Ilyushin Il-62

Ilyushin · Soviet Union · first flew 1963 · airliner

The Ilyushin Il-62 is a Soviet long-haul airliner with four engines paired on the rear fuselage and a T-tail, once the largest jet airliner in the world.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, swept
E — Engines4 × turbofan, fuselage-mounted
F — FuselageFour engines paired on the rear fuselage
T — TailT-tail

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Unmistakable for its four engines clustered in pairs on the rear fuselage, a tall T-tail and a long, clean swept wing entirely free of engine pods.

Specifications

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

History

First flown on 3 January 1963, the Il-62 entered Aeroflot service in 1967 as the Soviet Union's first long-range intercontinental jetliner. Its distinctive rear-engine, clean-wing layout echoed the British VC10, and it served flag-carrier and government roles across the Eastern Bloc for many years.

Variants

The improved Il-62M introduced more efficient Soloviev D-30KU engines, greater range and revised systems, becoming the definitive production version over the original Il-62.

Where you'll see it

The Il-62 was not operated by UK carriers and was an uncommon sight in Britain, appearing mainly on occasional Eastern Bloc charter or diplomatic flights rather than in scheduled UK service.

Related aircraft

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