On February 9, 1977, Sergei Ilyushin, an outstanding Soviet aircraft designer, colonel-general of the engineering and technical service, academician of the USSR Academy of Sciences, died. The OKB, which he headed, is today considered one of the leading Russian enterprises for the development of aircraft. Among the aircraft designed by the Ilyushinites, there is also the Il-76 - a heavy transport aircraft that forms the basis of the military transport aviation of Russia and Ukraine and is in service in many CIS countries and far abroad.
Now in Ulyanovsk, the assembly of the first serial Il-76MD-90A, a modernized version of the famous military transport aircraft, is being completed. We have collected five facts about the vehicle, which should enter service with the Russian Air Force this year.
PROJECT "476"
The Il-76 was assembled at the V. P. Chkalov Tashkent Aviation Production Association. Since the 70s, the company has built a total of about 1000 aircraft, of which more than 100 were exported.
The decision to transfer the production of Il-76 aircraft to Ulyanovsk was made in March 2006 by the President of the Russian Federation. The Aviastar-SP aircraft plant, created for the production of large aircraft (An-124 Ruslan), was at that time loaded to a minimum. The decision was made in a short time. On April 3, an urgent meeting of the management team was held at Aviastar. And at 23.00 on the same day, offers were sent to the United Aircraft Corporation, including full information about production areas, personnel, the level of digital technologies of the enterprise, cooperation with other plants, and possible production rates.
On July 14, 2006, an order was issued by the government of the Russian Federation to organize the production of Il-76 aircraft in Russia. The project was codenamed "476".
FIRST "DIGIT"
In total, the work on the deep modernization of the Il-76 aircraft took five years. Both designers and future manufacturers worked actively. The Ulyanovsk aircraft plant in a short time made a "digital revolution": earlier aircraft were built here using the plaza-template method (when the model of parts was cut out, in full size, from metal). Il-76MD-90A became the first aircraft that Ulyanovsk residents completely made using digital technologies.
The transition process was laborious: while the drawings were digitized, the workers were trained in computer technology. Only a small part of the drawings was released on paper (for example, an electrician), but after working on the first plane, it was transferred to an electronic model.
MAIN DIFFERENCES FROM IL-76
Despite the external similarity, the modernized version is seriously different from its predecessor. Il-76MD-90A has a different wing design, designed for a large maximum take-off weight (210 tons versus 190). On the wing of the base machine, there was a connector in the middle; now there are solid 24-meter panels, which increased the resource.
The modernized Il is equipped with Perm PS-90A-76 engines, each of which has a thrust of 14.5 tons. The aircraft has been brought into compliance with ICAO, Eurocontrol, and the US FAA standards and is built with the future in mind: it also meets the standards that are yet to come into force. The flight life of the upgraded aircraft is designed for 35 years of operation; the designers intend to extend it to 45 years.
The "filling" of the aircraft has also undergone changes. It is equipped with new avionics and the promising Kupol-3 flight and navigation system. The new digital autopilot allows landing in the second category of ICAO, when the aircraft is brought to a height of 30 meters above the runway in automatic mode, and then landed already in manual mode. The predecessor flew in the first category (in this case, the decision-making height is 60 meters). This innovation will expand the area of aircraft operation, primarily in Europe, where weather conditions can be more "severe".
The aircraft is also equipped with a so-called glass cockpit. Instead of analog instruments familiar to the eye, a digital display field of aircraft systems and equipment is installed here. There are eight screens in the cockpit (six for the pilots and two for the navigator). This option is more informative: it is much easier for pilots to perceive a compact frame, which reflects the spatial position of the aircraft, its speed, altitude and other aerobatic parameters.
AIRCRAFT FEATURES
The developers believe that the modified aircraft will seriously compete with Western air "trucks". There are no analogues in the class of ramp ships today. IL-76MD-90A can be operated in any climatic conditions with virtually no restrictions. Russian aircraft are more unpretentious than Western ones, they do not need special infrastructure, they do not need constant serious maintenance. This is an important quality for exploiting hard-to-reach areas.
Another feature of the modernized Il-76 is the ability to use it in a wide variety of areas: as a military transport aircraft, fuel tanker, and for extinguishing fires. The developers intend to create a civilian version of the aircraft, which will certainly be in demand by commercial airlines.
CUSTOMERS
Now the main customer of the aircraft is the RF Ministry of Defense. Because of this, the assembly of the "product 476" until the beginning of 2012 went behind closed doors. The aircraft was shown to journalists for the first time in January, during a visit to Aviastar by Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin.
According to the state contract with the military department, Ulyanovsk residents must assemble 39 Il-76MD-90A; This year it is expected to sign a contract for the supply of the Ministry of Defense with Il-78 tankers, which will be created on the basis of the Il-76MD. Also, this type of aircraft is in demand for special flights, which are manufactured in Taganrog. Thus, by 2020, Ulyanovsk residents will have to build up to 80-83 aircraft.
In December 2013, the first stage of state joint tests of the modernized Il-76 was completed. The crew tested the ultimate strength modes and overloads, performed flights with the maximum takeoff (210 tons) and landing (170 tons) weight, worked out the technique of the aircraft go-around in case of failure of one and two engines. The second stage of state tests is scheduled for the spring. Until this time, the aircraft will need to be finalized under the terms of reference of the military. The first plane to the customer is to be handed over to the Ulyanovsk residents in November 2014.
Now at the aircraft plant, in different stages of readiness, there are three first serial modernized Il-76s. Ten more are laid in the shops of procurement production.
Characteristics of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft
Wingspan - 50.5 meters
Wing area - 300 square meters
Length 46.6 meters
Cargo compartment dimensions: length - 24.54 meters, width - 3.45 meters, height - 3.4 meters
Maximum takeoff weight - 210 tons
Carrying capacity - up to 60 tons
Cruising speed - 780 - 850 km / h
Flight range with a load of 60 tons - 4000 km
Crew - 5 people
The number of paratroopers on board - 126
