Vladimir Karnozov

United Aircraft Corporation’s Transport Aircraft division has mated fuselage and outer wing sections of the first Ilyushin Il-96-400M widebody quad jetliner, the company reported on January 10. The press statement comes with photos depicting the airframe in the final assembly shop of VASO plant in Voronezh, Russia. It further indicates that VASO has moved into the next development phase, which includes installation of avionics, other onboard systems, and the interior.

 


“Work on the new Il-96-400M jetliner proceeds on schedule,” said Ilyushin general director Yuri Grudinin, also head of UAC’s Transport Aviation division. “The first operable example shall be complete by the year-end. Following completion of ground trials, it will be submitted to fight testing. The first flight is planned for 2021.” The Il-96-400M follows the Il-96-400T, both featuring a fuselage stretch of 9.65 meters of the tube used in the original Il-96-300. Since the new version is a derivative of the baseline aircraft, developers plan for complimentary type certification.

 


UAC further reported that the Ilyushin design house completed the development of four interior options, work on which it performed with help of a fuselage mockup featuring a full-scale cross-section. The Il-96-400M will seat 305 passengers in a three-class layout or 350 in a dual-class configuration. The third option targets charter airlines with 402 seats in an all-economy layout.

 


UAC stresses that the Il-96-400M will use only locally designed and manufactured components, including “modern avionics and radio navigation systems that meet all current and upcoming local and international requirements.”

 


Although engine developer Aviadvigatel offered the more technologically advanced PS-90A3(M), a derivative of the PS-90A2 certified in 2010, Ilyushin rejected it in favor of PS90A1 turbofans already in service on the Il-96-400T freighter. Later, the Il-96-400M will use a pair of 77,160-pound-thrust PD-35 turbofan under development for the Sino-Russian CRAIC CR929. Plans call for the Il-96’s twin-engine derivative to fly in 2025 and acquire certification two years later. Specifications show a gross weight of 270 tonnes (595,240 pounds) to transport a 41-tonne payload over 5,134 nautical miles.

 


According to non-classified documents available on the Russian state defense orders, the Kremlin has set aside a budget of 10 billion rubles ($163 million) for the construction of the first Il-96-400M, including 7.6 billion rubles for the airframe and onboard systems.

 


Apart from government customers, including the presidential air detachment and defense ministry, the GTLK (Russian acronym for State Transport Lease Corporation) indicated its intent to procure five of the quads by 2023 for subsequent placement with airlines providing scheduled passenger services from Moscow to Vladivostok and Khabarovsk. GTLK has indicated it might eventually&nbsp;take six to eight Il-96-400Ms.

 


Last year, UAC president Yuri Slyusar told a Russian corporate newspaper that in the coming years VASO will assemble up to three Il-96 series aircraft annually. The first Il-96-400M under assembly for test purposes will precede six deliverable airframes set for completion from 2021 to 2024, he added.

News and developments about airplanes, helicopters and unmanned air vehicles used in all varieties of operations, including airlines, military, business, commercial, general aviation and private.

First Ilyushin IL-96-400M Takes Shape

UAC mates the fuselage and outer wing sections of the IL-96 family’s latest iteration.

2024 Corporate Aviation Leadership Summit

Hanneke Weitering

Honda's secretive eVTOL program picks up steam

FAA Greenlights Honda eVTOL Flight Tests

Curt Epstein

News and issues relating to business, corporate and private aviation, primarily regarding turbine-engine-powered airplanes and helicopters. Subjects include aircraft, engines, maintenance, operations, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security, and training.

Some models are seeing high demand, others not so much

Broker: Preowned Cessna Citation Market Remains Mixed

Charles Alcock

New developments at airports including regulations and noise issues; legal disputes; openings, acquisitions and mergers.

News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.

French start-up's new headquarters is located at Rochefort Airport

VoltAero Opens Assembly Facility for Cassio Hybrid-electric Aircraft

News and issues concerning the aviation charter and fractional-ownership industries and markets, including company announcements, regulations, new developments and labor issues.

Austrian start-up says it can produce "the Model T Ford of the sky"

FlyNow Aims For Price Breakthrough With eCopter eVTOL Aircraft

News and issues relating to international air transport and cargo carriers, national airlines and regional airlines, including aircraft, engines, personnel, acquisitions, accidents, safety, security and training.

Airframer is on its way to meeting its delivery forecast following a record Q3

Embraer Executive Jets Sees Record YTD Deliveries

Kerry Lynch

News and issues relating to the aerospace industry that are related to the science, engineering and business of flight in space involving civil, industrial and military applications, and similar topics related to flight in the atmosphere of the Earth that are not covered more directly by other AINonline subject channels. In other words, both astronautical and aeronautical subjects, except for those aeronautical topics that are specifically covered elsewhere on this website.

More In Aircraft

FAA Greenlights Honda eVTOL Flight Tests

Honda's secretive eVTOL program picks up steam

Broker: Preowned Cessna Citation Market Remains Mixed

Some models are seeing high demand, others not so much

VoltAero Opens Assembly Facility for Cassio Hybrid-electric Aircraft

French start-up's new headquarters is located at Rochefort Airport

FlyNow Aims For Price Breakthrough With eCopter eVTOL Aircraft

Austrian start-up says it can produce "the Model T Ford of the sky"

Embraer Executive Jets Sees Record YTD Deliveries

Airframer is on its way to meeting its delivery forecast following a record Q3

NASA X-59 Engine Run Clearing Path to First Flight

First flight has pushed into 2025

AINsight: Due Diligence in Back-to-back Aircraft Transactions

More scrutiny is needed by buyers in back-to-back aircraft deals

Surprise North America Gain Boosts Bizav Flying in October

All regions outside of Europe saw increases in flight activity during the month

AIN Products

SUBSCRIPTIONS

RESOURCES

ABOUT AIN