Ilyushin Il-46

Ilyushin · Soviet Union · first flew 1952 · bomber

The Ilyushin Il-46 was a Soviet twin-jet medium bomber prototype developed in the early 1950s to succeed the Il-28, featuring a swept wing and paired turbojet engines. It lost a competition to the Tupolev Tu-16 and never entered production.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	2 × turbojet, wing-mounted
F — Fuselage	25.33 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Soviet swept-wing jet bomber prototype that competed with Tu-16
Twin turbojets in wing-root nacelles
Larger and heavier than the Il-28 it was intended to replace

A large, gracefully swept twin-jet aircraft with engines in distinct underwing nacelles, a glazed nose bombardier position, and a single fin; similar in concept to the Tu-16 but with a narrower fuselage and different engine arrangement.

Specifications

The Ilyushin Il-46 has a length of 25.33 m (83 ft).
It has a wingspan of 29 m (95 ft).
Its maximum speed is 928 km/h (577 mph).
Typical crew: 4.

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

History

First flown in 1952, the Il-46 demonstrated good performance and bomb capacity but was judged inferior overall to the Tupolev Tu-16 Badger. The decision to proceed with the Tu-16 ended the Il-46 programme, though the design provided Ilyushin with valuable swept-wing experience.

Variants

Only two prototypes were completed; no production variants.

Where you'll see it

Never entered operational service; evaluated only as prototypes within the Soviet aviation establishment.

Related aircraft

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