IL 96 last. Russian aviation. Cockpit, avionics and equipment

On May 27, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced plans to start production of the Il-96-400M wide-body long-range aircraft (an upgraded version of the Il-96-300) and a regional aircraft based on the Il-114 at the board of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. They will be produced by enterprises that are part of the United Aircraft Corporation ( UAC), - the Voronezh Aircraft Building Association and the Nizhny Novgorod Sokol Plant, respectively.

The cost of both development programs is 50 billion rubles each. But the scale of the planned release was small.

It is planned to produce six long-haul ships, regional - a maximum of 100, a federal official and a person close to the KLA told Vedomosti. These figures were confirmed by another federal official, specifying that the number of Il-96s could be increased to eight.

The Il-96-400M (more than 400 seats, production should begin in 2019) will be intended primarily for government agencies, primarily for the special Rossiya flight squad that transports top officials, two Vedomosti interlocutors say. It will not have commercial potential, as it is an outdated, fuel-inefficient aircraft, they explain. The previous modification of the Il-96-300 has not been produced since 2009. The idea is being discussed to subsidize the leasing of this aircraft so that the payment is about twice as low as for the competing Boeing-777 and Airbus330; this may be of interest to some carriers, given that fuel has fallen in price and the gain in efficiency is no longer so fundamental, the second official objects.

50-100 modernized Il-114s (designed in the 1980s) will be produced, the planned capacity is 64 seats, the federal official says. In 2019–2023 it is planned to produce 20-25 cars, and then, depending on demand, bring their number to 100, a person close to the UAC knows. Until 2019, six Il-114s located at the plant in Tashkent will be completed, a source in the UAC told Vedomosti earlier.

Now in Russia, 100-150 regional aircraft of various sizes, still of Soviet design, are being operated, the official continues. This market has not been studied in depth, he admits, but a survey of operators revealed a need for about 50 new vessels. The IL-114 is being redesigned with a fuselage to make the aircraft lighter, and the engines will be improved, explains a person close to the KLA. If the updated version is successful, then the aircraft may have export potential, he hopes.

“With such a scale of production, no program, of course, will pay off,” the federal official argues. - But UAC has local tasks: government agencies need some of their own wide-body aircraft, domestic airlines need some regional aircraft; in addition, production capacities will be loaded. True, resources are being scattered, he adds, because these models have no further prospects, unlike the short-haul SSJ100 produced by UAC and the medium-haul MS-21 being developed - the export potential of these aircraft will help create new aircraft.

The production of Il-96 and Il-114 will be financed in the fourth quarter, subject to adjustments to the budget, a spokesman for the Ministry of Industry and Trade says. A spokesman for the KLA declined to comment.

Among the numerous models of aircraft manufactured by domestic manufacturers, the Il-96 stands out for its special reliability and excellent performance. According to analytical data confirmed by world experts, it was this model that demonstrated safety in 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 were highly appreciated by experts. However, for various reasons, the mass production of some aircraft was frozen.

In the early 80s of the last century, engineers working in the Ilyushin design bureau developed the Il-95 aircraft to serve long passenger flights. As a base for the new model, it was decided to use the IL-86.

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

The Il-96-300 model was launched into serial production in the early 1990s, and after only a year, the airliner began to serve passengers. Domestic aircraft manufacturers have built and put into operation 22 units of reliable and safe aircraft of the series under consideration. Moreover, one of the models of this Il-96 300 PU series was used for the air transportation of the President of the Russian Federation.

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

The well-known airline Aeroflot, in response to the adoption of the new law, issued a statement that if duties are really reduced, then the company is ready to buy Il-96 aircraft. The issue of removing duties was resolved, but, unfortunately, Aeroflot did not keep its promises, that is, it did not buy a large batch of 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 at the photo of the interior of the IL-96, you can see the strengths. Buyers were no less impressed by the flight and navigation complex, created according to a special design that allowed pilots to fly an airliner without the help of a navigator.

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

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

The cabin of the IL-96 is quite spacious and provides for a modern air conditioning system that supplies air from the engines to the compartment.

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

Cabin IL-96-400

Creating a more advanced model

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

• the plane could accommodate many more passengers on board;
• 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 Building Community and the Rossiya special flight detachment for the receipt of several Il-96-400M units by 2020. The message noted that one of the updated aircraft models will be used as a presidential transport.

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

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

Passengers during the flight are in comfortable chairs. Each liner 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, due to which the new aircraft is strikingly different from many aircraft created by other airlines:

1. Many military units became interested in the model under consideration, classifying it as a tanker aircraft. This model is equipped with additional fuel tanks, which are located in the fuselage compartment. An additional fuel system, if necessary, is simply connected to the main one, and its capacity allows you to additionally transport about 62 tons of fuel. Such a model is considered as a “two in one”, because if the services of a tanker are not required, the aircraft can be quite easily transformed into ordinary air transport. Moreover, the modifications will not affect the range that the aircraft of the new model range can overcome.
2. 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.

The promising Russian wide-body airliner Il-96-400M will receive two engines instead of four - and this, the developers assure, will allow it to compete on equal terms with the best Boeing and Airbus aircraft. However, this will happen at best in seven years. Why is Russia modernizing an old Soviet airliner and will it interfere with the creation of a similar Russian-Chinese aircraft? Russia is launching the process of deep modernization of the Il-96-300 and the creation of a new wide-body passenger aircraft Il-96-400M on its basis.

As Nikolai Talikov, chief designer of OAO Il, told the VZGLYAD newspaper, in 2019 it is planned to build a prototype aircraft, conduct tests and certify it. In 2020, its mass production should begin with final assembly at the Voronezh Aircraft Building Enterprise (VASO). In five years, by 2025, it is planned to assemble 7 such aircraft, that is, 1-2 aircraft per year. Although if there is interest in the aircraft, then VASO will be able to produce three aircraft a year. “At one time, the plant produced eight to ten Il-86 aircraft a year,” recalls Talikov.

Unlike its predecessor (IL-96-300), the fuselage of the IL-96-400M will be increased by 9.35 meters due to two inserts in front of and behind the wing. In addition, the upgraded liner will receive a new heart. It will be equipped with more powerful PS-90A1 engines with a maximum thrust of 17.4 tons to replace the PS-90A (16 tons). As a result, the Il-96-400M will be able to take on board up to 415 passengers - 115 more than the Il-96-300.

The liner will receive new radio communications and flight and navigation equipment. A more comfortable cabin will appear with an additional central luggage rack and division into classes, the latest on-board equipment and an entertainment system. In other words, the filling of the liner is planned to be brought to the modern world level.

Modernization of long-designed aircraft is a traditional world practice. For example, the Boeing-747 is older than the Il-96, but it still flies due to the fact that its filling is constantly being modernized, Roman Gusarov, director of the Avia.ru portal, notes. Including engines.

And the engines are the main problem of the new liner. Even the new Permian PS-90A1 is still inferior to Western counterparts in terms of efficiency. A more worthy engine is only being developed. We are talking about the prospect of installing on the Il-96-400M instead of four PS-90A1 two PD-35 engines with a take-off thrust of 35 tons. “With the same payload mass of 58 tons, it will be possible to increase the flight range from 8,750 km to 10,800, and fuel consumption will be significantly lower,” says Talikov. As expected, when equipped with two engines, the Il-96-400M will be able to compete on equal terms with foreign A-330-300Neo, B-787-8 and B-787-9, including in terms of fuel efficiency. The developer claims that at the cost of a seat-kilometer, it will be better than that of competitors. However, it is planned to certify the PD-35 only in 2024.

The absence of a modern engine can mean one thing - airlines are unlikely to show much interest in a modernized aircraft. “The IL-96-400M would have good commercial prospects if it already had a modern engine. When the PD-35 engine is available, then the aircraft will become comparable with imported counterparts in terms of its main characteristics. In the meantime, the liner will lose in two respects - fuel consumption and the number of engines. Western equipment flies on two engines, and we have four, which means that operating costs are higher,” says Gusarov.

Hence such a small plan for the production of aircraft - 1-2 per year. “That will be enough. Seven aircraft by 2025, I think, will be able to attach through the state aviation,” says Gusarov.

However, why in seven years will the Il-96-400M with the new PD-35 engine be needed, if by that time its competitor, a wide-body long-haul airliner, which Russia is developing together with China, should take off? In Russia, this aircraft is still called ShFDMS, in China - C929. According to the plan, the liner should make its first flight in 2023, and the first deliveries will begin in 2026. This liner promises to be not only comparable in terms of basic characteristics with Western counterparts, but also to surpass them - thanks to the latest engines, composite materials and the latest achievements in aerodynamics. It is assumed that the Russian-Chinese airliner will be 10-15% more efficient than the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus 350.

Development and production will require $13 billion in investment, and another $7 billion to set up a parts supply chain, sales support and marketing. Expenses between Russia and China are divided equally. For comparison, it is planned to spend a total of 53.4 billion rubles (or $940 million) on the Il-96-400M modernization program for 2016-2023.

And yet there are reasons why the project to modernize an already fairly old Soviet aircraft was supported and will be funded by the state.

First, this relatively inexpensive project will allow the Russian aviation industry to retain technology and competencies - in other words, the ability to design and build large wide-body aircraft. This is extremely important, because today only three countries (regions) in the world can build such liners - the USA, Europe and Russia. In addition, the president flies on the Il-96-300, there are five such aircraft in the presidential fleet, and it is difficult to imagine that the first person of the Russian state will transfer to a foreign, even a Russian-Chinese aircraft.

Secondly, no one can guarantee that the Russian-Chinese project will go according to plan. China is a very difficult, albeit very promising, partner, and there are many examples of how joint Russian-Chinese plans fell through for one reason or another.

Finally, "much of what will be installed in the new version of the Il-96-400M can also be used in the new Russian-Chinese project," says Gusarov. For example, the same PD-35 engine can form the basis of the engine for this project.

In addition, if relations with the West suddenly escalate and affect the aviation sector, then the Il-96-400 will close the niche of wide-body Boeings and Airbuses.

“In any case, no matter what happens to the Chinese project or no matter how aggravated relations with the West, we will retain the competence and production of wide-body aircraft, retain personnel and technology. If necessary, it will be possible to expand production to 10 aircraft per year, which will be quite enough for our market, and will remain for export. All over the world, large wide-body aircraft are not produced in such large volumes as traditional narrow-body aircraft,” the source said.

Finally, there is another extremely important reason why Russia should not be allowed to lose the technology for creating such liners. On the basis of this aircraft, create third-generation air control posts, the so-called doomsday aircraft. They can be activated in the event of a nuclear war if the ground control structures are destroyed. The most famous of these specialized aircraft are the American E-4B based on the Boeing-747 liners and the Russian Il-80, developed on the basis of the passenger Il-86.

In fact, the wide-body Il-86, created back in the 70s, was technically a breakthrough in the Soviet aviation industry. But after the collapse of the Soviet Union, they simply forgot about it: there was not enough money, and the technological chains were broken.

In modern Russia, the IL-96-300 was used only by Aeroflot (it had long since withdrawn from its fleet) and the bankrupt airline Transaero. Although several aircraft are still available in the fleet of the Presidential Administration and in the state-owned Cuban airline.

The place of their own large liner was taken by foreign competitors, mainly supported by Airbuses (A310, 340) and Boeings (747,767, 777). There is a version that the trouble was not even that imported liners were more economical and competitive than ours, but that the Americans and Europeans gave a conditional 10% of the deal for each ordered batch of their aircraft (simply bribed). Even so, the only way to change the situation in the near future is through market-based measures, making the Russian offer more attractive.

The main thing is that the state should not cross the border and decide to force Russian airlines to buy the Il-96-400M under duress without any apparent need. “If there is no imposition of a non-competitive aircraft for now on everyone and everything, then everything is fine. After all, airlines have to earn money,” says Gusarov. Another thing is if favorable conditions for the purchase and ownership of such aircraft are offered to airlines, and they themselves want to switch to their operation.

A source in the aviation industry told the newspaper VIEW and the estimated cost of the future car. From the point of view of the price - 7 billion rubles or 120 million dollars - the Il-96-400M already looks attractive, at least at the current ruble exchange rate. “It turns out that we are selling a wide-body aircraft at the price of a narrow-body aircraft. This is the approximate price of a narrow-body A-320,” Gusarov notes. However, for airlines, it is important how much it will cost to own an aircraft as a whole over the entire period of its operation. When the PD-35 engine appears, this cost may turn out to be no worse than Western counterparts. And by that time, Russian airlines will just need to replenish the fleet with wide-body airliners. For example, according to Kommersant, by 2025 Aeroflot will leave its fleet of all 22 Airbus 330s and four out of 15

From 1993 to 2013, six Il-96-300s were operated by Aeroflot. Three more such aircraft entered the fleet of Domodedovo Airlines, two - KrasAir (under an agreement with IFC, they were operated until 2008). For a short time, one or two aircraft from among those belonging to the Design Bureau flew on flights of Atlant-Soyuz and others. From non-commercial structures, the “short” version is used by the presidential squadron (including former KrasAir aircraft).

Ilyushin Finance Co. did a great job of promoting the Il-96-300 to the international market. The Voronezh leasing company sold three newly built aircraft. They were acquired by Cuba, using credit funds from Russian banks, provided under the sovereign guarantees of the island Republic. While deliveries of IL-96-300 to Cuba in 2005-2006. remain the only case of exporting products of domestic four-engine passenger aircraft of the new generation.

In 2015, the fleet of the national carrier Cubana de Aviacion was replenished with a fourth aircraft. Unlike the previous ones, these “silts” were previously operated by Aeroflot. This experience also represents a significant event in the history of Russian air leasing. We are talking about cars from the secondary market that have undergone a change of ownership and overhaul before being sold abroad.

The commercial operation of the Il-96-300 as part of Cubana de Aviacion can be considered successful. A well-designed maintenance and repair practice played a big role here. This and other issues help local aviators to solve a specialized Russian structure IFC-Tekhnik.

Providing after-sales service (OSA) is a long-standing, complex topic for domestic aircraft manufacturers. Operating organizations often criticized AK "Il" for insufficient attention to their problems. Therefore, the successful experience of operating the Il-96-300 in Cuba can hardly be overestimated. By agreement with the Cuban authorities and Cubana de Aviacion, Ilyushin Finance Co. proposed, and put into practice, logistics schemes aimed at ensuring the uninterrupted operation of Russian aircraft delivered under a leasing scheme with export credit.

IFC shared its experience with the Design Bureau by conducting appropriate courses for the design bureau specialists. Here is what Nikolai Dmitrievich Talikov told us on this topic: “Finally, we understood what was happening. With the help of Ilyushin Finance Co., on the example of Il-96 aircraft, we came to an understanding of what is required to ensure the uninterrupted operation of aircraft. How to build approaches to providing after-sales service and how to create a support system for operating organizations.

“Having received new aircraft, operating organizations should not experience problems with them. It is necessary that they extract the maximum profit through the intensive operation of aviation equipment while ensuring flight safety. In fact, we began to think in their categories too,” Nikolai Dmitrievich continues. The general designer promises to "turn his face to exploitation" instead of "puffing out his cheeks and saying that we, they say, know all your problems - deal with them yourself."

After the withdrawal of the Il-96-300 from the Aeroflot fleet, Cubana de Aviacion remained the only commercial aircraft operator in the world of this modification. As a rule, the cabin of Cuban cars accommodates 262 passengers: the cabin has 18 business class seats with a 54-inch seat pitch and 244 economy-class seats with a 32-inch pitch. There is an option with a separate cabin for high-ranking officials - they travel on "silts" when the affairs of the state service require it.

Competition: technical and not only

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberalization of the local market, a stream of "foreign cars" rushed to us. The process brought both positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, airlines have a wide choice and the opportunity not only to operate foreign-made aircraft, but also to have access to foreign borrowed capital for fleet renewal programs. On the other hand, individual managers were tempted to use business contacts with firms to solve personal problems.

Among other things, this led to the emergence of various kinds of so-called. "objective comparisons" of foreign samples with domestic ones, where there was clearly a desire to put "foreign cars" in a more favorable light than they deserved "in terms of technology." In particular, at the turn of the 2000s, journalists were presented with a comparison of the Boeing 767-300ER with the Il-96-300. Unfortunately, those who conducted the analysis clearly sympathized with the American car, "forgetting" to take into account the much more capacious cargo compartments of the "silt" in their comparison when calculating commercial efficiency. Meanwhile, a much larger fuselage diameter gives the Il-96-300 the ability, in addition to passengers, to take on board 16-18 containers of the LD-3 type. They are located in the cargo compartments below the floor of the passenger compartment (belly cargo).

“The Il-96-300 aircraft is competitive with the Boeing 767, and a specially conducted study confirmed this,” Genrikh Novozhilov told us. - At the same time, it should be understood that "-300" is a "cropped" version, and the plane was conceived to carry 350 passengers! We can accommodate 386 passengers on the IL-96M, - we made the corresponding model of the cabin and preserved it in the Design Bureau.”

The first flight of the Il-96-300 dates back to 1988. Type certificate received in 1992, commercial operation began in 1993. In the same year, Il-96M / T took off with an elongated fuselage from 55.35 to 63.94 meters. These variants were equipped with American Pratt & Whitney PW-2037 engines and Collins avionics. They have passed certification in Russia and "shadow" certification of the North American Aviation Administration (U.S. FAA).

The Americans highly appreciated our aircraft and even used its main parameters when designing their own next-generation aircraft. The creation of the base model Boeing 777-200 and Il-96M proceeded in parallel. These machines have surprisingly similar geometry: the diameter of the fuselage is about six meters, the difference in length and wingspan is one meter. Since all this was preceded by the appearance of the "short" Il-96-300, to reproach the Design Bureau. S.V. Ilyushin in plagiarism is not possible (and the Il-86, which was produced from 1980 to 1994, has a fuselage diameter of 6.08 meters). The American designers first took the fuselage diameter to be 6.08 meters, recalls Genrikh Vasilyevich. But then another 120 mm was added, and, as a result, the “three sevens” had the final figure of 6.2 meters.

In the nineties, both Aeroflot and Transaero not only promised to buy dozens of Il-96M / T (and, later, Il-96-400), but even signed the corresponding agreements. True, the then management of the airlines did not seek to implement them. But they bought the Boeing 777, and sequentially, in several batches. Aeroflot "explained" the acquisition of the Boeing 777-200ER (the very first batch for the airline) by the fact that they are "necessary in order to roll out routes for the Il-96M."

A few years later, however, the "three sevens" were returned to the lessors (and the Il-96M was never taken) because it turned out to be too roomy for the then passenger traffic of the airline. A new purchase of improved aircraft of this model took place under the current leadership. And how super-capacious "Boeings" "helped" Transaero accumulate debts and go bankrupt - a lot was written about this at the end of last year, when the airline ceased operations.

"All Is Not Lost Yet"

Over the past quarter century, Russia has lost a lot in the field of civil aviation. Often, industry positions surrendered voluntarily. Russian airlines are accustomed to operating foreign aircraft. “We are fully aware of where we are, what we are capable of and how we will ultimately attract customers. However, if the state does not help aircraft manufacturers, then all our efforts are worthless,” says Nikolai Talikov.

Today, the mechanisms of state support are being implemented, to put it mildly, strangely. For example, flights are subsidized regardless of whether they use foreign or local aircraft. “The state allocates large funds subsidizing flights to the Far East, but we cannot launch our own aircraft, with a fuel consumption of 20 grams per passenger-kilometer ?!,” Genrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov is indignant. - Nikolai Dmitrievich and I preach that not everything is lost yet. We have a ready-made aircraft with high fuel efficiency and a resource of 70,000 flight hours, tested by certifying authorities and in operation. Why not mass-produce it?!"

For the past few years, VASO has been producing “silts” at the rate of one car annually. The outermost board with registration RA-96022 and a cabin for 160 travelers became the twenty-eighth aircraft of the IL-96 family. It made its first flight in November 2015 and is currently being prepared for transfer to the Presidential Aviation Detachment. The media cited the cost of the corresponding contract in 2013 - 3.75 billion rubles, which at the current exchange rate does not exceed 52 million US dollars.

Meanwhile, price lists for foreign wide-body airliners give values ​​many times greater. In particular, the corresponding document from the aircraft manufacturers of Toulouse contains the following figures in the scale of "millions of US dollars": A330-200 - 231.5, A330-800neo 252.3, A330-300 256.4, A330-900neo 287.7, A350-800 272.4, A350-900 308.1, A350-1000 355.7.

When a barrel of oil was selling for a hundred dollars or more, the fuel efficiency of aircraft came to the fore. The share of kerosene in the ticket price exceeded 50-60%. Since then, the situation on the world market has changed. Calculations performed by specialists of OKB im. S.V. Ilyushin, they talk about the following. Today, direct operating costs for twin-engine and four-engine aircraft are close. The change in prices for aviation kerosene (in dollar terms) “made a correction”, and the gap between the A330 and the Il-96-400M has practically disappeared.

“After the fall in oil prices, the life of the aircraft will be determined by its price, not fuel. The role of the aircraft selling price is increasing today,” Novozhilov says.

In many ways, the selling price of an aircraft is determined by the complexity of its manufacture. Therefore, modern technologies are coming to the fore, promising a reduction in manual labor. Among the progressive moments of recent times, Genrikh Vasilyevich notes the following. According to information from American colleagues, the Boeing 737MAX fuselage will be riveted automatically. There are examples of automatic assembly of a wing on a slipway - so far not applied to passenger, but to combat aircraft. Of particular importance is the "paperless" technology, when all documentation is kept on computers. Of course, these and other innovations should find application in the domestic aircraft industry.

Series production is of great importance for reducing the cost of the aircraft. “We raised the question: the construction is not one piece per year, but, as was the case with the Il-86, eight to ten annually. Then we can talk about something. Domestic aircraft may be somewhat inferior in terms of technical perfection, but win in terms of delivery and maintenance,” says Nikolai Talikov.

“You can’t cross Russia on foot, you have to fly from the European part to the Pacific coast. If Russian airlines can continue to acquire Western aircraft and operate them without hindrance, that's one deal. And if the state feels that there are planes of its own designs, and it is possible to work with them… the alignment will change,” he continues.

So far, the main operating experience of the IL-96 is associated with its "short" version. An elongated version of the "silt" flew under the flag of only one airline "Polyot". At the beginning of the century, she ordered four cargo Il-96-400T from IFC with PS-90A1 engines. Three of them were built and handed over to the customer. After the termination of the airline, these cars were returned to the lessor. Two cargo planes in the factory were converted into a special-purpose version for the security forces.

The decision in favor of serial production of the Il-96-400M will make it possible to maintain a large aircraft plant. At first, the airliner will be produced in Voronezh in parallel with the military transport Il-112V. The latter will be assembled "under the wing" of the Il-96 and "will not play the weather" in terms of loading the plant and redevelopment of the final assembly shop. By the standards of such a large enterprise as VASO, the expected demand for turboprop military transport aircraft is relatively small. After the completion of the Il-112V series, what should the plant do next? The answer is IL-96-400M!

The documentation for the IL-96-400M airframe has been prepared. The decision to launch a new modification at VASO is under consideration by the industry leadership. “We expect that, if there is a team, in the middle of 2018 we will be able to build the first aircraft,” says Talikov.

Among other domestic machines, the IL-96 still looks good today in terms of weight return. At the same time, any car needs to be improved as it stays in the series and new technologies become available. According to the General Designer, it is necessary to take measures to reduce the mass of the structure in order to increase the weight return and transport capabilities. “We want to reduce the empty weight of the aircraft by several tons. This is possible through the use of modern wires and electrics, other equipment, coatings and the like,” Nikolay Talikov told us.

The on-board equipment installed on the aircraft fully complies with all international standards, including landing in accordance with ICAO Category 3 and the requirements of Chapter 4 of ICAO for noise in the area. “We will continue to improve our aircraft. In particular, if new requirements of international organizations appear, we will make appropriate changes,” our interlocutor continues.

Conclusion

In one of our previous publications, it was mentioned about the meeting of the commission under the Government of the Russian Federation, where the sad picture that had developed in domestic civil aviation was noted. "Foreign cars" dominate the fleet of airlines, and, at some point, this can lead to very undesirable consequences. Western sanctions, if tightened, could eventually lead to big problems with ensuring the constitutional right of Russian citizens to free movement.

Fuel cost in calculation: 1000 US dollars per ton.

The table was provided by IL.

Note. The fuselage of the Il-96-300 can accommodate up to three hundred passengers and 16-18 containersLD-3, and Il-96-400 - up to 435 passengers and 32 containersLD-3 and 1AK-1.5. To implement the technical feasibility, it is required to carry out appropriate certification work. Practice shows that airlines are rarely interested in the maximum possible capacity of wide-body airliners, preferring more comfortable passenger cabin layouts of two or three classes of service.