Il 96 modifications. Russian aviation

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.

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 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.

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 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.

A set of requirements presented to Ilyushin Design Bureau by the Ministry civil aviation- transportation of a commercial load 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 traditional one the optimal aerodynamic design: a four-engine cantilever low-wing aircraft with a 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 Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Hero Soviet Union Stanislav Bliznyuk. 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 flying on this moment at 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.

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 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.

The first two prototypes (no. 96000 and 96001), for a long time stored 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.

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.

Flight characteristics of Il-96

Il-96 is a wide-body passenger aircraft, the creation of which began at the Ilyushin Design Bureau back in the late 70s of the last century. This aircraft became the first aircraft of this class developed in the Soviet Union. The Il-96 made its first flight in 1993.

Serial production of the Il-96 aircraft was launched at the Voronezh Aviation Plant; a total of 30 airbuses have been manufactured since its start.

Currently, the Il-96 is operated by the Special Flight Detachment "Russia", which includes the presidential flight. Since 1996, Russian leaders have been flying on the Il-96-300PU, a modification of the airliner created specifically for the head of state. In 2003, a new aircraft of this modification was built for Putin.

IL-96 is rightfully considered one of the most reliable passenger aircraft in your class. Since the start of operation, not a single accident has occurred with these machines that would have resulted in casualties. True, the total flight time of these aircraft is much lower than that of their foreign counterparts.

The Il-96 is also operated by the Cuban company Cubana. In 2014, Aeroflot wrote off the last six Il-96s, citing the high cost of operating them.

We can say that this plane was very unlucky, because the moment of its birth occurred during the period of the collapse of the country and economic crisis, when the domestic aviation industry was literally surviving and had no time to renew its aircraft fleet. At the end of the 90s, an attempt was made to modernize the aircraft, which resulted in the appearance of the Il-96-400 modification. However, it did not interest domestic air carriers too much; there were no orders for it from airlines.

Il-96 can be called one of the most famous and discussed domestic passenger aircraft. With enviable frequency, interviews with high-ranking Russian officials appear in the press with promises of an early resumption of production of the Il-96 aircraft. But things are still there.

If we talk about the latest news related to this aircraft, then at the beginning of this year, Deputy Prime Minister Rogozin visited the Voronezh aircraft plant and promised government support to aircraft manufacturers. According to the official, the Il-96-400 is quite capable of meeting the needs of domestic airlines for long-haul wide-body aircraft until the new Russian-Chinese airbus is ready.

Earlier, Industry Minister Manturov promised to allocate 50 billion rubles to resuscitate the production of Il-96. True, according to him, it is first necessary to solve the problem of excessive fuel “gluttony” of the machine, because according to this characteristic, the Il-96 cannot compete with the Boeing-767 and 777 or the Airbus 330 - its main competitors.

Despite all the difficulties of the early 90s, the new Il-96 had good prospects. At that time, foreign companies were seriously interested in the car. A modification of the Il-96M with Pratt&Whitney engines and advanced Western avionics was developed specifically for promotion abroad. In 1993, a prototype of this aircraft already flew, and soon it received Russian and American certificates. Why was this project never brought to fruition? And does he have a chance to take his rightful place in the sky?

History of creation

Work on the creation of a Soviet wide-body passenger plane began in the first half of the 70s. At that time, most long-haul transportation in the Soviet Union and socialist countries was carried out on the Il-62 airliner. However, this aircraft, built in the early 60s, at that moment could no longer cope with the significantly increased passenger traffic. Due to its low capacity, the number of flights had to be increased, which created excessive pressure on airports. In addition, this aircraft was significantly inferior in terms of comfort to its Western counterparts.

A wide-body passenger aircraft is a machine with a fuselage diameter of 5-6 meters. These sizes allow you to place from 6 to 10 chairs in one row. It should be noted that the emergence of long-range wide-body passenger airliners did almost immediately narrow body aircraft unprofitable. They had to be transferred to routes with low passenger traffic. An analysis carried out in the USSR in the mid-70s showed that within ten years Aeroflot would not be able to provide transportation on long-distance routes without a spacious wide-body aircraft.

At this time, in the OKB im. Ilyushin were developing a new large-capacity passenger aircraft, the Il-86. It was on the basis of this machine that it was decided to build a new long-range passenger aircraft. It received the name Il-86D. It differed little from the basic modification: only the wing area increased and power point, which consisted of more fuel-efficient engines with a higher bypass ratio. The idea of ​​​​creating two aircraft with a high degree of unification seriously reduced the development time of new aircraft, reduced their cost, and in the future should have significantly simplified maintenance.

However, the IL-86D was never realized in metal. At the end of the 70s, on its basis it was decided to create a new long-range passenger aircraft - the Il-96 aircraft. Changes were made to the design of this machine, which significantly increased its technical excellence.

At the turn of the 70s and 80s, aviation technology developed so rapidly that after completing work on the Il-96, the designers had to take up the work again and create a fundamentally new project, because the aircraft they created was already seriously lagging behind its Western counterparts at the start of its career. The new promising airliner received the name Il-96-300, and during its development the components and assemblies of the Il-86 airliner were no longer used.

The first takeoff of the Il-96-300 took place in September 1988, testing continued until the end of 1992, after which the airliner was certified. In 1989, the aircraft was demonstrated at the Le Bourget air show. If speak about flight performance new machine, it can be noted that the designers managed to reach a new level in comparison with the aircraft created at the Design Bureau named after. Ilyushin earlier. For example, the fuel consumption of the Il-96-300 per passenger kilometer was two times lower than that of the long-haul Il-62.

For their work on the creation of a new aircraft, the OKB team named after. Ilyushin was awarded the State Prize.

The first Il-96-30s were transferred to the Domodedovo air squad, and commercial operation of the airbus began in 1993. Initially, the airliners were mainly used for flights on international routes.

A serious blow to the further development of the Il-96 project was the decision of the Russian government to remove duties on the import of foreign high-capacity aircraft into the country. Aeroflot openly lobbied for him, promising to purchase a large batch of Il-96 if duties were reduced. The decision was made, but the purchase of domestic aircraft never took place.

In 2000, a new modification of the airliner was developed - Il-96-400, which had a larger passenger capacity and an increased flight range. However, domestic air carriers were not interested in this aircraft; only a few Il-96-400Ts, the transport version of this aircraft, were purchased.

In the mid-2000s, three Il-96-300s were sold to Cuba, and one of them was made in the “presidential” version. Now not only Putin flies on the Il-96, but also the top management of Freedom Island.

IN different years Negotiations for the supply of the aircraft were conducted with China, Syria, Iran, Peru and even Zimbabwe. They were not particularly successful.

In 2009, the government announced the need to phase out the Il-96-300, allegedly due to the fact that it cannot compete on equal terms with the latest European and American analogues.

In 2014, Aeroflot decommissioned all of the company's Il-96 aircraft.

However, already next year, the Ilyushin Aviation Complex OJSC announced plans for the next modernization of the Il-96 and the resumption of its serial production. Next year, representatives of the enterprise reported that they were improving the fuel efficiency of the airliner and planned to bring it to the level of modern Western analogues. CEO The Voronezh Aviation Plant reported that the Il-96-400M will be ready by 2019. And the government has already promised to allocate funds for this project.

In February of this year, a message appeared in the media that a firm contract had been signed between the manufacturer and UAC to carry out design work on the Il-96-400M. The aircraft prototype is scheduled for production in 2019.

Description of design

Il-96-300 is a cantilever wide-body low-wing aircraft with four engines, vertical tail and swept wings.

The fuselage of the aircraft has a diameter of 6.08 meters; depending on the layout of the passenger cabin, it can accommodate from 235 to 300 passengers. With a standard layout (300 seats), the passenger cabin is divided into two salons, with 66 seats in the front cabin and 234 seats in the rear cabin. They are arranged in a row of nine seats with a pitch of 870 mm and two aisles of 550 mm. Aircraft with a passenger capacity of 235 people have a passenger cabin divided into three cabins: first class (22 seats with a distance between rows of 1020 mm), business class (40 seats) and economy class (173 seats). The IL-96 cabin is in no way inferior to the best foreign analogues in terms of comfort for passengers.

The lower deck of the Il-96-300 is occupied by cargo compartments. There are three of them, the first two can accept nine standard ABK-1.5 aviation containers, and the third is intended for the transportation of piece cargo.

The IL-96 has a wing with a span of more than 60 m and an area of ​​391 m2 with large vertical tips at the edges. In area it significantly (by 70 m2) exceeds the wing of the Il-86 and is equipped with complex mechanization. It consists of slats that occupy the entire length of the leading edge and double-slotted flaps.

The vertical tail of the aircraft is also significant; it is one and a half meters higher than that of the Il-86. This feature of the airliner allows it to maintain stability in flight even if one of the engines fails.

The IL-96 has four landing gear: three main ones, located under the center section, and a nose gear. Each of the main struts has a four-wheel trolley with brake wheels, and the front strut has two non-brake wheels. The size of all aircraft landing gear wheels is the same.

The power plant of the airliner consists of four PS-90A turbofan engines with a high bypass ratio, which can create a thrust of 16 thousand kgf. They are installed in pylons that are attached to the wing consoles. PS-90A is made according to a two-shaft design, there is a reverse. The engine is equipped with a four-stage low-pressure turbine and a two-stage high-pressure turbine. PS-90A is distinguished by a modular design, which facilitates its maintenance: if necessary, one or another module - out of eleven available - can be quickly replaced.

For the first time in the history of Soviet aircraft construction, the aircraft's power plant was equipped with an electronic control and monitoring system "Diagnoz-90", which had two channels. This system automatically monitors fuel consumption and protects engines from surge. They plan to equip the promising Il-96-400M with a new PD-35 engine, which is currently being developed.

The Il-96-300 was equipped with the latest (for its time, of course) flight and navigation system, which made it possible to abandon the navigator and make do with a crew of three people. The IL-96-300 is the first Soviet aircraft to be equipped with the VSUP-85-4 electronic flight control system - in addition to traditional analog instruments, electronic indicators also appeared in the IL-96-300 cockpit. This aircraft is equipped with an EMDS system.

The Airbus fuel system is in many ways reminiscent of a similar system in the Il-86. The fuel is located in nine caisson tanks, from where it is pumped into the pre-consumption tank and, further, into the supply compartment, which each engine has. Four tanks are located in the wing consoles, another is located in the center section.

Il-96-300 is equipped with an automatic air conditioning system. Air is supplied to the cabin from the engines.

The aircraft is equipped with an electric pulse anti-icing system. The air intakes are heated by air supplied from the compressor chamber.

Modifications

Since the start of mass production of the Il-96 aircraft, several modifications of the aircraft have been developed. Below are the main ones:

• IL-96-300. Basic modification, equipped with four PS-90A engines. The airliner first took to the skies in September 1988 and entered service with Aeroflot in 1993. A total of twenty aircraft of this modification were produced; in 2009, it was decided to withdraw it from production. This machine has a maximum flight range of 13.5 thousand km, it can carry up to 300 passengers;
• Il-96-300PU/PU(M1). “Presidential” modification of the airliner, which was specially developed on the basis of the Il-96-300 for transporting the country's top officials. A total of five aircraft of this modification were built. The letters “PU” in the designation of the machine mean “control point”. In terms of its characteristics, it practically does not differ from the basic version of the aircraft; the flight range of the aircraft is slightly increased. Essentially, the Il-96-300PU is an airborne command post, which allows you to manage the country and armed forces during a nuclear conflict. Externally, this airliner is practically no different from a regular production aircraft. This machine was manufactured in 1995 for the first Russian President Boris Yeltsin. The second Il-96-300PU was created for Vladimir Putin; it first flew in 2003. The last aircraft of this modification was manufactured at the end of 2019;
• IL-96-400. A modification of the aircraft that was developed in 2000. The vehicle has a longer fuselage compared to the Il-96-300, it is equipped with PS-90A-1 engines (17.4 thousand kgf thrust) and more advanced avionics. This liner can accommodate 435 passengers;
• IL-96-400T. Transport version of the Il-96-400 airliner. The first aircraft was assembled in 2007; a total of four aircraft were produced. In 2014, it was decided to convert one of the Il-96-400Ts into an air control center for the needs of the FSB of the Russian Federation. In 2019, the Russian Ministry of Defense announced the purchase of two aircraft in the tanker modification. If the operation of these aircraft goes well, then the military department is ready to order 30 more vehicles;
• IL-96-400TZ. This is a tanker aircraft based on the Il-96-400T. It will be capable of transmitting 65 tons of fuel over a distance of 3.5 thousand km;
• IL-96VKP. This modification of the airliner is a strategic air command center. Currently, Ilyushenites are working on its creation; in the future, this aircraft will replace the Il-86VKP;
• Il-96M. Modification of the base model Il-96-300 with an extended fuselage, Pratt&Whitney engines and Western avionics. The prototype of this aircraft first took off in April 1993 and was later repeatedly demonstrated at various air shows. In 2009, cut into scrap;
• IL-96MD. Modification of the aircraft equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4082 engines;
• IL-96MK. Modification with four NK-92 engines.

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From 1993 to 2013, six Il-96-300s were operated by Aeroflot airlines. 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 those belonging to the OKB flew on Atlant-Soyuz flights and others. Among non-commercial structures, the “short” version is used by the presidential aviation squadron (including former aircraft KrasAir).

A lot of work to promote the Il-96-300 international market done by Ilyushin Finance Co. The Voronezh leasing company sold three newly built aircraft. They were acquired by Cuba using loans from Russian banks provided under the sovereign guarantees of the island Republic. So far, IL-96-300 deliveries to Cuba in 2005-2006. remain the only case export of products of domestic four-engine passenger aircraft of the new generation.

Last year, 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 aircraft leasing. We are talking about cars from the secondary market that have undergone a change of ownership and major repairs before being sold abroad.

The commercial operation of the Il-96-300 as part of Cubana de Aviacion can be considered successful. Well-constructed maintenance and repair practices played a big role here. The specialized Russian structure IFK-Tekhnik helps local aviators solve this and other issues.

Providing after-sales service (PSS) 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 Cuban authorities and Cubana de Aviacion, Ilyushin Finance Co. proposed and implemented in practice logistics schemes aimed at ensuring uninterrupted operation of Russian aircraft supplied under a leasing scheme with export credit.

IFC shared its experience with the Design Bureau, conducting relevant courses for specialists of the design bureau. Here is what Nikolai Dmitrievich Talikov told us on this topic: “Finally, we understood what was what. With the help of Ilyushin Finance Co., using the example of Il-96 aircraft, we came to understand what is required to ensure 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 maximum profits by intensively operating aircraft while ensuring flight safety. In fact, we began to think in their categories too,” continues Nikolai Dmitrievich. The general designer promises to “turn our face to operation” instead of “puffing out our cheeks and saying that we know all your problems - deal with them yourself.”

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

Competition: technical and not only

After the collapse of the Soviet Union and the liberalization of the local market, a flood of “foreign cars” poured into our country. The process brought both positive and negative aspects. On the one hand, airlines now have wide choose and the opportunity not only to operate foreign-made aircraft, but also to enjoy access to borrowed capital of foreign origin for fleet renewal programs. On the other hand, individual managers were tempted to use business contacts with companies to solve personal problems.

Among other things, this led to the emergence of various types of so-called. “objective comparisons” of foreign models with domestic ones, where there was clearly a desire to present “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 carried out the analysis clearly sympathized with the American car, “forgetting” in their comparison to take into account the much more capacious cargo compartments of the “silt” when calculating commercial efficiency. Meanwhile, the significantly larger fuselage diameter gives the IL-96-300 the ability, in addition to passengers, to take on board 16-18 LD-3 type containers. They are located in cargo compartments below the floor of the passenger compartment (belly cargo).

“The Il-96-300 aircraft is competitive with the Boeing 767, and a special study confirmed this,” Genrikh Novozhilov told us. - It should be understood that “-300” is a “truncated” version, and the plane was intended to carry 350 passengers! We can accommodate 386 passengers on the Il-96M; the corresponding cabin layout was made by us and preserved in the Design Bureau.”

The first flight of the Il-96-300 dates back to 1988. The type certificate was received in 1992, commercial operation began in 1993. In the same year, the Il-96M/T took off with an extended fuselage, from 55.35 to 63.94 meters. These variants were equipped with American Pratt&Whitney PW-2037 engines and Collins avionics. They have been certified in Russia and “shadow” certification by 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 of the Boeing 777-200 and Il-96M proceeded in parallel. These machines have surprisingly similar geometry: the fuselage diameter is about six meters, the difference in length and wing span is one meter. Since all this was preceded by the appearance of the “short” Il-96-300, the OKB should be blamed for them. S.V. Ilyushin’s plagiarism is not possible (and even the Il-86, which was produced from 1980 to 1994, has a fuselage diameter of 6.08 meters). American designers first accepted the fuselage diameter as 6.08 meters, recalls Genrikh Vasilyevich. But then they added another 120 mm, and, as a result, the “three sevens” had a 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 corresponding agreements. True, the then management of the airlines did not strive to implement them. But they purchased the Boeing 777, sequentially, in several batches. Aeroflot “explained” the acquisition of the Boeing 777-200ER (the very first batch for the airline) by saying that they were “necessary in order to roll out routes for the Il-96M.”

A few years later, however, the “three sevens” were returned to the lessors (but the Il-96M was never taken) because it turned out to be too spacious for the airline’s passenger flows at that time. 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 operating activities.

"All is not lost yet"

Over the past quarter century, Russia has lost a lot in the field of civil aviation. Often, industry positions were 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, government support mechanisms are implemented in a strange way, to put it mildly. For example, flights are subsidized regardless of whether a foreign or local aircraft is used to operate them. “The state allocates large amounts of money, subsidizing flights for Far East, and we can’t launch our own plane, with a fuel consumption of 20 grams per passenger-kilometer, into production?!,” Genrikh Vasilyevich Novozhilov is indignant. - Nikolai Dmitrievich and I preach that all is not lost. We have a ready-made aircraft with high fuel efficiency and a service life of 70 thousand flight hours, tested by certifying authorities and in operation. Why not mass-produce it?!”

For the last few years, VASO has been producing “silts” at the rate of one car per year. The extreme side with registration RA-96022 and a cabin for 160 travelers became the twenty-eighth in a row aircraft IL-96 family. It made its first flight in November 2015 and is currently preparing to be transferred to the Presidential Aviation Squad. The media cited the cost of the corresponding contract in 2013 as 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 ​​that are many times higher. In particular, the corresponding document from the Toulouse aircraft manufacturers contains the following figures on a 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 sold 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 from the OKB im. S.V. Ilyushin, they say the following. Today, direct operating costs are similar for twin-engine and four-engine aircraft. The change in prices for aviation kerosene (in dollar terms) “made a correction”, and the gap between the A330 and Il-96-400M practically disappeared.

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

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 wing assembly on a slipway - so far not in relation to passenger, but combat aircraft. “Paperless” technology, when all documentation is kept on computers, is of particular importance. Of course, these and other new products should find application in the domestic aircraft industry.

Great importance is attached to serial production to reduce the cost of the aircraft. “We posed 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. A domestic aircraft may be somewhat inferior in terms of technical excellence, but superior in terms of delivery and service,” says Nikolai Talikov.

“You can’t cross Russia on foot, you have to fly from the European part to pacific coast. If Russian airlines will be able to continue to acquire Western aircraft and operate them without hindrance - one scenario. And if the state feels that there are aircraft of its own design, and it is possible to work with them... the situation will change,” he continues.

So far, the main operating experience of the Il-96 is associated with its “short” version. The extended version of the “Ila” operated flights under the flag of only one airline, Polet. At the beginning of the century, it ordered four Il-96-400T freighters with PS-90A1 engines from IFC. Three of them were built and delivered to the customer. After the airline ceased operations, these cars were returned to the lessor. Two cargo aircraft at the factory, it was converted into a special-purpose version for security forces.

The decision in favor of serial production of the Il-96-400M will make it possible to preserve 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 “the weather will not play a role” in terms of plant load and redevelopment of the final assembly shop. By the standards of such a large enterprise as VASO, the estimated 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!

Documentation for the Il-96-400M airframe has been prepared. Launch decision new modification at VASO is under consideration by industry management. “We expect that if there is a team, we will be able to build the first aircraft in mid-2018,” says Talikov.

Among other domestic vehicles, the IL-96 still looks good in terms of weight return. At the same time, any machine needs to be improved as it stays in the series and the availability of new technologies. According to the General Designer, it is necessary to take measures to reduce the weight of the structure in order to increase weight efficiency 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,” Nikolai Talikov told us.

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

Conclusion

One of our previous publications mentioned a meeting of a 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 airline fleet, and, at a certain point, this can lead to very undesirable consequences. Western sanctions, if tightened, could ultimately lead to greater problems with ensuring the constitutional right of Russian citizens to free movement.

Estimated fuel cost: 1000 US dollars per ton.

Table provided by AK "Il".

Note. The Il-96-300 fuselage 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 necessary to carry out appropriate certification work. Practice shows that airlines are rarely interested in the maximum possible capacity of wide-body aircraft, preferring more comfortable passenger cabin layouts in two or three service classes.

"The production program for long-range Il-96-400M and regional ones based on Il-114 will be modest"published by the newspaper" Vedomosti",about plans to begin production of the wide-body long-range aircraft Il-96-400M (an upgraded version of the Il-96-300) and regional jet based on the Il-114, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin announced on May 27 at the board of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Their production will be carried out by enterprises that are part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) - the Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Association and the Nizhny Novgorod Sokol plant, respectively.

The cost of both development programs is 50 billion rubles. But the scale of the planned release turned out to be small.

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

Passenger aircraft Il-114 (registration RA-91014, serial number 1023823024) in the livery of Vyborg Airlines, St. Petersburg, Pulkovo airport parking lot 04/14/2010 (c) Pavel Todenkov / russianplanes.net

Il-96-400M (more than 400 seats, production should begin in 2019) will be intended primarily for government agencies, primarily for the special flight squad "Russia", which transports senior officials, two Vedomosti sources say. It will not have commercial potential, since 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 would be approximately half that of the competing Boeing 777 and Airbus 330; this may be of interest to individual carriers, given that fuel has become cheaper and the gain in efficiency is no longer so important, the second official objects.

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

Currently, Russia operates 100-150 regional aircraft of various capacities, still of Soviet design, 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 fuselage will be redesigned to make the plane lighter, and the engines will be modified, explains a person close to the UAC. If the updated version is successful, the aircraft may have export potential, he hopes.

“With such a scale of output, no program, of course, will pay off,” says the federal official. - But UAC has local tasks: government agencies need some of their own wide-body aircraft, and 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 the UAC and the medium-haul MC-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 when adjustments are made to the budget, says a representative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. A UAC representative declined to comment.

"The plane is only for Russian market“is a deliberately unprofitable project,” Fyodor Borisov, leading researcher at the Institute of Transport Economics at the Higher School of Economics, is categorical. “In such projects, one must initially focus on a competitive product for the world market and making a profit, even in a mobilization economy.” However, regional aircraft may be in demand, he admits: the prevailing domestic park An-24 has been flying for a very long time. But it is impossible to create a wide-body aircraft based on the Il-96 that is in demand on the world market, he is sure.

“... Air Force Commander Alexander Novikov reported that two aircraft were ready for flight. The first will be led by Colonel General Golovanov, the second by Colonel Grachev. The Supreme Commander was offered to fly with Golovanov, but Stalin grinned: “Colonel generals rarely fly planes, we’ll fly with the colonel...” ... Together they arrived in Tehran - Stalin, Molotov, Voroshilov and my father” (from the book of memoirs of Sergo Beria).

Stalin's visit to the Tehran Conference in November 1943 became the first air travel of the First Person of the State in the Russian Federation. The details of this event are quite scarce: it is only known that the original American Douglas C-47 was chosen for the flight (according to other sources, its individually assembled licensed copy of the Li-2). During the flight, Air Force One was accompanied by an escort of 27 Red Army Air Force fighters.

Nikita Khrushchev, on the other hand, was an avid air traveler and regularly used airplanes during his world tours. The story of his visit to the USA (1959) became the most famous. For the transatlantic trip, Khrushchev chose the Tu-114, the largest turboprop aircraft in the world, also the civilian version of the Tu-95 intercontinental bomber. In addition to the Secretary General, his family and a retinue of 63 accompanying persons were on board the airliner. There was some embarrassment - upon arrival at Andrews Air Force Base, it turned out that all the American ladders were not long enough to reach the door of the tall TU-114. The Soviet delegation had to go down the fire truck ladder.

Visit of N.S. Khrushchev in the USA. Andrews Air Force Base near Washington

Leonid Brezhnev's favorite airliner was the swift, handsome Il-62, the flagship of civil aviation of the Soviet Union. Brezhnev’s successors, Yuri Andropov and Mikhail Gorbachev, flew on the same plane. During all this time, the plane never let its VIP passengers down; each time it confidently took off from the runway and, a few hours later, carefully landed on the other side of the Earth. Extremely reliable technology. Only once, while in airspace Algeria, the Brezhnev Il-62 came under fire from the French Mirages. Fortunately, everything worked out well (it is still not known for certain whether it was a mistake, a provocation or an attempt at sabotage).

First President Russian Federation wished to replace the elderly Il-62 with a more modern wide-body airliner Il-96 (a special modification of the Il-96-300PU - “control point”). To this day, there are legends about this aircraft (tail number RA96012): exclusive interior design from Ilya Glazunov, painting in Holland, interior decoration in Switzerland, armored glass and electronic cabin locks, precious woods, inlay precious stones, tapestries and rare works of art. Finally, the communication and remote control systems of the Strategic Missile Forces in the event of a conflict involving nuclear forces - the presence of special equipment is indicated by a characteristic plexiglass “trench” on the fuselage of the aircraft. In addition, the “Yeltsin” Il-96-300PU differed from the civilian versions of the “ninety-sixth” in its increased flight range and, according to unofficial data, the presence of optical-electronic jamming stations for homing heads of MANPADS missiles, as well as a system for rescuing the First Person from a falling aircraft (parachutes or an ejection capsule - here the inexhaustible folk fantasy goes into infinity).

The same one, RA96012

If you do not take into account various speculations of questionable quality and adequacy, then the Il-96 is simply an elegant aircraft with noble lines and a harmonious appearance, which, moreover, has excellent reliability - for all 20 years of operation of aircraft of this type, not a single one has been noted major accident resulting in loss of life. Agree, it sounds impressive against the backdrop of incessant reports of Boeing and Airbus disasters! The high safety of the Il-96 is partly explained by the theory of probability (only about 30 aircraft were built) and specific operators - the quality of aircraft maintenance in the flight squad of the Presidential Administration is probably higher than that of any private airline.

IN currently The Special Flight Detachment “Russia” includes four Il-96-300 of various modifications. The flagship is the Il-96-300PU(M), tail number R96016 - a modernized version of the Yeltsin Il-96-300PU, which first flew in 2003. A real “Flying Kremlin” with the President’s office, meeting rooms, a conference room and a luxury cabin for accompanying persons and guests on board the aircraft. At hand, the First Person of the State has everything necessary to govern a huge country: computers and office equipment, satellite communication systems, special communication channels. The unique radio-electronic “filling” of the airliner, developed at one of the defense enterprises in Omsk, allows you to broadcast messages encrypted with a special code from any height to anywhere in the world.

Other features of the super-aircraft include a mini-gym on board, lounges for VIP guests, a dining room, a bar, showers and even a medical unit for resuscitation and emergency care. medical care. To avoid a repeat of the 1959 incident when Nikita Khrushchev had to climb down the ladder of a fire truck, the new Russian aircraft has a built-in stairway. In addition, the “Putin” plane is equipped with modernized PS-90A engines.
Il-96-300PU(M) was built by special order in Voronezh, above interior decoration The best jewelers from Zlatoust worked, the salon is decorated with engravings on historical themes, embroidered by masters of the Pavlovo-Posad silk factory. The layout of the premises and the technical arrangement of the aircraft were carried out by specialists from Diamonite Aircraft Furnishings Ltd. The interior is made in predominantly light colors, with preference given to the colors of the Russian flag.

Despite the occasional indignation about the rich interior decoration of the Il-96-300PU(M), it should be noted that this is not just an aircraft for personal use. Foreign guests, diplomatic missions and media representatives are regularly present on board the Il-96-300PU(M). The President's plane is a special symbol that creates the image of our country in the eyes of foreigners.
To the disappointment of spiteful critics, there are no “golden toilets” here; the interiors of the Flagship are designed in a “sovereign” style with a hint of the Imperial ambitions of Russia. Noble, beautiful and high quality, without unnecessary “tinsel” and other vulgar elements of flashy luxury.

In a word, the presidential IL is a comfortable flying office for business trips around the world - nothing like the “expensive toy” of Saudi Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz Al-Saud, who ordered a huge swimming pool and a huge swimming pool to be placed on board his personal three-story Airbus A380 concert hall with a symphony orchestra!
The high cost of the “government IL” is largely due to the complex of secret radio-electronic equipment installed on board and special measures related to ensuring the safety of the government “aircraft”.

In December 2012 air fleet The special flight squad "Russia" was replenished with another Il-96-300 (tail number RA96020), which replaced its predecessors. At the end of this year 2013, the Presidential Administration will receive the second ordered Il (tail number RA96021).

Special government aircraft exist in all countries of the world. The President of the United States flies on a comfortable blue and white Boeing 747 Air Force One. The Chancellor of Germany is on a European airliner Airbus A340 with the personal name “Konrad Adenauer”. The President of Ukraine uses a small An-74 business class aircraft for his visits. However, most of the powers that be are forced to travel on foreign aircraft. Only a few countries have a developed aviation industry capable of independently creating an aircraft for the top officials of their state. Here we can proudly state that senior officials of Russia continue to fly domestic aircraft.

Long-haul passenger aircraft Il - 96-300.

Dimensions
Wingspan: 60.1 m; aircraft length 55.35 m; aircraft height 17.57 m; wing area 391.6 m2; sweep angle along the 1/4 chord line - 30 degrees; fuselage diameter 6.08 m;

Passenger cabin dimensions
Length 41 m;
maximum width 5.7 m;
maximum height 2.61 m;
volume 350 cubic meters

Engines
Turbofan engine of the Perm engine-building design bureau PS-90A with reversing devices (4x156.9 kN, 4x16000 kgf)

Masses and loads
Maximum take-off weight - 230 tons; maximum landing weight - 175 tons; empty weight - 119 tons; maximum weight without fuel - 157 tons; maximum payload - 40 tons, maximum fuel capacity - 122 tons (150400l).

Flight data
Cruising speed at an altitude of 10100 m is 850-900 km/h; approach speed - 260-270 km/h; balanced takeoff distance - 2600 m, required landing distance - 1980 m; practical flight range with fuel reserve: with a maximum payload of 7,500 km, with a payload of 30 tons - 9,000 km; with a commercial load of 15 tons - 11,000 km.

Design features and technical and economic characteristics
Wing with a supercritical profile and end aerodynamic surfaces. Design life 60,000 flight hours (12,000 landings over a 20-year service life), maintenance labor intensity 11 man-hours per 1 hour of flight, preparation time for re-flight 45 minutes. Fuel consumption per passenger-kilometer is within 23 g.

Equipment
Flight navigation equipment ensures the operation of the aircraft to a minimum of ICAO category IIIA. It uses a built-in analog fly-by-wire flight control system and a flight mode optimization system, a built-in inertial navigation system, satellite navigation equipment and the Omega radio navigation system, and an electronic information display system with six indicators on a CRT and HUD. There is built-in control equipment and an automatic system for displaying information about the aircraft's alignment.

Production and release
Serially produced since 1992.

Program status
Certification of the aircraft according to Russian standards was completed by the end of 1992. To date, the IL-96 corresponds to the second ICAO category, i.e. can take off and land in very low visibility conditions.

Developer
Aviation complex named after. S. V. Ilyushina.