Ilyushin Il-12 "Coach"

Ilyushin · Soviet Union · first flew 1945 · airliner

The Ilyushin Il-12 was a Soviet twin-engine piston airliner designed to replace the Lisunov Li-2 (Soviet DC-3) on Aeroflot routes in the late 1940s. It introduced tricycle undercarriage and a pressurised-style fuselage to Soviet domestic aviation.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	2 × piston, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	Rounded fuselage resembling the Douglas DC-3's successor role
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Twin radial-engined Soviet post-war airliner
Low-wing with retractable tricycle undercarriage
Rounded fuselage resembling the Douglas DC-3's successor role

The Il-12 resembles the Douglas DC-3/C-47 in general layout but has a tricycle undercarriage, a more rotund nose, and larger ASh-82 radial engines. The oval cabin windows and the characteristic Soviet airliner nose profile distinguish it.

Specifications

The Ilyushin Il-12 has a length of 21.31 m (70 ft).
It has a wingspan of 31.7 m (104 ft).
Its maximum speed is 407 km/h (253 mph).
Typical crew: 5 + 27–32 passengers.

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

History

First flown in 1945, the Il-12 entered Aeroflot service in 1947 and quickly became the workhorse of Soviet domestic routes. Over 600 were built, serving civil and military operators. It was also widely exported to Eastern Bloc countries and China.

Variants

The Il-12B was the main civil variant; military transport versions designated Il-12T were used by the Soviet Air Force. The Il-14, a significantly improved and pressurised successor, superseded the Il-12 from the mid-1950s.

Where you'll see it

Aeroflot operated Il-12s on domestic routes from 1947 into the 1960s. Soviet military transport aviation used them extensively. China, Poland, Czechoslovakia, and other socialist states flew the type with their national carriers and air forces.

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