UAC’s Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk has completed mating the first airframe of the Ilyushin Il-78M-90A airtanker. It will be taken out of assembly rig and towed to the final assembly shop later this month. The Russian manufacturer says it is on track for commencement of flight tests as scheduled in August 2016. Two more airtankers are in the making.



The Il-78M-90A is based on the Il-76MD-90A airlifter, the upgraded and re-engined Il-76 that first flew in 2012. So far, four Il-76MD-90As have been flown, including two development prototypes. One of these belongs to the industry. After flights trials, the second aircraft was procured by the Russian air force for crew training, accepted in August 2015 and ferried to the Ivanovo operational and training center in December. The other two have been ferried to Beriev in Taganrog, where they are being converted into special-mission aircraft. Meanwhile, the first of the 39 production airlifters ordered for the Russian air force is in flight test, with hand-over ceremony planned by the year-end.



Aviastar general director Sergei Dementiev told AIN: “The baseline aircraft provides a good platform for an airtanker, the first of which is going to be assembled by year-end. We expect the customer to place orders for a substantial number. Besides, this same platform is good for creation of special-mission aircraft.” Earlier, the Russian MoD indicated a requirement for approximately 40 airtankers.



The airtanker differs from the baseline airlifter in having wing-mounted pylons for UPAZ refueling pods. In addition, the pressurized bulkhead in the rear fuselage has been strengthened. Unlike the older Il-78M/MK airtankers, the new version retains the rear loading ramp, so that it can also be used as an airlifter. The aircraft can carry 167 to 245 soldiers, depending on their armament and personal equipment.



Aviastar has a capacity to make 18 upgraded Il-76 airframes annually. It is the largest aircraft factory in European Russia, occupying 4.5 million sq m. At its peak, Aviastar had a labor force of 40,000. Today it employs 10,000. The plant created 2,000 jobs in 2014 and expects to create 700 to 800 more annually, Dementiev said. “But [finding] qualified staff is likely to continue to be an issue for some time. We are set to increase productivity in order times, chiefly through mastering digital technologies, computer-aided design and manufacture,” he added.



As part of that effort, Aviastar recently acquired a fourth automatic riveting machine from U.S. manufacturer GemCor, supplementing three already installed. A modern conveyer type of final assembly line is being installed for the Il-76MD-90A. “This is one of the seven major modernization programs we are running simultaneously at the plant,” Dementiev said.