Ilyushin Il-96
Ilyushin · Soviet Union · first flew 1988 · airliner
The Il-96 is Russia's flagship long-range widebody of the post-Soviet era, a four-engine derivative of the Il-86.
Recognition (WEFT)
| W — Wings | Low-mounted, swept |
|---|---|
| E — Engines | 4 × turbofan, wing-mounted |
| F — Fuselage | Four underwing engines on a wide twin-aisle widebody |
| T — Tail | Conventional |
WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.
Spot it by:
- Four underwing engines on a wide twin-aisle widebody
- Large winglets on a long swept wing
- Conventional low tailplane, not a T-tail
Four engines hung under a long swept wing immediately separate it from twin-engine widebodies. Large winglets and a conventional low-set tailplane help distinguish it from the older, winglet-less Il-86.
Specifications
- The Ilyushin Il-96 has a length of 55.3 m (181 ft).
- It has a wingspan of 60.1 m (197 ft).
- Its maximum speed is 850 km/h (528 mph).
- Typical crew: 3 (2 pilots, 1 flight engineer).
Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.
History
The prototype first flew in September 1988 and the type entered service with Aeroflot in December 1992. Built only in small numbers, it survives today as a rare niche type kept alive largely by Cuba and the Russian state.
Variants
Versions include the baseline Il-96-300, the stretched Western-engined Il-96M, the Il-96T freighter and the later Il-96-400 and -400M family.
Where you'll see it
Never operated by UK carriers, it served with Aeroflot until around 2014 and remains in passenger use with Cuba's Cubana de Aviación. The Russian government also flies it as the presidential aircraft.
Related aircraft
- Ilyushin Il-96-300
- Ilyushin Il-80
- Il-114
- Ilyushin Il-78
- ATR 72
- Boeing 737-400
- Boeing 747-400
- E-8 Joint STARS
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