On July 22, 2016, residents of Voronezh, who found themselves in one place in the Levoberezhny district, were able to observe a phenomenon that is quite rare for today. A huge airliner painted in Russian colors rose from the runway of the aircraft plant and went towards Moscow. Those who watched it were, shall we say, satisfied with what they saw. Simply because only the lazy is not aware of the problems of VASO. And here is a demonstration that the plant is still alive.
The plane that departed was an Il-96-300, built by order of the special flight unit "Russia", the first of the two remaining operators of this model in the world.
We have recently (after another Boeing crash) talked about this plane. Today I will repeat myself a little, because there seems to be a movement towards the revival of the production of this remarkable machine in all respects.
Still, a few words about history, in order to refresh your memory.
The story is impossibly simple. IL-96 - continuation and further development of IL-86, our first domestic airbus. For its creation, the Ilyushin Design Bureau at one time received the State Prize. And the plane was quite good, as, indeed, all the passenger planes of the Ilyushin Design Bureau. And it is reliable, as evidenced by the fact that for the entire time (albeit small) of operation of 106 Il-86 and 29 Il-96 in accidents and disasters, which were few, not a single passenger died.
In the history of the aircraft, however, there was a nuance in relation to the engines. The planned NK-56 had to be abandoned due to the workload of the Kuibyshev plant with military orders in favor of the PS-90 Perm engine, which was obviously weaker. It was necessary to significantly alter the airframe for this engine, which led to a deterioration in both flight characteristics, since the chief designer Novozhilov had to reduce the length of the fuselage, reduce the wing area and passenger capacity of the aircraft.
The transport version of the Il-96T was saved by the appearance of the PS-90A-2, but this happened much later. But the Il-96T has been in production since 2009, which, unfortunately, cannot be said about its passenger colleague.
The fight against 86 and 96 did not start yesterday. Many European countries have suddenly closed their airports to our aircraft, citing high noise levels. The Ilyushin Design Bureau did not sit idly by, and looked for ways to solve the problem. And they found it.
In 1991, the Ilyushin Design Bureau signed a contract with the British companies Pratt & Whitney, as a manufacturer of aircraft engines, and Collins, as manufacturers of avionics.
The result was the appearance in 1993 of the Il-96M, which met all Western requirements. The plane could take on board 435 passengers and carry them over a distance of 13,000 kilometers. And quite naturally, the plane was certified for flights both in Russia and in Europe and even the USA. Nice start, great perspective.
So what is next? And then politics began. Then Boeing intervened in the matter, which had absolutely no use for a Russian competitor. Only this, and the desire to seize control of the Russian aviation market, can explain the subsequent events.
Someone may not believe that Boeing representatives bought the entire government in bulk at that time, and Mr. Khristenko in particular. But the fact is that as soon as the production of the first Il-96-300 for Aeroflot began, our government "suddenly" abolishes customs duties on foreign aircraft imported into Russia. Not all, but with a capacity of over 300 people.
At the Boeing headquarters, probably for a day after that they drank to the health of our authorities. And then the used 767s went through the open gates, followed by the European Airbuses. The Ilyushin Design Bureau and VASO received not just a blow, it was actually a knockdown.
Here it is also necessary to tell about how much lawlessness took place in those years. How our people earned themselves a pretty penny to the detriment of the state (and us, by the way). In 2000, a lease loan was allocated to Aeroflot in the amount of $ 219 million. For the purchase of 7 copies of the Il-96-300 and 10 Tu-204.
And here Aeroflot's hustlers showed themselves in all their glory. The result was the purchase of six Ilovs and… four used Boeing 767s with this money. Tu-204 "flew" in the truest sense of the word. Yes, on the facts of these outrages, inspections of various levels were carried out, but they did not bring any results.
Well, and finished off the Il-96 in 2009, as I already wrote, the great figure Vitya Khristenko. He declared from his high seat that it was pointless to compete with the best aircraft manufacturers in the world, and the production of unnecessary aircraft should be stopped.
"Fuh!" - said domestic air carriers and rushed for kickbacks when buying used Boeing and Airbus. And it is not surprising that in 2014 Aeroflot quickly wrote off the remaining Il-96s, which, by the way, could still fly and fly.
But why? It is no secret that all the aerodrome and technical services at our airports are aimed at Boeings and Airbuses. It turns out that there is absolutely no need to train flight and technical personnel to fly and service domestic equipment. She's not there …
To be honest, it reminds me of an old Soviet joke about caviar in a grocery store. It's not on sale because no one asks.
And we consumers are often fed absolute bullshit about our aircraft. Yes, we have not learned how to make cars, although we have been striving very much for this for 40 years already. But airplanes, excuse me, have always been at our best.
First lie. IL-96 consumes more fuel.
If you look at the numbers, yes, more. But excuse me, this 7-9% is not such a significant difference. Especially if you go to point 2.
Second lie. Aircraft safety from "the best manufacturers".
It is difficult to go through the numbers here, because yes, there are many more Boeings. And they come around with enviable regularity. Silts do not fall, but one cannot say that they fly. The Il-96 is operated by the Rossiya squadron and the Cuban company Cubana.
But statistics say that Boeing-767 with its two engines in case of failure of one - an aircraft grave for everyone. Which is shown by the same statistics. 23.8% of Boeing crashes are caused by engine failure. Il-96 is capable of flying with two engines out of four. It's not a fact that it's normal, but it can sit down without sticking a dozen meters into the ground. And Boeing?
Lie third. Boeing is cheaper to operate.
Advocates of the Boeing purchase idea preach the idea that Boeing is as much as 25% cheaper to operate. This is definitely nonsense, it's not even about numbers. And in where this money will go. Of course, it is better to send 100 thousand dollars to America, Boeing, than to spend 118 thousand, leaving them in Russia. Without question, of course, supporting Boeing is very patriotic and beneficial. The only question is - to whom?
Lie fourth. Boeing is cheaper to buy.
Oh yeah! Of course, Boeing, which is 10-12 years old, is cheaper. But if you look at the official numbers, the new 767 is worth $ 180 million. Against 92 million for the Il-96. Questions?
Even if the Il-96 is more expensive in service and in terms of fuel, three new Il-96s will in any case be more profitable than three shabby Boeings.
But this is not about the economy at all. The point is in accounts that regularly receive bonuses and bonuses from overseas "partners". The fact is that all our air carriers were bought in the bud for those same green papers with portraits. And so they will fight for these pieces of paper for the Boeing cause with the same fury as their grandfathers and great-grandfathers beat the same “partners” at the controls of the Ilovs. Not passenger.
It seems that the picture was drawn sad. Yes, VASO today, like the Ilyushin Design Bureau, is not that the best of times, I would say - it probably cannot be worse. Nobody needs silt, the joint project with the Antonov Design Bureau also died for political reasons.
But, as sometimes happens in fairy tales, a kind wizard suddenly appeared in a spotted helicopter.
Guess who it is? That's right, Shoigu. Who else?
The Department of Defense gives a chance to survive. Yes, not on a global scale, as we would like it to be, but quite a decent chance to preserve a unique plant and team. And to work for the good of the country.
The fact is that despite the final collapse of the Il-96-300, the Ilyushinites did not surrender. And they designed and built a new aircraft: Il-96-400. This miracle can accommodate not 300, but 435 passengers. PS-90A-1 engines allow flying with a maximum load of 10,000 km. By the way, the Cubans have already drawn in Voronezh, asking the price. But these are Cubans, what do they understand on airplanes? They still fly on the Il-96-300 …
But that's not the point. On the basis of a passenger aircraft, a transport aircraft was created, 96-400T. And so our Ministry of Defense became interested in them. More precisely, the one called the Il-96-400TZ. Fuel tanker.
Until now, the Russian Aerospace Forces is armed with the Il-78M tanker, which is essentially the brainchild of the Il-76. It is capable of moving 40 tons of fuel over a distance of 3000 km. What is a good indicator, the IL-78 is used not only by Russia, but also by India, Pakistan, and China.
But the Il-96-400TZ is capable of transporting 65 tons over 3500 kilometers. Feel the difference, as they say. Plus new avionics, which, quite understandably, are three heads higher than what was developed in the 80s of the last century.
The Ministry of Defense even announced the figure of 30 tankers. And there is some hope that the neighbors will also decide to buy such a machine instead of the Il-78M. Especially Indians who like to spend money on good things ("Rafali" does not count).
By the way, the IL-96-400TZ can be transformed into an ordinary transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of 92 tons with the help of simple operations. Which is also useful and practical. Two in one, crowbar and pry bars included.
And as a bonus, the Ministry of Defense announced an absolutely stunning thing: there are plans to acquire 14 passenger Il-96-300 or 96-400 by 2024. Why so much is not entirely clear, but what's the difference?
You know, it looks like some kind of fairy tale with a happy ending. To knock - to beat off your fingers, to spit - to spit on the area, just not to jinx it. Such a development of the plot after the collapse of the programs for 96-300 and An-148, there was not only an improvement in the situation. The light at the end of the tunnel, if you like.
Based on all that was said, we decided that it would be very good to get to the plant in order to familiarize ourselves with the situation on the spot. And they sent a request for accreditation. So we are waiting for the results, and it is quite possible that we will be able to acquaint everyone with the situation first-hand.
