heat traps; in addition, it has a camouflage coating on the aircraft body, thanks to which it becomes invisible to missile guidance systems. It turns out that if a missile is torpedoed from the ground, the plane will destroy it.

In contact with

Il 96 is designed on the basis of the previous Il-86 model. This is a domestic wide-body passenger airbus. It is designed to operate medium and long-haul flights. Its development began in the 80s of the twentieth century. Already in 1988, the world saw the first copy of this aircraft.

According to the established test program, the airliner made several long-distance flights. One of the indicative ones is the flight “Moscow - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Moscow”. It did not provide for an intermediate landing. The flight length was 14,800 km at an altitude of up to 12,000 m. The aircraft covered this distance in 18 hours and 9 minutes. At that time, this was a record figure for passenger aircraft produced in the USSR.

Based on the results of numerous tests of flight characteristics, the aircraft was issued a certificate in 1992. All tests were carried out on Aeroflot's free air routes.

Good to know! Due to a lack of finances, operational tests were carried out together with commercial cargo flights.

Features and benefits of the aircraft

The diameter of the fuselage of the Il-96 aircraft does not differ from its predecessor. Only its length has changed, which is 5 m shorter. The wings of the Airbus are swept with a large aspect ratio. They are equipped with supercritical profiles and vertical ends.

Interesting fact! Such design features allowed to increase aerodynamic characteristics.

The shape of the tail section is the same as that of the Il-86. The designers increased the length of the vertical tail. This was done in order to ensure flight safety in the event of a failure of one of the Airbus engines.

The chassis is mounted on three supports, which are equipped with a trolley with four brake wheels.

Note. Two non-braking wheels are mounted on the front landing gear. This increases speed as the aircraft accelerates on the runway.

The IL-96, like its predecessor, is equipped with four PS-90A turbofan engines. An automatic fuel system is installed. If necessary, you can control it manually.

The fuel is stored in nine tanks, one of which is located in the center of the fuselage. The rest are in the wing consoles. Fuel consumption, as well as its balance, is controlled using special devices. The design of the airliner provides consumable compartments for each engine. They always contain fuel.

Advantages:

significant flight range;
optimal maximum load indicator;
high speed;
reliability and safety.

The airliner is equipped with two decks. The first one is located luggage compartment. On the second is the passenger compartment.

Specifications

The weight of the airliner is 117,000 kg. It is lighter than the IL-86. Weight at maximum load exceeds 200,000 kg. The hull length is 55.35 m, the height is 17.55 m. The wing area of the Il-96 is reduced and reaches 391.6 sq.m. The aircraft is designed for flights at altitudes of up to 12,000 m and distances of no more than 9,000 km. The maximum speed of the Airbus at zero load is 910 km/h, and the cruising speed is 850 km/h.

Cabin capacity is 230-300 passengers. How many seats are in the liner depends on its modification.

Il-96 equipment

The aircraft's fuel efficiency has been improved through the use of dual-circuit engines. The body is made of new alloys and composite materials. This made it possible to reduce the main load on the chassis, as well as improve aerodynamic characteristics.

For safety purposes, the aircraft is equipped with the following devices:

Russian digital aviation complex with 6 multifunctional displays;
EDSU (electrical remote control system);
modern multifunctional navigation system;
satellite communication devices.

An electric pulse anti-icing system with cyclic action is also built-in. It is designed to protect the leading edges of the wings, stabilizers and fin.

Il-96 passenger compartment diagram

There are two layouts of this aircraft: mono-class and three-class. The cabin of the first type of airliner has 300 passenger seats. They belong to economy class. The distance between the seats is 87 cm.

The second type aircraft has three compartments in the cabin:

1st class;
Business Class;
Economy class.

First grade increased comfort. It houses 22 chairs in a 2+2+2 layout with two aisles. The distance between the rows is 102 cm. During the flight, you can recline the seat back and not disturb your neighbor. In this class, the seats in the last row are considered comfortable.

Business class accommodates 40 passenger seats. Arrangement: 2+4+2 with two aisles. The distance between the seats is 90 cm. In this compartment, it is better to choose seats in the first row on the sides of the cabin.

In economy class there are 173 seats, the distance between which is 87 cm. In this compartment it is not possible to fully recline the seat back. Seating arrangement: 3+3+3. The exception is the rows in the first row of a given compartment. It has 2 chairs in the center and on the sides of the cabin.

Good to know! There are the same number of seats in the rear of single- and three-class airliners.

Versions of Il-96

Il-96-300 is a basic aircraft. He “entered service” at Aeroflot in 1993. The airliner is equipped with powerful domestic engines. A total of 20 units of such equipment were produced.

On its basis, the Il-96-300PU was designed. This airbus is designed to transport the President of the Russian Federation. It has no differences in technical characteristics from the base model. Two airliners of this series were produced: in 1995 for B. Yeltsin and in 2003 for V. Putin.

Il-96-400 is a modernized Il-96-300. The aircraft can fly at altitudes of up to 13,000 m. The maximum cabin capacity is 435 passengers. Maximum take-off weight - 270 tons.

Good to know! Aircraft of this model have never been produced. Since 2009, there have been no orders for their production.

Il-96-400T is a cargo version of the Il-96-400 airliner. It was created by modernizing the Il-96. Flight characteristics remained similar to those of a passenger aircraft.

Other models have been developed:

Il-96M is the first Russian airliner, which was designed in cooperation with foreign companies. It has an extended fuselage.
Il-96MD is an airbus with two foreign-made engines. In airlines it was replaced by the more functional and fast Boeing.
Il-96MK is an aircraft equipped with four NK-92 engines. Their thrust reaches 20,000 kgf.

In 1997, the Il-96T cargo airliner was released. He participated in various exhibitions.

Safety of the Il-96 aircraft

During 22 years of operation, not a single passenger or crew member died during travel. The aircraft was equipped with multi-channel backup systems with automatic control. They independently switch communication channels and send signals to additional devices in the event of a breakdown of any aircraft device.

A crew warning system about engine failure is also installed. It can be controlled manually. The safety of the aircraft is affected by the fuel control system and untimely notification of the breakdown of one of the engines.

Where is the IL-96 produced?

The airliner was designed in the late 80s of the 20th century at the Design Bureau named after. Ilyushin. Serial production of this model began in 1993 at the aircraft manufacturing plant in Voronezh. The first copy was released in 1988 by the Design Bureau in Moscow on Leningradsky Prospekt.

Cost of different models

The price of IL-96 of various modifications is constantly changing. Models are being improved. The approximate cost of the basic IL-96 is 1.320 billion rubles. More a new version(IL-96-400) exceeded this figure by 200 million rubles.

Aircraft modernization

The IL-96 was first modernized in 1993. The new model was named Il-96M. She has an elongated body. It is equipped with American PW-2337 engines. The aircraft flies over distances of more than 12,000 km. Its cabin accommodates 435 passenger seats.

In 2000, the IL-96 was improved again. The Il-96-400 aircraft was assembled at its base. It has a fuselage like the Il-96M. The aircraft was equipped with PS-90A-1 turbojet engines. This increased its flight and technical characteristics. It can fly at an altitude of about 13,000 m.

The airlines have at their disposal the Il-96-300 aircraft and the Il-96-400T cargo model. The passenger version of the latest airliner is not in demand at present. There are no orders for its production.

Photo: Alexey Petrov / @aviationcolors / https://twitter.com/aviationcolors?s=20

The history of domestic airbuses, now more often called wide-body aircraft, begins in 1967, when in October a Decree of the Council of Ministers of the USSR was issued, which launched the development of the first Soviet medium-range wide-body aircraft Il-86 with a passenger capacity of 350 people.

The first domestic airbus Il-86

The design of the aircraft was entrusted to the Design Bureau named after. Ilyushin. At the initial stage, a version of the Il-62-250, increased to 250 seats, with a fuselage extended by 6.8 meters, was being developed. This project did not receive further development. To accommodate 350 passengers, it was necessary to increase the number of seats in a row, and in order to maintain the level of comfort achieved on the Il-62, options for a double-deck aircraft and a single-deck aircraft with an oval fuselage and two separate passenger cabins were being studied. These studies also remained only on paper.

February 22, 1970 OKB im. Ilyushin was given technical specifications for the development of a wide-body passenger plane for 350 seats. On March 9, 1972, the Council of Ministers of the USSR adopted Resolution No. 168-68 on the start of work on the Il-86 aircraft. A distinctive feature of the first Soviet Airbus was the ability to transport luggage according to the “baggage with you” principle. Together with TsAGI, an extensive set of studies was carried out on the choice of fuselage diameter. The result was a fuselage designed with nine seats in a row and two wide aisles. The wing was equipped with slats and three-slot flaps, which were later replaced with double-slot ones. Such mechanization provided high lifting force and made it possible to take off from relatively short runways.

The experimental Il-86 made its first flight on December 22, 1976. In June 1977, the aircraft was shown at the Le Bourget air show. Factory tests were completed at the end of September 1978, after which certification tests began. The application for a certificate of airworthiness was submitted on May 15, 1974, and the certificate itself was received on December 24, 1980. Two days later, the Il-86 performed its first regular flight on the route Moscow - Tashkent - Moscow.

For more than 30 years, this comfortable, handsome giant has carried passengers on the busiest air routes. In the 80s, the Ilyushin Design Bureau received a State Prize for its creation.

At the beginning of 2017, four Il-86 aircraft were in operation. All of them were used in the country's Air Force and did not carry out passenger transportation. A total of 104 production aircraft and two prototypes were produced.

Il-86 RA-86140, SVO, October 4, 2009 Before the flight Moscow - Hurghada - Moscow

Wide-body long-range aircraft Il-96-300

With the growth of air traffic in the Soviet Union, the need arose to create a domestic high-capacity long-haul aircraft. In foreign airlines, a significant part of the fleet of long-haul aircraft were wide-body airliners, which, during multi-hour flights, provided passengers with a significantly higher level of comfort than long-range narrow-body aircraft.

Initially, it was assumed that the long-range airbus would be a further development of the Il-86 aircraft and would retain the greatest possible structural similarity with it. In accordance with this approach, the new aircraft, designated Il-86D (“long-range”), had the same design of the fuselage, tail, and main on-board functional systems as the Il-86. This made it possible to reduce the time required to create a new aircraft and quickly introduce it into mass production in parallel with the production of the Il-86 aircraft. The IL-86D differed from its predecessor only in its wing area (470 m2) and new NK-56 engines with a high bypass ratio and low specific fuel consumption in cruising flight.

In 1978, using the results of work on the Il-86D project, the OKB began developing the Il-96 aircraft with a T-shaped tail, a high aspect ratio wing with a supercritical profile and an area of 387 m 2. Development of this version of a long-haul Airbus was carried out at the Design Bureau until 1983. By this time, progress had been made in the field of aviation science and aircraft manufacturing, which made it possible to abandon the idea of creating the Il-96 aircraft using many ready-made units and systems of the Il-86 aircraft in its design. The OKB decided to develop a fundamentally new wide-body aircraft, the Il-96-300.

Initially, it was planned to equip the new aircraft with four NK-56 engines with a take-off thrust of 18,000 kgf each. But due to numerous complex and contradictory reasons, Minister of Aviation Industry I.S. Silaev, with his forceful decision, relied on a single passenger aviation engine D-90 (PS-90), developed by the Perm Design Bureau under the leadership of P.A. Solovyova. An order was given to stop the development of NK-56, at the same time OKB im. S.V. Ilyushin was ordered to redesign the Il-96 for four D-90 engines. The thrust of the Perm engine being developed (13,500 kgf) turned out to be insufficient. At the request of "Ila", P.A. Soloviev agreed to bring it to 16,000 kgf.

The Ilyushin team had to reduce the length of the aircraft, abandon the T-shaped tail and increase the keel area by increasing its height by one and a half meters. The need to increase the area of the vertical tail was determined by the requirement to ensure directional stability in the event of failure of one engine. The wing span was increased to 60 m and its sweep was reduced, while the wing area was reduced to 350 m 2. Winglets with a height of 3.1 meters and an angle of deviation from the horizontal axis of 15 o appeared on the wingtips.

Wing and airframe structure

The Il-96-300 wing is equipped with complex and effective takeoff and landing mechanization, consisting of slats along its entire span, internal double-slotted and external single-slotted flaps, as well as lateral control elements: internal ailerons and spoilers. In order to reduce wear on the power elements of the wing and make the aircraft more resistant to bumps, a wing vibration damping system was developed, which uses external ailerons operating in automatic mode; they do not participate in the lateral control of the aircraft; the roll is controlled by internal ailerons.

The design of the power wing box was developed using monolithic prefabricated panels with a higher level of design stresses than on the IL-86, while ensuring the required strength, service life and survivability. This was achieved by using new materials in the construction of panels, both with increased characteristics of fracture toughness, low-cycle fatigue, low crack growth rates, and high-strength materials with increased tensile strength and good fatigue characteristics.

To reduce the number of longitudinal and transverse joints, which are the main source of fatigue cracks, long and wide semi-finished products are used in the airframe design of the Il-96-300 aircraft. Another feature of the wing is the large amount of honeycomb structures used. They are used to make the nose and tail parts of the wing, landing gear compartment doors, and various elements of the wing mechanization: spoilers, ailerons, and part of the flaps.

In order to reduce the drag of engine nacelles, thrust losses and, ultimately, to reduce fuel consumption in cruising flight, the Il-96-300 engine nacelles have smooth, rather than stepped, external contours, characteristic of engine nacelles with a high bypass ratio, which were previously installed on domestic and foreign aircraft. And although the gain from gondolas of this shape is relatively small, it is expressed in very significant fuel savings when performing long-distance flights.

The Il-96-300 fuselage has the same diameter as the Il-86 - 6.08 m. However, the fuselage design has been significantly changed to increase its reliability, ensure safety in case of damage, reduce the rate of crack growth, ensure a given resource, reduce weight and improve quality of the outer surface.

Reducing the length of the fuselage led to a reduction in passenger capacity. The various layouts of the passenger compartment provide a capacity from 235 to 300 people. The standard layout of economy class allows you to place 300 seats in two salons: in the first - 66 and in the second - 234 seats with a pitch of 870 mm, nine in a row with two aisles 550 mm wide. The layout for 235 seats provides a three-class cabin: in first class - 22 seats with a pitch of 1020 mm, in business class - 40 seats and in economy class - 173.

Cockpit, avionics and equipment

The IL-96 uses a glass cockpit control system, which includes a modern Russian digital avionics complex with six color multifunction displays, an electric remote control system with a backup mechanical control system, an inertial navigation system and satellite navigation. The aircraft is equipped with a comprehensive system for distributing information to the crew on monitors about the operation of the aircraft systems. The on-board flight navigation system provides almost complete automation of aircraft navigation in difficult meteorological conditions over any area globe and performing an automatic landing under ICAO Category IIIA conditions. The aircraft is controlled by a crew of three: the aircraft commander, co-pilot and flight engineer.

When developing the flight deck, Ilyushin Design Bureau engineers were tasked with reducing pilot fatigue during long work on long-distance flights of many hours, to increase the reliability, safety and regularity of flights. As on the Il-86, the principle of a forward-looking crew located in a single group, which has proven itself in operation, is used here, which ensures mutual control and mutual assistance between its members. All information display devices and controls are located in accessible and visible places. This approach required the integration of individual signaling devices, indicators and controls into a single multifunctional information and control system, providing the issuance of signals (light, sound, speech), display of parameters of the flight navigation complex, power plant and aircraft systems, as well as control of the operation of systems and on-board equipment.

The use of multi-channel redundant systems on the IL-96-300 with automatic shutdown or switching of faulty channels basically frees the crew from any actions in the event of failures. The information display system notifies the crew about the failure that has occurred, and only in some cases does the crew need to manually duplicate the operation of the automation. Only in individual cases, when untimely switching on or off of the most critical systems, such as engines or the second and third fire extinguishing stages, can significantly affect flight safety, automation is not used and decision-making is entrusted to the crew.

All information about the operation of on-board systems, as well as the display of data necessary for piloting and navigation, are combined into a single information display system, the basis of which is two subsystems - screen display and integrated information signaling.

Cockpit of the Il-96-300

The screen display system is part of the flight navigation complex and its main means of presenting information to the crew are four color screen indicators at the edges of the instrument panel, two of which are intended for the ship’s commander and two for the co-pilot. Each pair of these indicators consists of an integrated flight indicator and an integrated navigation situation indicator, which provide the crew with the information necessary for piloting the aircraft and navigation.

The integrated alarm information system indicators are located in the middle of the instrument panel. The right screen is intended mainly to display engine operating parameters, and the left one is for signal information.

In addition, it is possible to manually call up any information that the system has on each of these screens. It has storage devices that allow, after the flight, to display information on the screens about failures and malfunctions of on-board systems that occurred during the flight. To quickly document failures and malfunctions, there is a printing device on board the aircraft, which, if necessary, issues a form with a list of systems and assemblies that failed during the flight for ground maintenance personnel and crew.

The fuel system of the Il-96-300 was developed on the basis of the fuel system of its predecessor, the Il-86. The fuel system operates automatically, without requiring crew participation, and manual control is provided only when necessary. The fuel is located in nine caisson wing tanks, of which eight are located in the wing consoles and one in the center section.

The fuel system is made separate for each of the four engines, in turn, each engine is fed with fuel from the supply compartment of its tank. The consumable compartments are filled with fuel throughout the entire flight, which ensures its reliable supply to the engines in all flight modes. Fuel production from the console tanks is delayed to unload the wing and increase the critical flutter speed.

The Il-96-300 landing gear consists of three main supports located behind the aircraft's center of mass, and a front support located in the forward part of the fuselage. Each of the three main legs is equipped with a four-wheel trolley with brake wheels, and the front leg has two non-braking wheels. All fourteen wheels are the same size 1300x480 mm and the pressure in the tires is 11.5 kg/cm 2.

Current state IL-96 programs

As of January 1, 2017, 15 Il-96 aircraft were in operation. Of these, 4 aircraft in the Il-96-300 version are operated by the Cuban national airline Cubana de Aviacion (one of them is in storage), two Il-96-400 and 9 Il-96-300 aircraft are operated by the special flight squad "Russia" . Aircraft are used to transport first persons (RA-96019, RA-96102). The Il-96-300PU aircraft, tail number RA-96019, is Air Force One, Control Point, on which the president of the country flies; board RA-96102 is intended for the Minister of Defense.

The Il-96-400T aircraft is a cargo modification of the Il-96-300. The fuselage length of the Il-96-400T aircraft has been increased by 9.35 m compared to the base Il-96-300 aircraft.

The main difference between the Il-96-400T cargo aircraft and its passenger version is that the passenger cabin has been converted into a cargo cabin with reinforcement of the cabin floor and the installation of additional rails for attaching floor mechanization intended for loading and unloading international aviation pallets and containers. The layout of the cargo deck of the IL-96-400T allows the use of various loading schemes and packaging means when stowing cargo. The maximum payload is 92 tons.

Regular passenger transportation in our country is not carried out on this type of aircraft. At the end of 2013, Aeroflot management proposed to the company’s board of directors to abandon the operation of the Il-96, citing economic considerations as the reason for their proposal.

On March 30, 2014, the Aeroflot airliner Il-96-300 with tail number RA-96008, flying from Tashkent, made its last landing at Sheremetyevo Airport. These planes no longer carried passengers on regular flights.

As of January 1, 2017, five Il-96s were being built in the assembly shops of the Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Manufacturing Company (VASO) - three Il-96-400T and two Il-96-300, the UAC plans to produce two or three aircraft per year at period until 2023-2025.

PJSC "Il", on instructions from the Ministry of Defense, developed the Il-96-400TZ fuel tanker based on the Il-96-400T cargo modification. It was planned that it would be a “clean” tanker with an overhead tank, capable of transferring over 65 tons of fuel at a distance of up to 3.5 thousand km from its home airfield. However, in May 2018, it became known that the military department abandoned the development of this vehicle in favor of the Il-78M-90A 2 tanker.

Dimensions
Airplane Il-96-400M
wingspan (m)	60,105
aircraft length (m)	63,939
aircraft height (m)	15,717
wing area (m2)	350
wing sweep angle along the 1/4 chord line (deg)	30
fuselage diameter (m)	6,08
Main engine characteristics
engine quantity and model	4 x PS-90A3M 1
maximum take-off thrust, not less (kgf)	4 x 17400
compliance with ICAO standards	Appendix 16, Chapter 4
Mass characteristics
maximum take-off weight (t)	265
58
maximum fuel tank capacity (l)	152620
Flight performance
cruising speed (km/h)	870
flight range with maximum number of passengers (km)	10000
flight altitude (m)	9000-12000
take-off distance (m)	2700
landing distance (m)	1650
Number of places
flight crew	3 (2)
passenger	single-class layout - 436 two-class layout - 386 three-class layout - 315

Il-96-400M

There are only three manufacturers in the world that are capable of producing wide-body airliners - the American Boeing, the European Airbus and the Russian Ilyushin. And the Euro-Atlantic duopoly does not need a competitor in the form of our country.

In the years after the collapse of the USSR, Russia lost a lot in the region civil aviation. Often the industry surrendered its position voluntarily, but for the most part the anti-industrial lobby put a lot of effort into destroying the Russian aviation industry. We now have the results of this “fruitful” work - the overwhelming number of aircraft in Russian airlines- foreign production.

In 2010, the most experienced Aeroflot pilot, with over 20 thousand flight hours, Il-96 crew commander Vladimir Salnikov, said that Airbus directly states in the contract for the sale of aircraft: the intermediary receives 10 percent of the transaction amount. The Boeing Corporation, without any hesitation, reports that in 2009 it spent $72 million on bribing officials in the CIS. And if, for example, Aeroflot, instead of IL-96, purchases several Boeings or Airbuses worth a billion dollars, 100 million of them will immediately go into the pockets of interested people.

In addition to direct bribery of officials, efforts are being made to restrict flights for domestic aircraft to Europe and the USA, and such restrictions did not begin yesterday. Suffice it to recall the end of the 50s, when in Europe, in order to increase security, a ban on jet planes with two engines. This measure was a response to the appearance in the USSR of a breakthrough jet passenger airliner Tu-104. To overcome this limitation, the Tupolev Design Bureau had to develop the Tu-110 aircraft with four engines.

The sanctions introduced in 2014 and constantly extended by Washington and Brussels are aimed, among other things, at limiting the import into Russia of new technologies that our country does not possess. In such conditions, Russia has no choice but to take care of strengthening its defense and the means of maintaining air traffic between the European part of the country and its eastern borders. We need an updated version of a wide-body long-haul airliner.

Reports about the resumption of production of the Il-96 in the Il-96-400M version and the development of the ShFDMS project - a wide-body long-range aircraft - appeared almost simultaneously in 2014-2015. Initially, it was not entirely clear why it was necessary to develop two similar aircraft. Complete clarity was made in September 2016 by Dmitry Rogozin, who, during a visit to Voronezh, said that in the period until the creation of a strategically new passenger aircraft (Russian-Chinese CR929), which is approximately 2027, the Il-96-400M will cover the basic needs of Russia as on long-haul flights Far East from the European part, and charter flights to holiday season to those countries where capacious aircraft are needed.

The IL-96-400M is developed on the basis of the transport version "-400T", so its fuselage will be 9.35 m longer than the base aircraft Il-96-300 and will be 63.939 meters.

The main differences between the "-400M" version and previous modifications are two pilots in the cockpit and the replacement of the PS-90A1 engines with the next generation PD-14M engines, which develop a take-off thrust of 16-17 tons. As is known, the basic PD-14 with a thrust of 14 tons is designed for installation on the MS-21 airliner, and the version with the “M” index is being developed for the Il-214 military transport aircraft (in June 2017, the Il-214 aircraft (MTA/SVTS) received official name IL-276 1). Replacing the PS-90A1 with the PD-14M promises a significant reduction in fuel consumption and power plant maintenance costs.

Note from Russian Aviation: information about the future replacement of the engine was taken from the UAC magazine "Horizons" No. 4 2016 (#12) p. 31, where this data is provided by the deputy head of the preliminary design bureau of the Il company, Olga Kruglyakova. In our opinion, the power of the PD-14M is not enough for the new Il-96, and we can talk about the promising PD-18R with a take-off thrust of 18-20 tf. Probably not yet created, tested and certified new engine with a thrust of at least 18 tf, the same time-tested PS-90A1 will be installed on the aircraft.

At the beginning of March 2017 CEO Perm "Aviadvigatel" Alexander Inozemtsev reported that the PS-90A1 engine will be upgraded to the PS-90A3M version, which will ultimately be installed on the Il-96-400M 1.

The rearrangement of the passenger cabin will further improve the aircraft's fuel efficiency. If business class is available, the capacity will be 370 seats, and in economy class - 436.

These improvements will bring the Il-96-400M closer in operating economics to the popular Western models Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-200.

OKB im. Ilyushin compared the Il-96-400M, in the version with 332 passenger seats, and the serial Airbus A330. Calculations showed that, taking into account the entire complex of planned improvements, the PER indicator (direct operational costs, in Western style - direct operational costs, DOC) was almost equal. “The planes turned out to be close in terms of operating economics. And taking into account the difference in prices due to changes in the exchange rate, the Russian car reaches a competitive level,” says Ila General Designer Nikolai Talikov.

It is not intended to make any other major changes to the time-tested airframe and systems. Also no additional testing is required. The aircraft has a high confirmed design life of 70 thousand hours. The maximum take-off weight of the aircraft consistently increased from 235 to 250 and then to 270 tons. It will not increase further either.

In 2019, the first prototype of the Il-96-400M passenger aircraft will be assembled at VASO facilities, at the same time the aircraft will receive a new designation - Il-496, according to reports from PJSC "IL", a fundamental decision on this has already been made 3, for the implementation of the project It is planned to allocate about 50 billion rubles for the production of Il-96-400M for the period until 2021. From 2020 to 2023, five new aircraft should be accepted by the State Transport Leasing Company (STLC). It is expected that they will be operated on lines between Moscow and Vladivostok with Khabarovsk.

On January 18, 2019, General Director of PJSC Il Alexey Rogozin outlined priorities for the year, one of which was the launch into serial production of the wide-body long-haul passenger aircraft Il-96-400M 4 .

In the spring of 2018, VASO began manufacturing parts for the first prototype of the Il-96-400M. At the same time, the slipway was cleared for assembling the fuselage of the aircraft, which had previously been occupied by the fuselage of the unfinished fifth Il-96-400T. The production of the prototype Il-96-400M should be completed by the end of 2019; in the first half of 2020, preliminary and certification tests of the airliner will take place, which by June 2020 should end with the issuance of an addition to the type certificate - approval of the main design change 3.