The legendary Soviet airliner has a modern successor, but the future of the Il-96-400M is unclear
61 years ago, on January 3, 1963, the first flight of the Soviet turbojet long-range passenger aircraft Il-62 took place. Created to replace the Tu-114 and Il-18, the Il-62 at the time of its release became the only large-scale aircraft in its class. It was produced from 1966 to 2004, a total of 289 aircraft were produced.
A lot of bold design solutions were implemented in the IL-62. For example, the layout of the engines in the aft part of the fuselage made it possible to significantly reduce noise in the passenger compartment. The aircraft could safely complete takeoff if one engine failed, and cruising flight and landing could be carried out even if two engines failed.
In its original version, the Il-62 did not last long; already in 1973, a modernized version of the Il-62M airliner was put into operation, in which, if not everything, then much was improved: the airliner received a reinforced airframe, an improved control system, more powerful and economical engines & nbsp;TRDD D-30KU, additional fuel tank with a capacity of 5000 liters, new TA-6A turbo unit, improved navigation equipment. The flight range of the Il-62M increased to 11 050 km, passenger capacity – up to 186 people.
As of 2020, the Il-62 was operated by three airlines: North Korean Air Koryo, Belarusian Rada Airlines and Iranian Aria Air.
The modern successor to the Il-62 is the Il-96-400M, but its future is unclear: this model is not included in the current comprehensive program for the development of the Russian aviation industry until 2030.