Geometric characteristics of the wing of IL-96 aircraft. Russian Aviation

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 at the end of the 1980s on the basis of the previous aircraft, the Il-86. The new aircraft was distinguished by wings that had a larger area and the 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 it to accommodate even more passengers and provide them with comfortable flight conditions. By using larger aircraft, an airline can carry more passengers at one time, and this reduces the price of this service. All these factors forced the leadership of the USSR to think about creating a new machine, which was the Il-96. 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 old IL-62 and 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, until advanced technologies began to appear, 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 to serve flights within our country. In domestic transportation, it connected Russian cities over both long 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 was not able to achieve very great popularity due to its high price and fairly high fuel consumption, which 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 serves as a command and control point for troops in the event of a nuclear strike. 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 a distance of over twelve thousand kilometers and accommodating up to 435 passenger seats.

The best seats in the IL 96-300 aircraft cabin - 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.

Characteristics of IL-96-300:

Empty weight: 117000 kg

Length: 55.35 m.

Height: 17.55 m.

Wingspan: 57.66 m.

Wing area: 391.6 sq.m.

Cruising speed: 850 km/h.

Maximum speed: 910 km/h

Flight range: 9000 km.

Ceiling: 11500 m.

Takeoff length: 2600 m.

Run length: 1980 m.

Number of passenger seats: 230-300 seats.

Crew: 3 people

On July 9, 1990, the first production airliner Il-96−300 took off for the first time. It was the “dream airliner” of the Soviet aviation industry, which Aeroflot was eagerly awaiting. However, when the plane was ready for operation, Russian air carriers turned to manufacturers of foreign airliners. This happened largely due to the intrigues of these same manufacturers, supported by domestic officials.

At that time, we had a top-class airliner - a wide-body comfortable Il-86 aircraft that could accommodate up to 350 passengers. However, it was a medium-range vehicle, and it was necessary to fly long distances on the obsolete Il-62.

The new car was required to have a range of at least 9,000 kilometers. And in 1988, the prototype took off for the first time. Two years later, testing of the first production IL-96−300 began. And three years later, the aircraft was certified and released on long-distance routes, connecting Moscow with cities in Asia and both Americas. For the creation of an airliner capable of competing with Boeing and Airbus, the development team was awarded a State Prize.

However, there was no real competition. The Il-96 was literally “eaten up” by American firms and local officials who were not interested in the development of the domestic aviation industry. Rather, even those interested in its collapse. As a result, the Voronezh Aviation Plant produced only 28 such aircraft. Most of them are operated by the “presidential” air squadron. Several cars were sold to Cuba.

Let's remember this story and find out the current state of affairs...

In the 70s, on the basis of the country's first wide-body IL-86, the development of a new vehicle began, capable of covering distances of up to 9,000 km with the same passenger load. The development was called Il-86D and differed from the basic vehicle in having wings with an increased area and NK-56 engines. The first flight, which lasted 40 minutes, was made by the experimental Il-96-300 aircraft (tail number 96,000) on September 28, 1988 from the Frunze Central Airfield on Khodynskoye Field. Crew under command Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Hero of the Soviet Union Stanislav Bliznyuk flew it directly over the central regions of Moscow. The difficulty was that the car, assembled in the OKB workshops, had to either be disassembled in order to be transported in parts to Zhukovsky, or take the risk of being lifted from the Central Airfield, where the length of the runway was only 1800 m. Bliznyuk insisted on the second option.

“Many years have passed since that first takeoff. Once, in a conversation with me, Bliznyuk admitted: having felt that the acceleration of the plane had clearly slowed down, he decided to count to three, and then decide to abort the takeoff, which was tantamount to disaster. I knew about three seconds, but in this conversation Stanislav Grigorievich admitted that he counted to four. These seconds, when you remember the past, instantly, like an excerpt from a movie, flash through your head, causing an unpleasant feeling that remains for the rest of your life... At the Central Aerodrome, I had to meet the landing of Il-76 and Il-38 aircraft. I’ll be honest - you don’t feel any pleasure from it, only the acute joy after the plane stops serves as good compensation for what you experienced.” ( G. V. Novozhilov. From the book “About myself and airplanes”)

During testing, the Il-96 performed several long-range flights, including Moscow-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Moscow without landing in Petropavlovsk. The plane covered the 14,800 km route in 18 hours and 9 minutes. On June 9, 1992, an Il-96 flew from Moscow to Portland via the North Pole, spending 15 hours in the air. The aircraft was tested in Yakutsk at −50°C and in Tashkent at +40°C. Based on the test results, on December 29, 1992, the aircraft was awarded an airworthiness certificate. For six months, new cars were “tested” on Aeroflot routes, and due to lack of funding, operational tests had to be combined with commercial cargo transportation - they carried radio equipment. The work of the Ilyushin Design Bureau team on the Il-96−300 was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

On April 6, 1993, a modified Russian-American Il-96MO aircraft (experimental) with four Pratt & Whitney PW-2337 turbojet engines and Collins flight and navigation equipment took off from the Moscow Central Aerodrome. This extraordinary event was preceded by the efforts of not only aviation specialists of the two countries, but also the leaders of the USA and the USSR, which began many years ago. The idea of building a joint long-range aircraft was approved back in 1973, when the tension of the Cold War subsided, but if at that time the designers were going to take the Lockheed Tristar as the basis for the development, then by the time the project was implemented there was already a ready-made Il-96−300. Moreover, the idea was warmly supported by the famous American billionaire businessman A. Hammer. It was like this: our airframe plus their engines and electronic equipment.

In fact, the first international commercial project in civil aviation was born, designed to combine the best elements of domestic and foreign production in terms of technical and economic criteria. As a result of this work, on August 11, 1992, at the first aviation exhibition in Zhukovsky, the General Director of TsUMVS (Central Directorate of International Air Services (now Aeroflot) V. Potapov, G. Novozhilov and General Director of VASO (Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Association) A. Mikhailov signed the decision “On the acquisition of Il-96 M, Il 96M\T aircraft with PW-2337 engines and a set of navigation equipment from Collins.” And the conversation was nothing less than the development, construction and delivery of 20 aircraft to Aeroflot. Moreover, both participating countries agreed to “share the risks,” i.e. everyone took payment for their own work. Has the process started?

It's not like that, guys.…

Work on creating a joint vehicle, which began in the third quarter of 1990, was scheduled to be completed in the first quarter of 1993. The reader knows that during this period a lot has changed in the relations between our countries. First of all, the Soviet state collapsed. However, in early 1993, at the request of the vice presidents of Collins and Pratt & Whitney, in the presence of then capital mayor Yu. Luzhkov A presentation of the Il-96MO took place at the Ilyushin Design Bureau. And again Bliznyuk masterfully performs a takeoff from the Central Airfield. And flight tests of the Russian-American flying brainchild began, and then in June of the same year its debut flight at Le Bourget in Paris. “This is the first time the West has bought a Russian plane. "Ilyushin and Pratt Whitney announced yesterday that Partners, headquartered in Amsterdam, has ordered five Il-96 T "trucks" with an option for five Il-96 M cargo or passenger. Deliveries will begin in 1996" ( from an article in the daily issue of "Fligt" at the Le Bourget exhibition on June 17, 1993).

“In view of the significance of the project for the production of the Il-96M wide-body aircraft, I ask you to include it in the list of priority works for cooperation with the United States” (resolution President B. Yeltsin dated July 20, 1994, sent to the Prime Minister V. Chernomyrdin).

The matter remained “small” - the US Eximbank was supposed to provide a loan of about a billion dollars for the project, guaranteed by the Russian government. But... “Boeing is concerned that the American loan is helping to create another competitor in the placement of capital investments. Boeing Board Representative Franz Schronz addressed this issue to high officials and the presidential administration B. Clinton" (“Aviation Week” dated April 3, 1995).

The Russian partners from Pratt & Whitney tried to argue in the US Congress: “Such concerns about competition with Ilyushin in the long term are simply a cover for Boeing and McDonnell Douglas, seeking to reserve market share for their commercial aircraft in the former Soviet Union.” . How far they looked then!

Not intending to surrender to the mercy of the overseas victors, Genrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov, on the day of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Victory in the Kremlin, seeks a meeting with US President B. Clinton to remind him of the joint agreement on the construction of the Il-96M. The result was a document sent soon from America, in which “the US President confirmed that the US Expert Import Bank (EXIMBANK) was considering an application for financing this project.”

In June 1996, a meeting was held with Russian Prime Minister V. Chernomyrdin on the issue of state support for the creation and certification of a Russian-American aircraft and equipping the Aeroflot-Russian International Lines airline with it. From the information for the meeting: “American engines and components were supplied free of charge. The total investment volume of American partners in the form of supply of equipment, engineering and financial support amounted to about 150 million US dollars... The issue of financing the Russian part of the project, i.e. 500 million dollars, has not been finally resolved, although there is agreement from a number of Russian banks.”

On March 31, 1998, an AR MAK type certificate was received for the Il-96T aircraft. Now the cargo version of the joint Russian-American aircraft has become available for sale.

After receiving a certificate from the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for the same aircraft, the Ilyushin team reasonably considered that the main problem had been solved. Now serial production and the creation of the passenger Il-96M on its basis were to begin. It's just a matter of creating the interior. And then it began...

On June 28, 1998, VASO visited Prime Minister of the Russian Federation S. Kiriyenko. During the visit, an agreement was drawn up, signed by representatives of the plant, the Ilyushin company and the general director of Aeroflot V. Okulov. It confirmed an order for the production of 20 aircraft, including 17 Il-96M. The agreement also included a signature Chairman of the Board of the National Reserve Bank A. Lebedev.

But then a memorable default occurred. The country's GDP decreased, the banking system ceased to function, and payments stopped. Hard times have come for the Ilyushin residents. For some reason, the scheme for delivering aircraft to the customer has changed dramatically. Now, in order to reduce taxes for Aeroflot, the aircraft had to first be sold to a foreign leasing company. And only from her can you end up in Sheremetyevo on lease.

In connection with this, a pile of all kinds of bureaucratic formalities grew. For the most part - impossible. What prompted the management of Aeroflot to abandon the Il-96T at the beginning of 2000. The outbreak of NATO's war with Yugoslavia also played a negative role. Having learned about which Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov, who flew on an Il-62 to the USA for negotiations with Vice President Gore, made a sharp turn over the Atlantic.

In his book “Minefield of Politics,” Evgeniy Maksimovich wrote about it this way: “On March 20, 1999, a meeting of the Russian-American commission was scheduled, which was headed by Gore on the US side, and on our side by constantly replacing each other’s heads of government. Our government inherited the unresolved problem of US funding for a joint project to create the Il-96M\T aircraft.”

The “loop over the Atlantic” scared the “money people” who worked with us... There was no doubt that an opinion had emerged in these circles: work on the Il-96T project was hardly worth continuing. I note that the government of the Russian Federation also refused to give guarantees to Eximbank for the loan." (From the book by G. Novozhilov "About myself and airplanes").

By the end of August 1999, the only copy of the Il-96T (or rather, the airframe with all Russian-made components) with tail number RA-96 101 was sold for VASO debts and became the property of bankers. By the way, it had previously been repeatedly demonstrated at air shows in Aeroflot’s signature livery, although the airline abandoned it. This is how the story of the Russian-American project ended sadly. Truly, “happiness was so possible...”

Boarding

Well, what about the IL-96−300? The first such aircraft entered service at Aeroflot in 1993. Currently, these planes are only available in the Rossiya State Transport Company as VIP transport and in Cubana (the leader of Cuba also flies on it). In total, the Voronezh enterprise produced 20 aircraft, including experimental ones.

On August 11, 2009, it was announced that the Il-96−300 aircraft would be discontinued as “unpromising.” And before that, Dmitry Medvedev visited the VASO plant. After getting acquainted with the plane, he said: “This is a good plane. You go inside and feel that we still have power in the country. Well done! Congratulations again! Our cars are the best, of course. Simply handsome!”

Experts' opinions

Sergei Knyshov, commander of the Il-96, did an internship in the USA on Boeing, but prefers to fly only on the Il-96:

If we compare two long-haul aircraft: Boeing-767 and Il-96-300, then an American with two engines carries 200 passengers and consumes 6 tons of fuel. The IL-96 carries 300 passengers and 15 tons of cargo with a consumption of only 7 tons. Divide tons by kilometers - and everything will become clear to you. In addition, the Il-96 is a magnificent car: a spacious cabin, large screens - a blind person will see everything. The diameter of the fuselage is 6 meters, like a subway tunnel. You feel like you are in a normal, reliable airliner with four engines. By the way, in its entire history, the IL-96 has not been involved in a single accident. Didn't kill a single person.

Anatoly Knyshov, test pilot, Hero of Russia:

When in the 90s I flew to the States on an Il-96 and had fuel left in my tanks for another three hours of flight, the Americans were terribly surprised. A representative of their aviation authorities then directly stated: for some reasons, this type of aircraft is unattainable for us. It's strange that Russia is still able to create a competitive product. On the IL-96, on instructions from the general designer, I made six landings simulating the failure of all engines. No one has done this on any foreign type. And on the IL-96 even a crew of average training level can do this.

Genrikh Novozhilov, chief designer of the Il-96:

I am often asked to compare two aircraft: ours and the Boeing 767. There is an official assessment conducted by the State Research Institute of Civil Aviation. These aircraft are not inferior to each other in terms of performance. Ours is bigger. If you look at the monthly flying hours at Aeroflot, the Il-96-300 sometimes has more flight hours than the Boeing. And in terms of the number of landings per month, we surpass the Boeing 767, because the Il-96-300 is not always operated on the ultra-long routes for which it was created."

Last year, Aeroflot OJSC put up all six Il-96-300 aircraft for sale. “In connection with the planned phased decommissioning of Il-96-300 aircraft, Aeroflot invites all interested parties to submit their proposals for the acquisition of aircraft of this type,” the air carrier said in a statement.

The company does not disclose the cost of the aircraft, explaining that this is a matter of negotiation. The last flight under the Aeroflot flag, the Il-96-300, was carried out on March 30, 2014 from Moscow to Tashkent.

As an Aeroflot representative explained to Interfax, the planes are old, have high fuel consumption and cause complaints from passengers due to the low cabin comfort. All Aeroflot Il-96-300 were produced in 1991-1995.

Deep modernization

A new chance for this beautiful car appeared a year ago. And, apparently, it will be implemented. But the “reborn” Il will no longer be a civilian, but a military machine.

At the end of the last century, the Ilyushin Design Bureau produced the Il-96−400 aircraft, a new modification of the passenger airliner that could no longer accommodate 300, but 435 passengers. Cuba intends to purchase it in limited quantities. The transport Il-96−400T will soon appear on the basis of the "four hundredth". It has a dual purpose and can be used in both civil and military aviation.

But most of all, the Ministry of Defense became interested in the modification of the Il-96-400TZ. This is a tanker that should replace the Il-78M in 10 years. In terms of its parameters, it significantly surpasses the obsolete Ilyushin tankers that have been in use in the Air Force since the late 70s.

The main advantage is load capacity and range. Il-96−400TZ is capable of delivering 65 tons of fuel over a distance of 3,500 km. While the modernized modification of the Il-78M-90 carries up to 40 tons of aviation kerosene over a distance of 3000 km.

The Department of Defense is currently targeting 30 tankers. There is a good chance that other armies will be interested in the new vehicle. For example, in Indian. The clean transport aircraft Il-96−400T also has significant export potential. By the way, the Il-96−400TZ can easily be transformed into a regular transport aircraft with a payload capacity of 92 tons.

The Ministry of Defense also has plans to purchase 14 more passenger Il-96−300s by 2024.

The upcoming purchase of a significant number of Il-96−300 and Il-96−400T will also play a beneficial social role. Since the capacities of the Voronezh Aviation Plant are almost completely occupied with servicing other orders, the plant has already begun hiring new specialists, that is, additional jobs are appearing.

Flight characteristics of Il-96−300 and Il-96−400T

Length: 55.35 m - 63.94 m

Height: 17.57 m - 15.72 m

Wingspan: 57.66 m - 60.11 m

Wing area: 350 sq.m. - 392 sq.m.

Maximum take-off weight: 250 t - 270 t

Engine power: 4×16,000 kgf - 4×17,400 kgf

Cruising speed: 850 km/h - 850 km/h

Ceiling: 12,000 m - 13-spoiler>
Record aircraft P-42. Maybe someone else doesn’t know about and about

If we talk about flight safety... then It would probably be worth mentioning the safest civilian airliner.

Let me make a reservation right away: I think the cause of the tragedy in Egypt is not “old age” or poor technical readiness of the Airbus A321. In my amateurish opinion, this is a terrorist attack (an explosion on board) or an external influence. But, if we abstract from this case, then the main cause of plane crashes today is the human factor. Although technology also has a significant influence on the positive or negative outcome of a flight accident.
For example, I strongly doubt that the feat of the “Alrosovskaya” Carcass (completely de-energized with non-functional communications and navigation, and even the remaining fuel for half an hour of flight) could be repeated in a similar situation by the crews of modern Boeings and Airbuses.

So – which long-haul route is the safest?
The answer is IL-96. Over the 22 years of operation, this last airliner created in the USSR did not kill a single person in flight accidents.

Yes, yes - this is the plane on which V.V. flies. Putin, you understood everything correctly.

Il-96-300 of the special flight squad "Russia"

Il-96 became our first wide-body long-haul passenger aircraft. The fuselage diameter is 6.08 meters; by the way, it is surpassed only by the Boeing 777 (which flew 6 years later). Others are still thinner.
But it is incorrect to compare it with the 777 - the car is both newer and of a slightly different class. The maximum take-off weight of the Il-96-300 is 216 tons, while that of the Boeing 777-300 is already 299 tons. But at one time, the IL-96 could well have been a serious competitor to its “classmates”.

- When in the 90s I flew to the States on an IL-96 and I had There is fuel left in the tanks for another three hours of flight, the Americans were terribly surprised. A representative of their aviation authorities then directly stated: for some reasons, this type of aircraft is unattainable for us. It's strange that Russia is still able to create a competitive product.
On the IL-96, on instructions from the general designer, I made six landings simulating the failure of all engines. No one has done this on any foreign type. And on the IL-96 even a crew of average training level can do this.
Anatoly Knyshov, test pilot, Hero of Russia.

- If we compare two long-haul aircraft: Boeing-767 and Il-96-300, then an American with two engines carries 200 passengers and consumes 6 tons of fuel. The IL-96 carries 300 passengers and 15 tons of cargo with a consumption of only 7 tons. Divide tons by kilometers - and everything will become clear to you. In addition, the Il-96 is a magnificent car: a spacious cabin, large screens - a blind person will see everything. The diameter of the fuselage is 6 meters, like a subway tunnel. You feel like you are in a normal, reliable airliner with four engines. By the way, in its entire history, the IL-96 has not been involved in a single accident. Didn't kill a single person.
Sergey Knyshov, commander of the Il-96 (trained in the USA on Boeing).

The Il-96 made its first flight in 1988.

Initially, it was assumed that the domestic long-range wide-body aircraft would be a further development of the Il-86 aircraft and would retain the maximum 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, quickly introduce it into mass production in parallel with the production of the Il-86 aircraft, and simplify the maintenance of the Il-86 and Il-86D in operation. However, due to the active struggle for fuel efficiency, as well as the emergence of new production technologies, the designers had to seriously reconsider the project.
At the same time, a requirement was put forward to equip two new generation aircraft - the long-range Il-96-300 and the medium-range Tu-204 - with a single unified PS-90 engine with a high bypass ratio and low cruising specific fuel consumption.
As a result, the designers abandoned the use of airframe units and systems from the Il-86 aircraft and created a completely new aircraft, the Il-96-300. The priorities when creating the machine were design solutions aimed primarily at increasing the aerodynamic perfection of the aircraft, reducing its weight, and ensuring ease of maintenance of the machine in operation.
The required aerodynamic perfection of the IL-96-300 was achieved by introducing a large number of different measures developed jointly with TsAGI. Work to improve aerodynamics was carried out both in the direction of improving the aerodynamic configuration of the aircraft, and in introducing new design and technological solutions, which led to an improvement in the quality of the outer surface. For example, rivets with countersunk heads were used throughout the entire surface of the aircraft.

The aircraft was a big step forward compared to its predecessors. For example, in relation to the Il-86, the flight range has increased significantly, while the maximum take-off weight remains the same. And the minimum fuel consumption per passenger-kilometer of the Il-96-300 was two times less than that of the previous “narrow-body” long-haul aircraft, the Il-62M.

During testing, the Il-96 performed several long-range flights, including “Moscow - Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky - Moscow” without landing in Petropavlovsk. The plane covered the 14,800 km route in 18 hours and 9 minutes. On June 9, 1992, an Il-96 flew from Moscow to Portland via the North Pole, spending 15 hours in the air. The aircraft was tested in Yakutsk at −50°C and in Tashkent at +40°C. Based on the test results, on December 29, 1992, the aircraft was awarded an airworthiness certificate. For six months, new cars were “tested” on Aeroflot routes, and due to lack of funding, operational tests had to be combined with commercial cargo transportation - they carried radio equipment. The work of the Ilyushin Design Bureau team on the Il-96−300 was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

Safety

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 a failure, 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 (engines, second and third fire extinguishing stages) can significantly affect flight safety, automation is not used and decision-making is entrusted to the crew.

The main feature of the Il-96-300 aircraft in terms of its operational manufacturability compared to the Il-86 is the presence on the Il-96-300 aircraft of more advanced and developed systems for built-in monitoring, detection and recognition of faults during maintenance. These systems collect information about the operation of on-board functional systems and equipment (down to the operation of individual component elements) of the aircraft in flight, register it and, if necessary, can provide information about malfunctions that have occurred either on the indicators of an integrated information alarm system, or in the form of printouts(I wonder if there are printers on Boeings and Airbuses?).

Much attention was paid to ensuring the fail-safety of the control system of the Il-96-300 aircraft. Its EMDS is duplicated by a mechanical control system. As on the Il-86, the various control surfaces are divided into sections, each of which is deflected by one or more actuators (boosters). Drive redundancy also increases the operational reliability of the control system.

The design of the Il-96-300 fuselage has been significantly changed (compared to the Il-86) to increase its reliability and ensure safety in the event of damage, reduce the rate of crack growth, ensure a given service life, reduce weight, improve the quality of the outer surface and the manufacturability of the design during production. .

Sharks of capitalism

However, it was not possible to create real competition for foreign cars.
It turned out that no one needed the plane in the Russian Federation anymore—Western corporations rushed into the open market in anticipation of a big piece of the pie. Despite the fact that Boeing was twice as expensive ($180 million versus $90 million) and an hour of flight of the Il-96−300 cost a thousand dollars less than the B-767−300ER... Lobbying did its job. It’s not for nothing that Boeing sold us their expensive simulators at a price of... $1!



	Passenger plane
Developer:	OKB Ilyushin
Manufacturer:
Chief designer:	Genrikh Novozhilov
First flight:
Start of operation:
	Operated
Main operators:	Aeroflot (6 aircraft) « (4 aircraft, 2 ordered) Flight (3 aircraft, 3 ordered)
Years of production:
Units produced:	25 (6 under construction)
Unit cost:
Base model:

History of creation

Tests

Exploitation

Aircraft design

Power point

Aircraft systems

Options

Accidents and incidents

Flight ban

Named aircraft

Other facts

IL-96- a wide-body passenger aircraft for medium and long-haul airlines, designed at the Ilyushin Design Bureau in the late 1980s. It made its first flight in 1988 and has been in serial production since 1993 at the Voronezh Joint-Stock Aircraft Manufacturing Company plant. Il-96 became the first and last Soviet long-range wide-body aircraft.

Aerodynamic design

Four-engine turbojet low-wing aircraft with swept wings and single-tail tail.

History of creation

By the mid-1970s, almost all long-haul air transportation in the USSR and socialist countries was carried out on Il-62 aircraft. However, the capabilities of these aircraft could not fully respond to the rapid growth in the volume of long-distance transportation: due to the relatively low passenger capacity, the number of flights increased, and accordingly, the load on airports increased. In addition, the cabin of the narrow-body aircraft was far from the degree of comfort that was achieved on the Boeing 747, which entered service in 1969, which became the world's first wide-body aircraft.

In 1974-1977, simultaneously with the development of the Il-86 aircraft at the Design Bureau named after. S.V. Ilyushin conducted research on the long-range aircraft Il-86D. This aircraft differed from the original in increased wing dimensions (470 sq.m.) and new turbojet engines with a higher bypass ratio, reduced specific fuel consumption and a thrust of 20,850 kgf. Research at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute named after. N. E. Zhukovsky showed that through the use of new technical solutions it is possible to significantly improve the fuel efficiency of the Il-86D aircraft and increase its weight efficiency. It was assumed that complete unification with the Il-86 would allow the aircraft to be quickly certified and put into service.

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 higher aspect ratio wing with supercritical nose profiles and an area of up to 387 sq.m. Research on this option was carried out until 1983, when the progress achieved in the field of aviation science and technology 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 and move on to creating a fundamentally new Il-96 aircraft. 96-300.

The Il-96-300 aircraft differs from its predecessor Il-86 by having a fuselage shortened by 5.5 meters, a larger wing span and a reduced sweep angle, increased dimensions of the vertical tail, and an improved interior of the passenger cabin. New alloys are used in its design and the proportion of composite materials is increased. The aircraft uses an automatic fuel consumption control system, which allows it to maintain the alignment of the aircraft in flight. Particular attention was paid to the reliability and safety of aircraft operation. The aircraft uses a Russian digital avionics complex with six color multifunction displays, an electronic thrust control system, an inertial navigation system and satellite navigation aids. It was decided to install new Solovyov PS-90A engines on the Il-96-300. The smooth nacelle of the PS-90A, uncharacteristic of the dual-circuit engines previously produced in the USSR, increased the fuel efficiency of the aircraft.

The set of requirements presented to the Ilyushin Design Bureau by the Ministry of Civil Aviation - transportation of a commercial load of 30 and 15 tons over a practical range of 9000 and 11,000 km with a cruising speed of 850 to 900 km/h at an altitude of 9,000 to 12,000 m - made the traditional one the optimal aerodynamic design: four-engine cantilever low-wing aircraft with vertical tail. The T-tail was abandoned. The IL-96-300 was initially created as an aircraft with development potential: its design allows for the relatively fast and inexpensive development of various modifications of the aircraft.

A further development of the Il-96-300 aircraft was the creation of the Il-96M variant, in which many US aviation companies took part. The fuselage of the aircraft was extended to 64 meters, that is, even more than on the Il-86. But the main distinguishing feature of the Il-96M was the Pratt&Whitney PW2337 engines. The prototype was created on the basis of the first prototype Il-96-300. The plane took off on April 6, 1993, but was not put into mass production. On the basis of the Il-96M, the cargo Il-96T was created, which was also assembled in a single copy. A double-deck version of the Il-96-550, equipped with an NK-92 turbofan engine (4 x 20,000 kgf) and designed to carry 550 passengers, was also studied.

In 1999-2000, work was carried out on the project of the Il-96-400T cargo aircraft, which has the capabilities of the Il-96T cargo aircraft, but has Russian PS-90A-2 turbofan engines and on-board equipment. It made its first flight on May 16, 1997. In operation since 2009.

Tests

The first prototype (no. 96000) was assembled directly at the design bureau workshop on Leningradsky Prospekt in Moscow. At the beginning of September 1988, the plane was solemnly rolled out of the assembly shop. The experimental Il-96-300 aircraft performed its first flight on September 28 from the Frunze Central Airfield on Khodynskoye Field. The plane was piloted by a crew under the command of Stanislav Bliznyuk, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union. The flight directly over the central regions of Moscow lasted 40 minutes.

During testing, the Il-96 performed several remarkable long-range flights, including Moscow-Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky-Moscow without landing in Petropavlovsk. The plane covered 14,800 km in 18 hours and 9 minutes. On June 9, 1992, an Il-96 flew from Moscow to Portland via the North Pole, spending 15 hours in the air. The aircraft was tested in Yakutsk at -50°C and in Tashkent at +40°C. Based on the test results, on December 29, 1992, the aircraft was awarded an airworthiness certificate. For six months, the new cars were “tested” on Aeroflot routes, and due to lack of funding, operational tests had to be combined with commercial cargo transportation. The work of the Ilyushin Design Bureau team on the Il-96-300 was awarded the State Prize of the Russian Federation.

Exploitation

The aircraft has been produced since 1992 at the Voronezh Aviation Plant. Since 1988, 23 aircraft of this type have been built. As of August 2009, 16 aircraft are in operation (13 in Russia). Of these, 6 Aeroflot airliners are used for passenger transportation.

According to the decision of the USSR Ministry of Civil Aviation, adopted at a board meeting on January 26, 1989, the first Il-96 aircraft were planned to be transferred to the TsUMVS (Central Directorate of International Air Services) of Aeroflot, then to the Domodedovo air squad. Retraining of the flight personnel took place at the Ilyushin Design Bureau. The first flight squad was organized on August 6, 1991. In 1992, several technical flights were carried out from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Commercial operation of the aircraft began on July 14, 1993 on the Moscow-New York route. At first, the aircraft was used mainly on foreign flights: to Singapore, Las Palmas, New York, Tel Aviv, Palma de Mallorca, Tokyo, Bangkok, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Havana, Hanoi, Santiago, Lima. All Il-96 aircraft currently flying at Aeroflot were assembled in the first half of the 1990s. In exchange for reducing duties on the import of foreign equipment, Aeroflot undertook to purchase an additional batch of Il-96s, but the deal never took place, although duties were reduced.

Two aircraft were built to serve the President of the Russian Federation (modification Il-96-300PU, b/n RA-96012, RA-96016).

In 2005-2006, three Il-96-300s were delivered to Cuba, including one to serve the President of Cuba. In 2009, the Venezuelan government entered into a contract for the supply of two Il-96-300s - one for passenger transport and the other for VIP transport.

In the fall of 2008, the IFC leasing corporation seized two Il-96-300s from Krasnoyarsk Airlines due to the company's insolvency. The aircraft are currently in storage. In the history of Russian aviation, this was the first time that aircraft were “taken away” from an airline. It is these two Il-96-300s that are being considered for transfer to Venezuela.

In 2009, Polet Airlines began operating Il-96-400T cargo aircraft, which Aeroflot initially planned to buy, but later abandoned them. As of September 2009, Polet airline has three Il-96-400T aircraft with a plan to receive three more aircraft in 2010. Also, during the MAKS-2009 aerospace salon, an agreement was signed with a Peruvian airline for the supply of two Il-96-400T freighters with an option for another such aircraft, and negotiations are underway to supply it to China and the countries of the Middle East. The current version of the aircraft is equipped with new engines and the most modern Russian-made flight and navigation system, which allows the aircraft to be operated without any restrictions around the world. Such aircraft have not yet been produced in Russia. Il-96-400T can transport up to 92 tons of cargo on medium and long-distance routes. The aircraft is certified in accordance with Russian airworthiness standards, harmonized with the standards of the European Union and the USA.

At various times, negotiations were held on the sale of Il-96 to China (three aircraft), Syria (three aircraft) and even Zimbabwe. In 2007, KrasAir airline planned to transfer two of its Il-96s to Iran Air on a “wet lease” for a year.

The first two prototypes (nos. 96000 and 96001), stored for a long time at the Gromov Flight Research Institute in Ramenskoye, were destroyed in May 2009. Another 5 aircraft (2 KrasAir and 3 Domodedovo Airlines) are temporarily taken out of service and are in storage.

In 2009, Minister of Industry and Trade Viktor Khristenko decided to discontinue production of the Il-96-300 passenger aircraft in the coming years, since the airliner is not able to compete with the latest long-haul passenger aircraft from Boeing and Airbus. The creators of the Il-96-300 were guided by the economic performance of the Boeing 767, however, since the first flight of the Il-96-300, new-generation long-haul airliners Boeing 777, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380 have been put into operation, and the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380 are expected to enter the market soon. Airbus A350. By 2012, two more Il-96-300 will be produced for the Rossiya SLO (including the presidential Il-96-300PU). The cargo version of the Il-96-400T aircraft remains in production.

Operator	Modification	Quantity

Aeroflot
Cubana de Aviacion
Aerostarz
Special flight squad "Russia"

In storage
Domodedovo Airlines
Krasnoyarsk Airlines
Dismantled for scrap
KB Ilyushin	Il-96-400M/T
Under construction
Special flight squad "Russia"

Aircraft design

Glider

The IL-96 is designed according to the design of an all-metal cantilever four-engine wide-body low-wing aircraft with a swept wing and vertical tail.

The Il-96-300 fuselage has the same diameter as the Il-86 fuselage, but is 5.23 meters shorter in length due to the reduced number of rows of passenger seats. However, the design of the fuselage has been significantly changed to increase its reliability, ensure safety in the event of damage, reduce the rate of crack growth, ensure a given service life, reduce weight and improve the quality of the outer surface. The various layouts of the passenger compartment provide a capacity from 235 to 300 people. On a standard aircraft (300 seats), the seats are installed in two salons (front - 66 seats and rear - 234 seats) with a pitch of 870 mm, nine in a row with three aisles 550 mm wide. The layout for 235 seats provides for the placement of passengers in three salons: in first class - in 22 seats with a pitch of 1020 mm, in business class - in 40 seats and in economy class - in 173. The passenger cabin is equipped with refreshment counters and 8 toilets.

There are three cargo compartments on the lower deck. The front one can accommodate 6 standard cargo containers of the ABK-1.5 type, the rear one - ten, while the maximum load of the aircraft involves occupying only nine containers, while the other seven can be used for transporting cargo and mail. The third cargo compartment is designed for the transportation of piece goods.

The wing on the Il-96 is significantly different from those installed on the Il-86. The wingspan is more than 60 meters, and the area is 391 m²: 70 meters more than the IL-86. Distinctive features of the wing are large vertical tips with a height of 3.1 m. Wing

The IL-96 has complex takeoff and landing mechanization, consisting of double-slotted flaps and slats along the entire length of the leading edge.

The horizontal tail of the IL-96 is the same as that of the IL-86, and the area of the vertical tail has increased due to an increase in its height by one and a half meters. The need to increase the area of the vertical tail is due to the requirement to ensure directional stability in the event of failure of one engine.

The IL-96 chassis consists of three main supports located under the center section and a front support. Each of the three supports is equipped with a four-wheel trolley with brake wheels, and the front support has two non-braking wheels. All fourteen wheels have the same dimensions 1300*480 mm and a tire pressure of 11.5 kg/cm².

Power point

The IL-96 is equipped with four turbofan engines with a high (4.5) bypass ratio PS-90A with a thrust at maximum engine operating mode of 16,000 kgf, which are attached to the wings on pylons. Thrust in cruising mode - 3500 kgf. Specific fuel consumption in cruising mode is 0.595 kg/kgf·hour. Made using a two-shaft system, there is a reversing device. The fan is single-stage, the compressor is 13-stage. The high-pressure turbine is two-stage, the low-pressure turbine is four-stage. PS-90A has a modular design, the number of modules is 11. They can be replaced during operation.

For the first time in the history of Soviet aviation, the engine is equipped with a two-channel electronic control and parameter monitoring system “Diagnoz-90”. Among the advantages of the system are automatic control of fuel consumption and surge protection. An air launch is provided at an altitude of up to 7,000 meters.

The engine was certified in 1992 (April 3), as was the aircraft. At the end of 2006, the Il-96-300 aircraft with the PS-90A engine received a certificate for compliance with Chapter 4 of the ICAO noise standards.

Aircraft systems

The Il-96 used an advanced flight navigation system for its time, thanks to which the aircraft became the first of the Il-s designed to be controlled by a crew of three (without a navigator), as well as the first Soviet aircraft equipped with an electronic flight control system VSUP -85-4. In addition to the traditional analog indicators on the instrument panel (“alarm clocks”), displays on beam tubes were added: two each for the commander and co-pilot (complex flight indicator and complex navigation situation indicator) and two more on the central panel (engine parameter indicators). The aircraft is equipped with a fly-by-wire control system (EDCS).

The aircraft's fuel system was developed on the basis of the IL-86 fuel system. It works automatically, but for emergency situations there is a manual control mechanism. The fuel is located in nine caisson tanks, of which four are located in the console of each of the wings and another one in the center section. Kerosene is pumped from the tank by jet pumps into the pre-flow compartment, and then into the supply compartment, separate for each of the four engines.

The air conditioning system (ACS) of the IL-96 also operates automatically. SKV blocks are located in the center section. Air enters the cabin from the engines. Taking into account repeated circulation when the aircraft is fully loaded (300 passengers), the SCV pumps 25.7 kg of air per passenger per hour into the cabin.

A cyclic electric pulse anti-icing system protects the leading edges of the wings and stabilizers, as well as the fin. It is interesting that heating is not provided on the inner section of the leading edge of the wing (from the center section to the nearside engine pylon) and on the “toe” of the fin, which is explained by the insignificant influence of icing in these places on the controllability of the aircraft. The engine air intakes are heated using air taken from the compressor chamber.

Options

Basic version with PS-90A engines (4x16,000 kgf). The aircraft made its first flight on September 28, 1988, and received an airworthiness certificate on December 29, 1992. The first one entered service at Aeroflot in 1993. Currently, in addition to Aeroflot, only State Customs Committee Russia is used as VIP transport and Cuban Cubana, including as transport for the President of Cuba. It was mass-produced at the VASO plant in Voronezh. The only passenger aircraft of the series in service. 20 aircraft were produced, including prototypes. On August 11, 2009, it was announced that the Il-96-300 aircraft would be withdrawn from production as “unpromising.”

Maximum take-off weight - 250 tons, payload - 40 tons. Flight range at maximum load - 9,000 km, with a number of passengers of 269 people and with a full supply of fuel - 13,500 km. Passenger capacity in a three-class cabin is 235 people, in a two-class layout - 262, in economy class - 300 people.

A special version of the Il-96-300, designed to transport the President of the Russian Federation. (Control center) was built in two copies. There are practically no differences in flight performance from the basic version, except for the increased range due to some modifications. The aircraft is equipped with equipment that allows it to control armed forces in the event of a nuclear conflict. Externally, the aircraft also does not differ from the basic version, with the exception of the characteristic chute in the upper part of the fuselage. The first aircraft of this version was assembled in 1995 for Boris Yeltsin. The second, “Putinsky” Il-96 (b/n 96016) took off on April 21, 2003.

Il-96M/T

Il-96M is the first Russian aircraft developed in collaboration with Western companies. Only one prototype was made. In March 1993, the fuselage of the experimental Il-96-300 was lengthened, the PS-90 engines were replaced with Pratt&Whitney PW2337 (for the first time in the history of Russian aviation, American engines were installed on an aircraft) with a thrust of 17,030 kgf, and Western avionics were installed. The aircraft made its first flight on April 6, 1993. In 1997, the Il-96M was certified in the USA. Repeatedly demonstrated at various air shows, at MAKS-2003 it was demonstrated under the designation Il-96-400 with NK-86 engines. In May 2009 it was cut up.

According to all the main indicators, the Il-96M became a “record holder” among Soviet passenger aircraft: it is capable of carrying up to 435 passengers, the maximum payload is 58 tons, the maximum take-off weight is 270 tons, the practical flight range is 12,800 km.

Other options have been developed:

Il-96MD- an aircraft with two Pratt&Whitney PW4082 engines (these engines are currently used on the Boeing 777).
Il-96MK- an aircraft with four NK-92 turbojet engines with a thrust of 20,000 kgf.

A cargo version was developed based on the Il-96M Il-96T. In 1997, a single copy was built (nominal number RA-96101), and took off on May 16. It was also repeatedly demonstrated at air shows in Aeroflot’s signature livery, although the airline never used it and there were no orders for this type.

Il-96-400

Airplane Il-96-400 is a deep modernization of the Il-96-300 with PS-90A-1 engines with a thrust of 17,400 kgf and improved avionics. The fuselage was “borrowed” from the Il-96M. Maximum take-off weight - 270 tons, payload - 58 tons. Maximum passenger capacity is 435 people. The maximum flight range is 13,000 km.

As of 2009, the Il-96-400 had not been assembled in a single copy, and there were no orders for this type yet.

Il-96-400T

Il-96-400T is a cargo version of the Il-96-400. Flight performance indicators remained unchanged. Produced at the VASO plant in Voronezh. The first Il-96-400T was created by reconstructing the Il-96T, assembled in 1997. In 2007, an entirely new aircraft was assembled. Both aircraft were sold to Atlant-Soyuz in 2007, and in 2009 they were transferred to Polyot. As of May 2011, three aircraft are successfully operating in the Poleta fleet, and two more will be put into operation in 2011.

Flight performance

Characteristic		Il-96-400M/T
First flight
Start of operation
Wingspan

Height at tail
Wing area

Max. take-off weight
Max. passenger capacity

Cruising speed
Maximum speed
Operational ceiling
Flight range (at maximum load)
Engines	4x Pratt&Whitney PW2337

Accidents and incidents

In the entire history of operation of the Il-96 aircraft, there have been no disasters or accidents that resulted in the death of people.

Incident during takeoff of the presidential plane

On October 5, 2004, some Russian publications reported that on September 29, while taking off from Lisbon International Airport, an Il-96-300PU (c/n 96016) collided with a flock of birds, presumably pigeons. Bird strike birdstrike) is a common occurrence in aviation, which, however, does not always lead to engine failure. The takeoff was aborted and the plane was towed to the parking lot. On September 30, it was inspected by technicians from the State Customs Committee of Russia, which owns the plane, who arrived from Moscow on an Il-62.

As a result, it was announced that the reason for the cancellation of the takeoff was not a collision with birds, but condensation from the SCR tubes that got onto the dashboard. Moisture distorted the instrument readings: the engines were operating in takeoff mode, but the instruments showed that the engines were unable to reach takeoff mode. Probably, this incident would have remained ordinary if the attention of the Russian press had not been attracted by a photograph of the Portuguese spotter Miguel Claudio, who was lucky enough to photograph the plane at the time of the incident.

Putin was not on the plane at that moment; he was in Saratov.

Flight ban

On August 2, 2005, the same Il-96-300PU, but with the president on board, was unable to take off from the airport in the Finnish city of Turku, where Vladimir Putin was on an official visit. During taxiing, a certain technical malfunction was discovered, and it was decided to transfer the president to the reserve Il-62.

The consequences of this incident were more serious. On August 22, at the proposal of the Federal Service for Supervision of Transport, flights of all Il-96 aircraft were prohibited. This was explained by a systematic failure of the wheel braking system, which also occurred on August 2 in Finland. It was announced that one of the wheel brake units, UG151-7, was defective and did not correspond to the stated drawings. UG151 units for the Il-96 were assembled at the Balashikha Foundry and Mechanical Plant; to replace them, a new batch was assembled at the NPO Molniya plant in Moscow.

The ban resulted in multimillion-dollar losses for airlines that used the Il-96, primarily Aeroflot. On October 3, VASO General Director Vyacheslav Salikov was dismissed, and Il-96 flights were resumed on the same day. The flight ban lasted 42 days.

Named aircraft

Some Il-96 aircraft bear the names of outstanding Soviet pilots and figures in aviation and astronautics.

Il-96-300 RA-96005: “V. Chkalov"
Il-96-300 RA-96007: “A. Mayorov"
IL-96-300 RA-96008: “I am. Moiseev"
Il-96-300 RA-96010: “N. Karpeev"
Il-96-300 RA-96011: “V. Kokkinaki"
Il-96-300 RA-96014: "Mikhail Vodopyanov"
Il-96-300 RA-96015: “M. Gromov"
Il-96-300 RA-96017: "Mikhail Reshetnev"
Il-96-400T RA-96101: “Vyacheslav Salikov”
Il-96-400T RA-96102: “Valery Menitsky”
Il-96-400T RA-96103: “Stanislav Bliznyuk”

Other facts

Il-96 is the second in Soviet history (after Il-86), the first in Russian history (produced since 1992, that is, after the collapse of the Soviet Union) and the ninth wide-body aircraft in the history of world aviation.
In September 2008, one of the PS-90A engines, assembled in 1990 and installed on the Aeroflot Il-96-300 aircraft, for the first time in the history of Russian aviation, exceeded the operational milestone of 30,000 hours.
The IL-96 is one of the few wide-body aircraft that has never suffered a crash resulting in loss of life. This number also includes the most modern airliners from foreign manufacturers: Boeing 777, Airbus A380 and Airbus A340; however, accidents and incidents still occurred with the latter. Il-96, despite the slow pace of production and the relatively small number of aircraft produced, remains one of the most reliable airliners in the world.
The empty weight of the Il-96-300 is 117 tons, it is 62 times heavier than the 105th Volga, 16 times heavier than the Ural-4320 army truck, 9 times heavier than the Ikarus-280, 3.5 times heavier than a metro car, and at the same time, the aircraft is 6 tons lighter than the ChME3 diesel locomotive.
The wing area of the Il-96M is one and a half times larger than the area of a tennis court.

In addition, the cabin of the narrow-body aircraft was far from the degree of comfort that was achieved on the Boeing 747, which entered service in 1969, which became the world's first wide-body aircraft.

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 higher aspect ratio wing with supercritical nose profiles and an area of up to 387 sq.m. Research on this option was carried out until 1983, when the progress achieved in the field of aviation science and technology made it possible to abandon the idea of creating Il-96 aircraft using in its design many ready-made units and systems of the Il-86 aircraft and move on to the creation of a fundamentally new Il-96-300 aircraft.

New alloys are used in its design and the proportion of composite materials is increased. The aircraft uses an automatic fuel consumption control system, which allows it to maintain the alignment of the aircraft in flight. Particular attention was paid to the reliability and safety of aircraft operation.

The Il-96 uses a Russian digital avionics system with six color multifunction displays, an electronic thrust control system, an inertial navigation system and satellite navigation aids. Also on Il–96–300 it was decided to install new Solovyov PS-90A engines. The PS-90A smooth nacelle, uncharacteristic of the dual-circuit engines previously produced in the USSR, increased the fuel efficiency of the aircraft.

The set of requirements presented to the Ilyushin Design Bureau by the Ministry of Civil Aviation - transportation of commercial loads of 30 and 15 tons over a practical range of 9,000 and 11,000 km with a cruising speed of 850 to 900 km/h at an altitude of 9,000 to 12,000 m - made the optimal aerodynamic design traditional: four-engine cantilever low-wing aircraft with vertical tail. The T-shaped tail was abandoned. The IL-96-300 was initially created as an aircraft with development potential: its design allows for the relatively fast and inexpensive development of various modifications of the aircraft.

Further development of the aircraft Il–96–300 was the creation of the Il-96M variant, in which many US aviation companies took part. The fuselage of the aircraft was extended to 64 meters, that is, even more than on the Il-86. But the main distinguishing feature of the Il-96M was the Pratt & Whitney PW2337 engines.

The prototype was created on the basis of the first prototype Il-96-300. The plane took off on April 6, 1993, but was not put into serial production. On the basis of the Il-96M, the cargo Il-96T was created, which was also assembled in a single copy. A double-deck version of the Il-96-550, equipped with an NK-92 turbofan engine (4 x 20,000 kgf) and designed to carry 550 passengers, was also studied.

In 1999–2000, work was carried out on the project of the Il-96-400T cargo aircraft, which has the capabilities of the Il-96T cargo aircraft, but has Russian PS-90A-2 turbofan engines and on-board equipment. It made its first flight on May 16, 1997. In operation since 2009.

The first prototype was assembled directly at the design bureau workshop on Leningradsky Prospekt in Moscow. At the beginning of September 1988, the plane was solemnly rolled out of the assembly shop. The first flight of the experimental Il-96-300 aircraft was carried out on September 28 from the Frunze Central Airfield on Khodynskoye Field. The plane was piloted by a crew under the command of Stanislav Bliznyuk, Honored Test Pilot of the USSR, Hero of the Soviet Union. The flight directly over the central regions of Moscow lasted 40 minutes.

During testing IL-96 performed several notable long-range flights, including Moscow–Petropavlovsk–Kamchatsky–Moscow without landing in Petropavlovsk. The plane covered 14,800 km in 18 hours and 9 minutes. On June 9, 1992, Il-96 flew from Moscow to Portland via the North Pole, spending 15 hours in the air.

The aircraft was tested in Yakutsk at –50 °C and in Tashkent at +40 °C. Based on the test results, on December 29, 1992, the aircraft was awarded an airworthiness certificate. For six months, the new cars were tested on Aeroflot routes, and due to lack of funding, operational tests had to be combined with commercial cargo transportation.

Commercial operation of the aircraft began on July 14, 1993 on the Moscow–New York route. At first, the aircraft was used mainly on foreign flights: to Singapore, Las Palmas, New York, Tel Aviv, Palma de Mallorca, Tokyo, Bangkok, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Rio de Janeiro, Buenos Aires, Seoul, Sao Paulo, Havana, Hanoi, Santiago, Lima.

Everyone currently flying for Aeroflot Il-96 aircraft were collected in the first half of the 1990s. In exchange for reducing duties on the import of foreign equipment, Aeroflot undertook to purchase an additional batch of Il-96, but the deal never took place, although duties were reduced.

In 2005–2006, three Il-96-300s were delivered to Cuba, including one to serve the President of Cuba. In 2009, the Venezuelan government signed a contract for the supply of two Il-96-300 - one for passenger, the other for VIP transportation. In the fall of 2008, the IFC leasing corporation seized two Il-96-300s from Krasnoyarsk Airlines due to the company's insolvency.

Also, during the MAKS-2009 aerospace salon, an agreement was signed with a Peruvian airline for the supply of two Il-96-400T freighters with an option for another such aircraft, and negotiations are underway on its delivery to China and the countries of the Middle East. The current version of the aircraft is equipped with new engines and the most modern Russian-made flight and navigation system, which allows the aircraft to be operated without any restrictions around the world.

Such aircraft have not yet been produced in Russia. Il-96-400T can transport up to 92 tons of cargo on medium and long-distance routes. The aircraft is certified in accordance with Russian airworthiness standards, harmonized with the standards of the European Union and the USA. At various times, negotiations were held on the sale of Il-96 to China (three aircraft), Syria (three aircraft) and even Zimbabwe. KrasAir airline planned to transfer two of its Il-96s to Iran Air on a one-year wet lease in 2007.

Creators Il–96–300 were guided by the economic indicators of the Boeing 767, however, since the first flight of the Il-96-300, long-haul airliners of the new generation Boeing 777, Airbus A330, Airbus A340, Airbus A380 have been put into operation, and the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 are expected to enter the market soon. By 2012, two more Il-96-300 will be produced for SLO Russia (including the presidential Il-96-300PU). The cargo version of the Il-96-400T aircraft remains in production.