IL-76- Soviet heavy jet military transport aircraft, developed in the OKB. Ilyushin in the early 1970s. The first in the history of the USSR jet military transport. The aircraft can transport the entire range of military equipment of airborne units and most of the equipment of motorized rifle divisions.

History of IL-76

The first work within the framework of the new military transport aircraft program began in 1966, when the Ministry of Aviation Industry of the USSR instructed the OKB. Ilyushin to study the topic of creating a new generation of heavy military vehicles. A year later, by a decree of the Council of Ministers, the program was officially launched. The work was carried out under the guidance of the Deputy General Designer of the Design Bureau G.V. Novozhilov.

The prototype aircraft made its first flight in 1971 under the control of the crew of the Hero of the Soviet Union E.I. Kuznetsov, flying over the Central Airfield. Frunze to the Ramenskoye airfield. In the same year, it was first presented at the Le Bourget air show.

In 1973, the first flight of the serial IL-76, assembled at the Tashkent Aviation Plant named after. Chkalov, where it was later produced. In total, about 1000 units were manufactured.

Il-76 design

The aircraft was built according to the traditional high-wing scheme for heavy transport aircraft with a swept wing and a single-fin T-tail. The wing of the aircraft is trapezoidal with a fracture along the trailing edge. The wing consoles are equipped with advanced mechanization, including five-section slats, two three-slotted flaps and four brake flaps. In addition, to improve controllability, the ailerons are made in two sections. On the tail fin there is a rudder with a trim tab.

The fuselage, round in section, is divided into several pressurized cabins: the cockpit (at the top of the nose of the fuselage), the navigator's cockpit (under the cockpit), the cargo cabin and the cockpit of the gunner of the aft gun mount (on military modifications). In front of the fuselage there are two hatches. In the stern there is a three-leaf rear cargo hatch with a ramp. The floor of the cargo compartment is equipped with roller tracks, which makes it possible to load, unload and land non-self-propelled monocargoes.
Four D-30KP jet engines are mounted on pylons under the wing. On the extreme versions of the Il-76, the engines were replaced by PS-90A-76 with increased thrust. The location of the APU is unusual for many aircraft - in front of the left landing gear fairing.

Chassis five-bearing, multi-wheeled, retractable into the fuselage. The nose gear has 4 tubeless wheels. Wheels brake when cleaning. The main landing gear consists of front and rear pillars. Each of the four racks has 4 chamber wheels.

Video of IL-76: Takeoff video from Bagram airfield

Il-76 modifications

The IL-76 has become a convenient platform for a variety of modifications of both serial military and commercial aircraft, and special machines made in single copies. In total, you can count several dozen different versions of the aircraft.
The latest version of the aircraft is a deep modernization of the aircraft. It is being built by the Ulyanovsk Aviation Plant Aviastar-SP, which is part of the UAC.

Application of IL-76

Il-76 of various modifications is the main aircraft of the military transport aviation of Russia and Ukraine. It is also in service with the air forces of the CIS countries, Algeria, India, Jordan, Iran, Iraq, China, Libya, North Korea and Syria.
Aircraft of military transport modifications took part in all military conflicts starting from Afghanistan, and later on the territory of the former USSR. Aircraft showed their high efficiency there. Numerous commercial companies use civilian modifications for transportation.
On November 28, 2010, 63 aircraft were lost as a result of catastrophes and serious accidents, of which 14 aircraft were lost as a result of hostilities.

Geometric characteristics

Wingspan 50.5 m

Aircraft length 46.6 m

Height of the aircraft in the parking lot 14.76 m

Fuselage length 43.25 m
Midsection diameter 4.8 m
Extension 9

Cargo cabin length without ramp 20 m
The length of the cargo compartment with a ramp (up to the hermetic partition) 24.5 m
Cargo cabin width 3.45 m
Cargo cabin height 3.4 m

Ramp length 5 m
Ramp width (operational) 3.45 m
Parking ramp angle 14°
Height from the ground to the floor of the cargo compartment 2.2 m

Wing

Area without flow (along the base trapezoid) 300 m 2
The angle of the transverse V wing - 3 °
Profiles TsAGI P - 151

MAR 6.436 m
Distance from the leading edge to the beginning of the MAR 18.141

Mounting angle of attack: on board 3°

end 0°
Geometric twist - 30
1/4 chord sweep angle 25°
Relative profile thickness, %:

along the fuselage (0.095 z = 2.4 m) 12.9

0.45 z = 11.4 m 10.9

Relative profile curvature, %:

along the fuselage (0.095 z) 0.8

Deflection angle:

inboard flaps 43°

outer flaps 40°
slats 25°
aileron up - 28°
down +16°

trimmers ±15°
servo compensators up 30°

down 20°
spoilers:

in braking mode 20°
in aileron mode 20°

brake flaps 40°

horizontal tail

span 17.4 m

Area 63 m2

PB area 17.2 m2

1/4 chord sweep angle 30°

Stabilizer Deflection Angle:

for pitching - 8°
dive +2°

Deflection angle RV: for cabling 21°

dive 15°

Trimmer deflection angle - Fletner RV:

as trimmer up 4°

as a flatner up 50

vertical tail

Area 49.6 m2

PH area 15.6 m2

1/4 chord sweep angle 38°

PH deflection angle in flight ± 27°

on the ground ± 28°

Trimmer deflection angle RN ±10°
Deflection angle of servo compensator RN:
in flight ±20°
on the ground ±15°

Chassis track on outer wheels 8.16 m
Chassis base (from nose to rear main wheels) 14.17 m
Angle of deviation of the wheels of the front support:

when taxiing + 500

during takeoff - landing + 70

Engines

The distance from the plane of symmetry of the aircraft to

motor axis:

internal 6.35

external 10.6

Height from ground to engine 2.55 m

Aircraft parking angle (G=170t , SACH==30%) 0.85°

Cruising speed km/h

Ferry range 10000 km

practical ceiling (km) temperature +15°:

Aircraft restrictions

Weight restrictions

Max-dop cargo weight on the ramp (including the weight

container), kg 5000

NOTE:

1. Transportation of cargo on a ramp weighing 5 tons is allowed only in containers UAK-5 or UAK-5A on aircraft, the ramps of which are equipped with mooring units for securing these containers.

2. When installing a load weighing from 2 to 5 tons on a ramp, the excess pressure in the cargo compartment must be reduced to the values ​​\u200b\u200bspecified in Table. 6.8.3 M.

Centering restrictions

extreme anterior 20% SAH

extreme posterior 40% MA

Limitations when flying at high angles of attack

M 0.54 0.6 0.7 0.74 0.77

adop 15° 13.5° 11° 10° 9°

Flight altitude limitation

Maximum flight altitude depending on the flight weight:

Height, m ​​9012100

Weight, t > 123

Permissible range of maneuvering overloads in flight

Weight Mechanization removed Mechanization released

170 t - 0.3...+2.0 +0.2...+1.7

170 tons and more - 0.3...+1.8 +0.2... +1.5

Maximum allowable overloads when flying in a turbulent atmosphere

G aircraft 180

nu max add 2.9 2.6 2.4 2.2 2.1

By wind speed:

Wind speed maximum oncoming 25 m/s

Maximum wind speed while taxiing

(boosters on, rudders and ailerons unlocked) 15 m/s

Lateral component at an angle of 90° to the runway axis:

dry runway 12 m/s

wet runway 7 m/s

Tailwind maximum wind component 5 m/s

By minimum aircraft

A. Minimum for takeoff

B. Minimum for landing

NOTE:

1. The minimums are applied in the presence of ZAR, the flight time to which from the departure aerodrome does not exceed 2 hours. In this case, an aerodrome is taken as a ZAR, on which the actual and forecast weather conditions are not lower than the minimum for landing on it. In the absence of a ZAR, a decision to take off is made if the weather conditions at the departure aerodrome are not worse than the minimum for landing on it.

2. A minimum of 200 m is applied when s=0.5 and the side wind component is not more than half of the prev. add. takeoff values.

Minimum allowable speeds and stall speeds:

Operating speeds

IAS limits

and number M

The maximum allowable speed in conditions

normal operation (Vmax e), km/h 600

The same when the remaining fuel is less than 5000 kg. 550

Maximum allowable speed with released

landing gear (including emergency descent), km/h 600

The maximum allowable number M of flight 0.77

The maximum allowable flight speeds with the released

wing mechanization, km/h:

slats deflected by

slats deflected by

flaps deflected to

flaps deflected to

flaps deflected to

speed with mechanization released at entry

landing with a weight exceeding the maximum

landing, km/h

flaps deflected to

flaps deflected to

Maximum speed when extending and retracting the landing gear

in normal operation, km/h 370

For the Il-76TD aircraft, the maximum allowable

landing gear release speed when landing with weight,

exceeding the maximum landing 390

Maximum allowable release speed

landing gear for emergency descent, km/h 500

Maximum speed with emergency release

chassis, km/h 350

The maximum allowable speed when idle

yaw and roll dampers, km/h 500

The maximum allowable rotation of the steering wheel at

IAS over 450 km/h ½ stroke

steering wheel

Maximum allowable ground speeds according to conditions

strength of tire tires of chassis wheels, km/h For runway

takeoff 330

landing 280

Maximum allowable ground speed

braking start, km/h 240

The maximum allowable speed when issued

brake pads, km/h 250

The maximum allowable wind speed of any

locked rudders, m/s 25

Minimum allowable indicated speed

when flying at flight level, km/h 370

Other restrictions

Maximum allowable operating differential pressure

in cabins, kg/cm2 0.5 + 0,02

The maximum allowable pressure drop in the cabins,

limited by safety valves, kg/cm2 0.57

Maximum allowable negative difference

pressure in cabins, kg/cm2 0.04

The maximum allowable continuous load on

generator, A 167

The minimum required runway width for a turn with

minimum radius (13.5-15 m) 40 m.

The maneuver is limited to:

Bank angle 300

On visual approach:

at altitudes over 100 m. no more than 300

at heights less than 100 m. no more than 150

ACS restrictions

Minimum flight altitude:

When flying along a route in mode

automatic control 400 m.

When landing in automatic

and director control modes 60 m.

Max additional number M with AT on 0.74

Centering range at autom. sunset 26 - 36% SAH

Max additional roll when the ACS is turned on + 50

When operating the ACS, it is forbidden to turn on the APS and use the “NORM - BOLT” switch.

Fuel consumption

In climb 15 t/h

H=9100 m. 9.0 t/h

Н=10100 m. 8.4 – 8.5 t/h

H=10600 m. 8.0 t/h

Н=11100 m. 7.2 – 7.5 t/h

H=11600 m. 7.0 and less

On the decline 5.5 – 6.0 t/h

Per circle (12") 1.2 t

30" flight on Hkr 3.0 t

Non-producible balance per group of tanks:

Automatic - 2.0 t

Manual - 1.0 t

Takeoff and landing is prohibited if:

Ksc< 0,3;

The runway is covered with a layer of ice;

Water thickness on the runway > 10mm;

Dry snow thickness on the runway > 50 mm;

Slush thickness > 12 mm;

Ubok more than the limit, at:

Kst ³ 0.5 12 m/s

0,4 < Ксц < 0,5 10 м/с

0,3 < Ксц £ 0,4 7 м/с.

ANZ (kg) depending onGtpos and D to ZAR

The Il-76MD-90A heavy transport aircraft is a deeply modernized version of the well-established Il-76MD aircraft, which was produced in the Republic of Uzbekistan at the Tashkent Aviation Enterprise named after. Chkalov. The new flight and navigation complex, automatic control system, communication complex and glass cockpit meet all modern requirements for aircraft avionics and significantly increase flight safety and aircraft navigation accuracy. The replacement of standard D-30KP2 engines with much more modern PS-90A-76, the installation of a modified wing and reinforced landing gear significantly expand the operational capabilities of the aircraft.

Development: PJSC "Aviation Complex named after. S.V. Ilyushin, Russia

The Il-76MD-90A heavy transport aircraft is designed for interregional cargo transportation. Also, IL-76MD-90A can be used to transport the sick and wounded and extinguish area fires.

The maximum payload has been increased to 60 tons.
The maximum takeoff weight of the aircraft has been increased to 210 tons.

The aircraft is a high-wing cantilever monoplane with four engines mounted on wing pylons, a T-tail and a five-post landing gear. In the tail section of the fuselage below there is a cargo hatch with a ramp for loading and unloading cargo and equipment and landing.

The aircraft can take off and land on unpaved (with soil density up to 7.5 kg/cm2) and concrete airfields with an altitude of minus 300 to 3000 m above sea level, and fly at any time of the day over land and water areas.

The modernization of the aircraft, which provides for the installation of modern engines, aircraft control systems, a new wing and a reinforced landing gear, significantly expands the operational capabilities of the Il-76MD-90A and increases the accuracy of aircraft navigation and landing.

New generation aircraft

The main design features of the Il-76MD-90A aircraft:

• PS-90A-76 engines are being installed;
• New wing - long panels are used;
• The fuel system is being finalized for the new wing;
• The flight complex "Kupol-III-76M" with on-screen display is being installed;
• A digital SAU-76 is being installed;
• An integrated electronic indication and signaling system KSEIS-KN-76 with 8 MFIs is being installed, which provides indication of the parameters of aircraft systems, flight and navigation parameters and ACS-76;
• Aircraft systems are being finalized to install the PS-90 A-76 engine and provide indication and control;
• APU TA-12A is installed

Installation of modern engines of the fourth generation PS-90A-76 can significantly increase the operational efficiency of the aircraft due to:

• reduction of specific fuel consumption by 12%
• flight range increase by 18%
• reducing direct operating costs
• the possibility of operation from high-altitude airfields and in conditions of high temperatures
• noise level and emission compliance with modern ICAO standards

Cockpit and flight and navigation complex

The principle of the "glass" cockpit is implemented on the aircraft. The cockpit is equipped with eight multifunctional LCD displays and three intelligent control panels. The cockpit glazing provides a good view from the workplaces of the pilots and navigator. On the Il-76MD-90A aircraft, the Kupol-III-76M flight and navigation complex is installed, which provides a solution to the problems of aircraft navigation and is intended for:

ensuring work with navigation databases, including the global database: when preparing a flight plan, when flying en route, when maneuvering in the airfield area and landing approach (SID / STAR, APPR);

automation of solving problems of aircraft navigation with the provision of automated flight along a programmed trajectory using autonomous and non-autonomous correction tools;

ensuring the prevention of collision of aircraft in the air;

automatic landing in category II on airfields equipped with landing aids corresponding to category II ICAO;

detection, recognition using a weather navigation radar and displaying on a complex indicator of the navigation situation of meteorological formations in horizontal and vertical sections, including a four-color indication of the intensity of precipitation and the presence of turbulence in accordance with the recommendations of ARINC-708A, detection of mountain peaks, large cities, detection of oncoming aircraft by a passive method , detection and tracking of RLMO, provision of inter-aircraft navigation mode;

ensuring automated control of the complex on the ground and in flight.

Characteristic

General Geometric Data

Characteristics of the turbojet bypass engine PS-90A-76

Number of engines	4
Degree of bypass	4,4
Thrust, kgf
maximum mode	14500
maximum boost	16000
cruising	3300
reverse thrust mode (reverse)	3600
ICAO Compliance	item 16, Ch.IV
Specific fuel consumption in cruising mode, kg/kgf h	0,59

Mass characteristics

flight data

Cargo cabin dimensions

Aircraft resource

The Il-76 military transport aircraft (according to NATO classification, Candid - “direct, sincere”) has been the main heavy military transport aircraft of the Russian Armed Forces from the moment it was put into service until today. It became the first military transport aircraft in the history of the Soviet Union with turbojet engines and was initially capable of carrying cargo weighing 28-60 tons over a distance of 3600-4200 km at a cruising speed of 770-800 km/h. Over the decades of its successful operation, more than 950 aircraft of various modifications for military, civil and special purposes were built. The IL-76 was conceived as a transport aircraft that was supposed to replace the An-12 and An-8 aircraft. He laid the foundation for the use of jet aircraft to carry out transport and landing missions. Work on the creation of the aircraft took place under the guidance of Deputy General Designer Genrikh Novozhilov (on July 28, 1970, he was appointed General Designer of the Design Bureau of the Moscow Strela Engineering Plant, now the Aviation Complex named after S. V. Ilyushin). The first prototype of the Il-76 appeared in early 1971. Its roll-out took place at the famous Khodynka, the central airfield of Moscow, located just six kilometers from the Kremlin. The first flight was to be carried out from here, which was resisted by numerous officials who were worried about the safety of the capital, its inhabitants and the first persons of the state, over whose heads the brand new Il-76 was supposed to take off for the first time. However, the military, primarily the commander of the Airborne Forces, General Army Hero of the Soviet Union Vasily Margelov, under whose direct supervision the work on the new aircraft was going on, convinced everyone that the flight was safe, since the machine was absolutely reliable. In May of the same year, the Il-76 was demonstrated to the country's leaders at the Vnukovo airfield near Moscow, and then presented at the XXIX International Aviation and Space Salon in Paris, where it made a splash. years in Uzbekistan from the airfield of the Aviation Production Association named after. V.P. Chkalov, where its production was launched. The first Il-76 aircraft began to enter service with the 339th Military Transport Order of Suvorov III degree air regiment stationed in Vitebsk, Belarus. Here, on the basis of the regiment, the first tests on its combat use were carried out. The first modifications of the Il-76 had a take-off weight of 170 tons, a payload of 28 tons and a flight range with a maximum load of 4200 km. However, gradually, in the course of further modernization, the takeoff weight of the Il-76 increased to 190 tons, and the carrying capacity - up to 60 tons. was 115). The Il-76 accommodated three airborne combat vehicles BMD-1, which could be transported in both landing and parachute landing options. Compared to turboprop aircraft, the Il-76 had a significantly expanded range of flight speeds - from 260 to 825 km / h, which made it possible to reduce the time for completing combat missions, raised the possibility of overcoming enemy air defenses, and also improved the conditions for landing personnel and military equipment.
*** On the IL-76, in comparison with its predecessors, all the main characteristics were significantly improved: radio communications, navigation, flight, airborne transport equipment and weapons. When designing the Il-76 aircraft, one of the most difficult problems was to determine the optimal dimensions of the fuselage, its configuration, as well as the location of the cargo hatch, which would most effectively meet the operating conditions of the aircraft. The size of the cargo compartment, due to the wide variety of goods and equipment transported, was the most difficult problem that the creators of the aircraft had to solve. The length of the cargo compartment - 20 m (excluding the ramp) - was determined from the condition of placing six standard 2.44x2 air containers in it, 44x2.91 m (or three containers 2.44x2.44x6.06 m) and various types of equipment, taking into account the installation of two loading winches in the front of the cargo compartment, the workplace of the on-board technician for airborne equipment and the presence of a transverse passage of sufficient width. The total length of the cargo compartment with an inclined cargo ramp, which simultaneously serves as a ladder for the entry of equipment, is 24.5 m. The space under the floor of the cargo compartment is used for auxiliary cargo compartments to accommodate various equipment. The rear fuselage became no less of a problem. It was designed with an inclined cargo hatch through which it would be possible to drop heavy bulky cargo, as well as military equipment by parachute stall, both on platforms and without them. After studying the layout options for various foreign and Soviet transport aircraft, the designers chose a configuration of the rear fuselage that could provide free and fast loading of the aircraft from the tail and the same free exit of cargo during their parachute landing. To do this, the design of the IL-76 had to seriously work on strengthening the rigidity of the rear fuselage.
*** In addition, a number of know-how was applied to the IL-76, which gives this aircraft advantages over other similar ones. So, for example, the forward part of the fuselage, where the cockpit was located, was divided into the upper one, which accommodates two pilots, a flight engineer and a flight radio operator, and the lower one, where the navigator is located with a complex of flight and navigation equipment. Behind the cockpit there is a technical compartment with equipment, an additional folding seat for the flight operator for airborne transport equipment and places for crew rest. A big advantage of the IL-76 is that the cockpit and cargo cabin of the aircraft are sealed. Due to this, up to a flight altitude of 6700 m, normal atmospheric pressure is maintained there, and at an altitude of 11,000 m, the pressure in the cabins corresponds to a flight altitude of 2400 m. Another important feature of the IL-76 is its landing gear and wheels, equipped with highly efficient brakes of high energy intensity. The wheels of the front support can be rotated by 50 degrees to ensure the turn of the aircraft on a strip 40 m wide.
Initially, the Il-76 was equipped with four D-30KP engines, providing the aircraft with a high thrust-to-weight ratio. Moreover - which is important for aircraft maintenance - the engines on the pylons under the wing are located in such a way that they can be interchanged. As for the fuel system, on the IL-76 it was initially distinguished by simplicity and high reliability. The fuel was placed in the caisson wing tanks, divided into four groups according to the number of engines. Each group of tanks had a consumable compartment, from which fuel was automatically supplied to the engine without additional switching of tanks in the process of fuel depletion. At the time of the creation of the aircraft, its control system also had a number of features. One of the main ones is the ability to switch from booster control to manual. This ensured reliable control of the aircraft in the event of failure of all engines during landing, which significantly increased flight safety. The complex of its onboard airborne transport equipment was also unique on the IL-76. He not only significantly expanded the range of transported goods, including long and large equipment, standard land and sea containers of international standard, but also ensured their quick loading and unloading without the use of special ground equipment. Moreover, all these tasks could now be solved equally effectively when operating the aircraft both in the central air harbors and at remote, poorly equipped airfields of the country. Special equipment was also created for the landing tasks, which made it possible to significantly reduce the time when it was transferred from traveling to working position. It consisted of side and central sections of the seats, cables for the forced opening of parachutes, separators and interrupters of the flow of paratroopers and side protective panels covering the paratroopers on the ramp during landing. Thanks to this equipment, the opening of the paratroopers' stabilizing parachutes took place in the opening of the cargo hatch, but outside the ramp, which made it possible to exclude possible hooks or gusts of the stabilizing devices. And the side doors protected the paratroopers from the oncoming flow and allowed them to safely leave the plane.
*** By the mid-1980s, the Il-76 became the main aircraft of the VTA (about 50% of the aircraft fleet). The main test for the IL-76 was the war in Afghanistan. Since 1985, the main volume of traffic to this country was carried out on Il-76 aircraft (89% of personnel and 74% of cargo), which were most protected from the effects of enemy air defense. In total, during the war years, the BTA carried out more than 26,900 flights to Afghanistan, of which 14,700 accounted for Il-76 aircraft. In addition, the Il-76 opened up new possibilities for delivering various cargoes to hard-to-reach places. Including drifting research stations in the Arctic Ocean. Since 1982, high-latitude air expeditions have been repeatedly carried out to deliver cargo to drifting stations. During these expeditions, specialists from the OKB im. S. V. Ilyushin developed a new method of landing cargo on parachute-cargo systems using gravity (dropping cargo in climb mode), which today is quite often used in solving problems of cargo delivery in extreme situations.
World records set on IL-76- On April 4, 1975, Soviet paratroopers left the aircraft at an altitude of 15,386 m and flew in free fall 14,780 m. The commander of the aircraft crew was Major General S. G. Dedukh. Honored Test Pilot of the USSR Hero of the Soviet Union Ya. I. Bernikov in flight with a load of 70,121 kg reached an altitude of 11,875 m. On the same day, the crew of Honored Test Pilot A. M. Tyuryumin showed a record average speed flight 857.657 km / h with a load of 70 tons at a distance of 1000 km, and with a load of 70 tons at a distance of 2000 km, a record average speed of 856.697 km / h was achieved. - On October 26, 1977, Soviet paratroopers set two world records - a single jump from a height of 15,760 meters and a free fall to a height of 960 m and a group jump from a height of 14,846 meters - a free fall to a height of 631 m. - On October 27 of the same year, another women's world record was set - the parachutist left the RT of the Il-76 aircraft at an altitude of 14,974 m and flew in free fall to a height of 574 m. The crew commander in these flights was A. M. Tyuryumin.

The muezzin's long cry called to prayer. Faithful Muslims began the ceremony. Everyone, except for the captured Russian pilots, who continued technical work on the aircraft. The guards had long been accustomed to the resigned captives and paid no attention to their work. Therefore, they were surprised when the plane began to take off on the runway. A minute later, the car soared into the sky and disappeared over the horizon.

Thus ended captivity in 378 days for seven Russian pilots. Soon the Motherland solemnly welcomed the Heroes. But there was another participant in this story who deserved no less honors. His name is IL-76TD board RA-76842.

Story

In the early 60s of the last century, an urgent need arose for a modern military transport aircraft in the armed forces of the Soviet Union. The one in service, although it was the world's largest turboprop military transport aircraft and coped well with its duties, needed the strong support of a jet brother.

In a tense world situation, army mobility acquired tremendous tactical and strategic importance.

In 1966, the famous Ilyushin aircraft design bureau received an order from the USSR Ministry of Aviation Industry for the design of a new transport aircraft that also met military requirements.

Famous aircraft designer. Creator of world-famous military, transport and passenger aircraft, laureate of seven (!) Stalin Prizes, Colonel General.

At the end of February 1967, a promising technical design of the Il-76 aircraft was ready and approved by the leadership of the design bureau. The direct leadership was entrusted to Ilyushin's deputy - G.V. Novozhilov.

- the most famous Soviet aircraft designer, doctor of technical sciences. Subsequently - the head of Ilyushin Design Bureau.

At the end of November 1967, the creation of a new aircraft project started. A full-size mock-up was created, on which all the nodes of the future vehicle were checked, options for placing combat landing units and military equipment were reproduced. The work was supervised by Pakilev G.N., General of Aviation of the USSR, Deputy Commander of the Air Force.

The famous machine-building plant "Strela" in Moscow produced the first prototype of the legendary machine in the future. Technical work was completed in the spring of 1971, and on March 25, a test flight took place for the first time. The board was piloted by the famous pilot Eduard Ivanovich Kuznetsov.

Already in mid-May 1971, the latest military transport aircraft demonstrated its capabilities to the general public at the aviation forum in Le Bourget (France), where it received the highest marks from specialists.

Further tests were carried out near Novgorod in the military units of the cities of Pskov, Krechevitsy, Vitebsk-Severny. There he entered the service in the Air Force of the Soviet Union.

Serial production has begun. One of the newest aircraft factories in Tashkent provided the runway for the first production Il-76 in May 1973. Subsequently, approximately 1000 aircraft were built in Tashkent, of which over a hundred were exported.

In the 2000s, due to political and economic reasons, the production of the Il-76 was transferred to Russia, to the city of Ulyanovsk, where in 2012 the serial Il-76MD aircraft was produced.

Design features

In accordance with the generally accepted scheme of practical aerodynamics of transport aircraft, the basis of the machine is a round fuselage in section, with a high wing arrangement (high-wing) and a “T” - shaped tail. The wing is provided with the most advanced (at that time) mechanization, the stabilizer is installed in the upper part of the keel, which is equipped with a rudder.

The aircraft has a trapezoidal shape of wings, characteristic of this class of aircraft, which are swept at an angle of 25 degrees.

The fuselage is structurally divided into 4 parts: the cabins of the first and second pilots (adjacent), the navigation cabin is located under them in isolation, the cargo compartment and the cockpit of the pilot-gunner (on military modifications).

In the aft part, the fuselage is equipped with an automatic three-leaf cargo hatch with a lower part - a ramp, adapted for landing personnel, military equipment and their ground descent. Designed in the nose: hatch for emergency exit of the crew, maintenance hatch for access to the surface of the aircraft fuselage and wings.

The cargo compartment is equipped with 2 winches with a carrying capacity of up to two and a half thousand kilograms and roller tracks for cargo lacking mobility.

The power plant is represented by four turbojet engines suspended on pylons in pairs under the wing panels. Initially, the D-30KP-1 and D-30KP-2 were used, with a thrust of 11-12,000 kgf (kilogram / force), respectively. Modern representatives of the class use PS-90A-76 with a thrust of 14,500 kgf.

The chassis of the IL-76 is of a special design. The aircraft is equipped with a multi-wheel landing gear with five automatically retractable legs. There are four tubeless wheels on the front support.

This stand is swivel for taxiing. The rear struts of the main landing gear are located in pairs on the left and right sides at the bottom (on the "belly") of the fuselage and are equipped with four wheels with chambers, each. They originally hide inside the plane after takeoff. The landing gear is adapted for takeoff from both concrete and unpaved runways.

The fuel system is represented by 12 fuel tanks located in the internal cavities of the wings (6 in each), grouped separately by 3 for each engine (main, additional, reserve). The tanks are separated from each other by hermetic partitions. The fuel system has its own active and passive fire extinguishing means.

The power supply system ensures the operation of the lighting equipment of the cockpits, tail section, landing and taxiing lights, navigation lights, internal signaling, instrumentation and navigation equipment. Synchronizes the operation of all aircraft systems.

Fire protection system:

• Stationary (PPS) - to detect, signal and eliminate engine ignitions;
• Structural, including refractory partitions, lining and drainage cavities;
• Manual fire extinguishers for the crew to eliminate local fires;
• Neutral gas system - to protect fuel tanks from gunshot damage when participating in combat operations. The essence of the work is the filling of neutral gas produced by a special generator from the air during fuel combustion, the cavities formed in the fuel tanks, as the fuel is consumed.

Automatic control system (ACS)

Responsible for automatic piloting along the selected route from an altitude of 200 meters to the maximum flight altitude. Used in horizontal, climb and descent modes.

Stabilizes speed, climb and automates landing approach up to a height of 60 meters.

Includes:

• Dual autopilot;
• Dual automatic traction;
• Dual stabilizer shifter;
• Damper (device for eliminating vibrations) roll;
• Dual damper yaw (yaw);
• TIVS (True Airspeed Unit) controls the vehicle's top speed.

The fixation of the fundamental parameters of the flight, the operation of engines, other equipment systems is carried out by means of the onboard system for recording flight modes. The crew's conversations are recorded by the MS-61B voice recorder. A three-component recorder is responsible for registering the indicated speed, overload.

Armament and basic flight characteristics

In order to protect in combat flight conditions, aft paired installation of double-barreled guns GSh-23 (the abbreviation GSh means the first letters of the creators of Gryazev-Shipunov), caliber - 23mm, is installed in the tail. The fire is controlled from the pilot-gunner's seat by means of optical or radar sighting equipment.

The system of defensive weapons also includes installations of passive interference, resetting reflectors and means of infrared countermeasures (to divert missiles with infrared guidance to the target), the so-called decoy thermal targets (LTTs).

Air bombs weighing up to 500 kg, radio beacons on four beam holders can be suspended from the aircraft.

• Crew 5-7 people;
• Length (total) - 46.7 m;
• Wingspan - 50.5 m;
• The area of ​​the bearing surface of the wing, excluding the influx of the center section - 300 square meters;
• Maximum takeoff weight - 210 tons;
• The weight of an empty aircraft is about 89 tons;
• Maximum load capacity up to 60 tons;
• Fuel supply - up to 110 thousand liters;
• Cruise speed up to 850 km/h;
• Flight range at maximum load - 4 thousand km;
• The number of paratroopers in full armament is 126 fighters.

On a global scale, the IL-76 has no analogues. The most similar character in terms of characteristics is the American Globemaster III (marking C-17) - a military transport aircraft of the Boeing concern, which became the heir to the fame of the famous Douglas during the Second World War (after the merger of McDonnell Douglas and Boeing in the mid-90s of the last century). This board has similar flight characteristics and is used in strategic operations. But only about 300 of these beautiful aircraft were produced.

There is also a modern Chinese project "Yun-20", controlled by only three crew members. In the remaining (most important) characteristics, they correspond to the original.

Modifications

There are more than 40 modifications of the IL-76 (including export versions). Of the whole series, special attention deserve:

• IL-76MD - a fire truck capable of carrying containers with fire extinguishing liquid weighing 42 tons (the record is over 75);
• IL-76LL - prepared for testing aircraft equipment and engines in flight conditions;
• IL-76MD "Scalpel", a mobile hospital, with everything necessary for complex surgical operations and subsequent therapy;
• Il-76MDK "Cosmos", designed for training astronauts in zero gravity;
• Il-76TD "Antarctica" aircraft equipped for the conditions of the Far North.

Military options: Il-78 (air tanker), A-50 (radar reconnaissance and control), A-60 (adapted for testing laser weapons).

We do not stand still

After studying the positive and negative aspects of various modifications, the Il-76M project (modified) was proposed. It differed from the original in cruising speed, flight ceiling and fuel consumption.

After the transfer of production to Ulyanovsk, work began on the modernization of the existing Il-76M model. Thanks to the efforts of the designers and taking into account the shortcomings of previous models, the Il-76MD was designed, which differed already in terms of operating time.

At present, the production of the latest modification of the remarkable aircraft, the Il-76MD-90A, which is being developed as project 476, has been launched.

Significant changes have been made to the on-board equipment, cabin designs and electronic support of the machine. The designers have done a lot of work to improve the interior trim of the side. More modern and convenient conditions have been created for the transportation of military equipment and personnel of the landing units.

Application

Beautiful and peaceful, even in appearance, the Il-76 air transport vehicle began its journey by extinguishing fires and combat readiness checks in large-scale military exercises. This was followed by the war in Afghanistan, where the "Ilys" proved to be excellent carriers of the necessary cargo and the delivery of landing units. They were distinguished by good protection and, basically, inaccessibility to portable Stinger missiles.

Subsequently, he continued his course, necessary for people, collecting refugees, victims and delivering essential products to the most needy parts of the globe.

In addition to the story of the heroic escape of Russian pilots from Afghan captivity in 1996, "76" has repeatedly become a hero and "anti-hero" of the media. What is most interesting is that almost all known disasters that happened to the Il-76 and its modifications occurred in 1996. The black dots on the map are:

• Kinshasa (Congo);
• Delhi (India);
• Belgrade (Serbia);
• Abakan (Russia);
• Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky (Yelizovo airport).

The last tragic incident occurred with a Ukrainian Air Force aircraft landing at Lugansk airport in June 2014, with military cargo on board. The Il-76MD aircraft was shot down by anti-aircraft gunners of the Armed Forces of the Luhansk People's Republic.

Conclusion

The wonderful Il-76 aircraft, like many other equipment created in the Soviet Union, was manufactured as a transport vehicle to perform many necessary tasks. No need to dig into volumes of aviation textbooks to see a powerful air giant pouring tons of water on burning forests - turn on the news!

How many tons of humanitarian cargo were transported by "silts" to different parts of the World! From Syria to Brazil to Japan! And even now some IL-76 is carrying medicines or transporting victims of the disaster.

But, a reliable comrade and a good friend becomes a powerful fighting force against the aggressors, no matter which side they come from. The fighting in the deserts of the Arabian Peninsula clearly confirms this.

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