Country of origin:

Russia

Description:

Long-range multi-purpose heavy military or civil transport

Power Plant:

Four 24,460 lbst Soloviev D-30KP two-shaft turbofans

Specifications:

Armament:

[Some military aircraft] Two 23 mm cannon in radar-directed manned turret at base of tail

History:

The Candid military and civil freighter, as it became known by North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), was designed by the Sergei Ilyushin Bureau under the leadership of Gerikh Novozhilov. The prototype was flown for the first time on 25 March 1971 and was shown to the public for the first time at the Paris Air Show at le Bourget. A further five prototypes and pre-series aircraft were built, deliveries to the Soviet airline Aeroflot beginning in 1976. It was designed to meet the role of transporting 40 tonnes of freight 5,000 km (3,107 miles) in less than six hours to undeveloped areas.

To enable it to land in such areas and small strips, the aircraft had full-span slats, double-slotted trailing-edge flaps and a 20-wheel undercarriage. The cargo hold was 3.46 m (11 ft 4½in) wide, 3.4 m (11 ft 1¾ in) high and 24.5 m (80 ft 4½in) long, including the ramp. The max payload was 40,000 kg (88,185 lb), a crew of six was carried, and fuel capacity was 81,830 litres (18,000 Imp gals).

The Ilyushin Il-76 was initially designed as a commercial freighter in 1967 to replace the Antonov An-12 in eastern bloc countries, being aimed at a market that would permit it to deliver heavy machinery and equipment to remote areas. In addition to employment by many nations in the heavy military transport role, it has met with considerable success with civil freight operators in Europe, Asia and Africa, and has been modified extensively to meet a range of duties. Examples have been used for firefighting, emergency response, and civilian evacuations. It has been seen all over the world being used for delivering humanitarian aid and disaster relief, including operations with United Nations relief agencies.

In July 1975 it was announced that an early production Il-76 operating from Central Airport, Moscow, had established 25 new speed and altitude records with payload, 24 of which were officially recognised by the FAI, the records being achieved during four flights.

More than 960 examples of the Il-76 series have been built over the years in a wide variety of models to meet a range of needs. Examples have regularly visited Antarctic airstrips, alighting on ice runways delivering cargo, with more than 300 such landings being made.

Over the years, and before the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) took delivery of its C-17 Globemaster II transports for long-range heavy lifting and transport of Australian troops, the Australian Department of Defence chartered a variety of transports from around the world, including Antonov An-124s and Ilyushin Il-76s, to convey personnel and equipment overseas, including to Afghanistan and Iraq, the Il-76 being able to take on-board a Bell UH-1 Iroquois. Il-76s, for example, were chartered on a number of occasions in 2002 to transport personnel and supplies in conjunction with ‘Operation Slipper’.

Pacific Express was an Auckland-based cargo operator which, in 1992, operated a Ukrainian Il-76MD, UR-76408 (c/n 0053460820), on global freight operations but the company only operated for about six months before its operating licence was cancelled due to what was described as the poor condition of its aircraft.  One of its aircraft attended the Auckland Air Expo at Auckland International Airport, initially arriving with a Hawker Harrier at Whenuapai. Also in 1992 an Il-76TD (CCCP-76493) visited Auckland.

On 15 March 1993 Pacific Express re-imported the Ukrainian Il-76MD UR-76408 to New Zealand  from Singapore via Brisbane, QLD, where it loaded a shipment of texel and finn sheep, the sheep being delivered to a farm in South Australia, a further shipment being made on 17 March. On 20 March it returned to New Zealand and attended the Wings and Wheels event at Ohakea. On that occasion it was used in an attempt to set a New Zealand record for the greatest number of skydivers linked together. The aircraft was leased from Atlant SV Air Company of Tsentralyn Airport in Simferopol in the Ukraine and had previously operated in Russia as CCCP-76642.

In 1998 an Il-76TD, RA-76786, was one of two operating with Pacific Express in New Zealand, being based there for a short period, attending air shows at RNZAF Ohakea and Parakai.

An Il-76D, RA-76369, visited New Zealand in July 1999 conveying a large amount of cable for a local project and CCCP-76758 was for a period operated by local freight airline HeavyLift on lease from Volga Dnepr.

A firebombing demonstration was carried out by IL-76TD RA-76389 (c/n 1013407212) in February 1989 at Avalon, VIC.

In October 1989 the Russian Government offered two Il-76 firebombers to the Australian Government to assist in dealing with bushfires then rampant in Victoria, each aircraft capable of dropping 42,000 litres (9,239 Imp gals) of retardant in a pass but the offer was not taken up.  The aircraft were able to be filled in ten to twelve minutes and the downpour was described as being akin to heavy rain over an area of 550 metres long by 100 metres wide.

In 1990 the Soviet Prime Minister visited Canberra for discussions with Australian Government officials and arrived on an Ilyushin Il-62M which was accompanied by an Il-76, the latter bringing Soviet officials and vehicles for use by the Prime Minister’s entourage.

The Pacific Express Il-76, RA-76786, attended the Australian International Air Show at Avalon in October 1992.

Many examples have visited this part of the world over the years on freight charters delivering large loads.  4K-AZ16 registered in Azerbaijan and operated by Azal Avia Cargo transported a Eurocopter Tiger helicopter to the Australian International Air Show at Avalon for demonstrations to the Department of Defence, the helicopter later being ordered for the Australian Army.

In October 2003 an inquiry was held by the Australian Government in relation to the use of Il-76s to convey Australian troops to Iraq following complaints by military personnel as to the use of the Il-76, it being said that the aircraft was accident prone. Reports in the press in October that year referred to “a review to determine the risks to defence personnel and equipment transported on these aircraft has been initiated by the chief of the air force” . It was also to “formulate new guidelines for commercial charters for defence missions, and could ban them altogether”.

It was said a soldier serving in the Middle East complained to the Parliamentary Opposition, reporting “How sad to make it through the war without a death, only to have the possibility of death in an ageing Russian aircraft”. It was said the Defence Department had spent more than $40 million of taxpayers’ money on sustainment flights to supply Australian forces in Afghanistan and Iraq between February 2002 and June 2003; and that there had been five significant incidents that year involving Ilyushin Il-76s.

In March 2014 two PLAAF (Chinese Air Force) aircraft arrived in Perth, WA [Serial 21045 – call sign ‘Rescue 802’ and  serial 20541 – call sign ‘Rescue 801’] to operate over the Indian Ocean on behalf of the Chinese Government in the search for the missing Malaysian Airlines Boeing 777-200 (9M-MRO) Flight 370, these aircraft joining Australian, Malaysian and other aircraft over a period of many months in the search.

In June 2018 a Chinese PLAAF Il-76 visited RNZAF bases and took part in ‘Exercise Skytrain 18’ with the RNZAF, being involved in training with a detachment of No 40 Squadron in humanitarian aid and disaster relief, and search-and-rescue operational training.

A new variant of the Il-76MD-90A was developed, this being capable of carrying 126 parachutists or 145 troops in a single-deck configuration or 225 troops in a double-deck configuration, this model being based on the Il-76 airframe and being fitted with Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 turbofan bypass engines, a variant of this being known as the Il-78 ‘Midas’, used for air-to-air refuelling and as a military transport.