Home > Ilyushin Il-86

The aircraft was developed by the Soviet Union; announced in 1971, it first flew on December 22, 1976, and entered commercial sevice in 1980. It was the first wide-body type built in the Soviet Union, and around 120 were built. Initially it was only flown by Aeroflot and, slightly later, China Northern Airlines .

It has good capacity, cargo space and robustness, but since the Soviets at the time lacked any high-bypass turbofan engine, the aircraft had to use four low-bypass turbofans similar to those of the Ilyushin Il-62 (though of somewhat higher power), which have a high fuel consumption. These inferior engines severely limited range compared to Western wide-body jets such as the DC-10 or A300.

It has special built-in airstairs for airports without boarding equipment.

The president of Russia flies in a specially modified Il-86; other airframes of the type have been modified for use in military roles such as airborne early warning and communications support.

General characteristics

• Length: 59.54 m
• Wing span: 48.06 m
• Height: 15.81 m
• Engines: Four Kuznetsov-NK-86 turbofans, 13,000 kg ST each
• Crew: 3
• Number of seats: 234-350 in one class
• Max. take-off weight: 206,000 kg (42,000 kg load)
• Max. landing weight: 175,000 kg
• Cruising speed: 900 km/h
• Max. altitude: 11,000 m
• Operating altitude: 10,500 m
• Range: 5,000 km (3,500 km with full load)