Ilyushin Il-102

Ilyushin · Soviet Union · first flew 1982 · fighter

The Ilyushin Il-102 was a Soviet twin-seat armoured close air support aircraft developed as an alternative to the Sukhoi Su-25, featuring a tandem two-seat crew with a rear-facing gunner position for self-defence. Despite comparable performance to the Su-25, it lost the competition and never entered production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	17.5 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Soviet twin-engine armoured close air support jet
Rival to the Su-25 Frogfoot
Rear-facing defensive gun turret behind cockpit

Similar in concept to the Su-25 but larger and with a distinctive second crew position for a rear-facing gunner, the Il-102 has a more angular fuselage and retractable undercarriage compared to the simpler Su-25; its twin engines are mounted in fuselage-side nacelles rather than above the fuselage.

Specifications

The Ilyushin Il-102 has a length of 17.5 m (57 ft).
It has a wingspan of 16.9 m (55 ft).
Its maximum speed is 950 km/h (590 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Developed secretly at Ilyushin through the 1970s and first flying in 1982, the Il-102 remained classified for years. Revealed to the public only in 1992, it had clearly lost the production competition to the Su-25 long before; the end of the Cold War eliminated any remaining prospect of production.

Variants

A single prototype; no variants were developed.

Where you'll see it

Never entered operational service; the sole prototype was eventually displayed publicly after declassification.

Related aircraft

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