Only 30 of these planes have been built, with only two airlines, Aeroflot and Cubana, using them. The Ilyushin Il-96 is a Russian long-range commercial aircraft that looks like an Airbus A340. It was also equipped with four engines and winglets. It also had a fly-by-wire system and a glass cockpit.
The aircraft was intended to compete against Airbus and Boeing in the long-range market.
Things, however, did not go as planned. Only 30 Il-96s were built since the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) first produced them on September 28, 1988, with 15 still in service. Cubana is the only commercial airline that currently operates the Il-96. In 2014, Aeroflot retired their Il-96.
About the Ilyushin Il-96
The Ilyushin Il-96 is a passenger and cargo aircraft that can carry between 235 and 436 passengers. The aircraft has a new wing layout, and the fuselage is approximately 4m shorter than its predecessor, the Il-86 aircraft. The Il-96 took its first flight on September 28, 1988. It was certified in 1992, and the first Ilyushin Il-96 entered service with Aeroflot Russian International Airlines in July 1993.
The Il-96 design is an evolution of the previous Il-86, with features such as new turbofan engines, increased takeoff weight, wingspan, and fuel capacity, among other improvements.
The wings of the Ilyushin Il-96 are equipped with winglets. The aircraft features a triplex fly-by-wire control system, which is a sophisticated flight control system composed of redundant computers. The Ilyushin Il-96 is equipped with a flight management system (FMS), an inertial and satellite navigation system, and a collision air avoidance system (CAS) with mode S transponders.
Perm Motors Holding, Russia, developed four two-shaft PS-90A turbofan engines with a thrust rating of 35,300 lbf for the Il-96-300 aircraft. The PS-90A is a twin-spool, high-bypass-ratio turbofan with mixed fan and core airflows. The engine contains 11 modules, a noise suppression system, and a thrust reverser located in the fan duct.
The Il-96-300 cabin holds 262 passengers, with 18 seats with a 54-inch pitch and 244 seats with a 32-inch pitch. The upper deck has galleys, while the lower deck has 16 LD-3 containers and a crew restroom. Another 289 seat layout specs were done by increasing the business class section seats from 18 to 44 with a 34-inch pitch.
Long-range capabilities
The Il-96 made several notable long-distance flights during its flight testing, including a 9,196-mile flight from Moscow to Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and back without landing in Petropavlovsk. An Il-96 flew from Moscow to Portland over the North Pole in the summer of 1992, flying for 15 hours.
After entering commercial service with Aeroflot in 1993, the Il-96 was used on long-distance flights, such as those from Moscow to New York. Even though it was less expensive than Boeing and Airbus planes, the Il-96 drew little interest abroad.
Specifications
| Variant | Il-96-300 | Il-96-400 |
|---|---|---|
| Cockpit crew | 3 | 3 |
| Seats (3/2/1-class) | 237/263/300 | 315/386/436 |
| Cargo capacity | 25 t | 196 m³ |
| Length | 55.35 m (181 ft 7 in) | 63.93 m (209 ft 9 in) |
| Wing | 60.12 m (197 ft 3 in) span, 350 m2 (3767.9 ft²), 30° sweep | 60.12 m (197 ft 3 in) span, 350 m2 (3767.9 ft²), 30° sweep |
| Fuselage | 6.08 m (19.94 ft) diameter, 5.70 m (18.70 ft) cabin width | 6.08 m (19.94 ft) diameter, 5.70 m (18.70 ft) cabin width |
| Height | 17.55 m (57 ft 7 in) | 17.55 m (57 ft 7 in) |
| OEW | 120.4 t (265,198 lb) | 122.3 t (269,383 lb) |
| MTOW | 250 t (551,000 lb) | 265 t (583,700 lb) |
| Max. payload | 40 t (88,105 lb) | 58 t (127,753 lb) |
| Fuel capacity | 152,620 l (40,322 US gal) | 152,620 l (40,322 US gal) |
| Engines (×4) | Aviadvigatel PS-90A | PS-90A1 |
| Thrust (×4) | 156.9 kN (35,242 lbf) | 170.7 kN (38,326 lbf) |
| Cruise | 0.78-0.84 Mach / 850-870 km/h; 13,100 m (43,000 ft) Ceiling | 0.78-0.84 Mach / 850-870 km/h; 13,100 m (43,000 ft) Ceiling |
| Range | 10,000 km (5,400 nmi) | 10,000 km (5,400 nmi) |
| Takeoff run (MTOW) | 2,340 m (7,677 ft) | 2,700 m (8,858 ft) |
| Landing run | 860 m (2,821 ft) | 1,650 m (5,511 ft) |
The end of the Il-96
The Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, Viktor Khristenko, announced the end of production of the Il-96-300 on August 29, 2009. It was inferior to its Western-made competitors, and the aircraft manufacturer could only produce one plane per year.
The Il-96 was Russia’s hope for a more affordable long-range aircraft to compete with Airbus’s A340 and Boeing’s 747 and then 777 at the time. Despite this, its limited number has made it a favorite of plane spotters. Because of its resemblance to the A340-200, I’d call it “the Russian A340.” Winglets and quad engines resembling blow dryers.
First love never dies. I fell in love with airplanes and aviation when I was a kid. My dream was to become a pilot, but destiny led me to another path: to be an aviation digital media content creator and a small business owner. My passion for aviation inspires me to bring you quality content through my website and social accounts. Aviation is indeed in my blood and blog!
