|
 The Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP close corporation earmarked as UAC’s principal production centre specialising in transport aircraft production is grooming the first Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A (476) aircraft for the kickoff of its flight trials. Under the 20 December 2006 Russian government’s resolution, authorising the development and production of the upgraded Il-76 in Ulyanovsk, Ilyushin 476 was to get a redesigned wing, more powerful and more efficient PS-90A-76 turbofan engines and a modern flight navigation suite.
The construction of the two first Il-76MD-90A prototypes by Aviastar began in 2009, with c/n 01-01 designed for static tests and c/n 01-02 for flight ones. A set of the static test prototype’s structural assemblies – the F2 fuselage section, centre wing section and wing panels – had been manufactured by autumn 2011 and brought to Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region on 1 October for static tests in Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).
15 December 2011 witnessed a ceremony of completion of the 476’s first flying prototype in Ulyanovsk. It had been used for mounting onboard systems and avionics during the subsequent months. The first flying Il-76MD-90A is to be rolled out to Aviastar’s flight testing facility in July. The aircraft is expected to conduct its maiden flight in August 2012.
At the same time, three more aircraft of a low-rate initial production batch entered construction by Aviastar under a contract with UAC – Transport Aircraft in 2010. According to the plant’s Director General Sergei Dementyev, two of them are to be completed in 2013.
The Russian Defence Ministry shall be the launch customer for the production-standard Il-76MD-90A freighters. Early in June 2012, Russian Air Force Military Transport Aviation commander Lt.-Gen. Victor Kachalkin said 40 brand-new Il-76MD-90As were planned to be received by 2020. Potential buyers include the air branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, and further down the line, a number of commercial carriers operating Il-76TDs and interested in updating and beefing up their aircraft fleets might acquire the Il-76TD-90A commercial version. The baseline model is also supposed to be used for deriving the Il-78MD-90 tanker plane and some special-purpose aircraft.
At the same time, RusAF is intent on ordering an upgrade of the in-service Il-76MD freighters and Il-78M tankers. According to Lt.-Gen. Kachalkin, the transport aviation command is to take delivery of about 40 re-engined Il-76MDMs (an upgraded version of the earlier Il-76MD, which is powered by PS-90A-76 engines and equipped with a more advanced avionics suite). The Il-78M tanker plane’s version upgraded in the same manner may be designated as Il-78M2. |
