A marvel of Soviet engineering: 4 aircraft that are still flying

In the 20th century, civil aviation developed rapidly in the Soviet Union. The air fleet evolved from a wooden biplane to a supersonic civil aircraft. Some aircraft built by Soviet engineers are still in operation in Russia and abroad.

Il-62

The first Soviet turbojet long-range passenger aircraft was developed at the Ilyushin Design Bureau in 1960. The first flight of the Il-2 took place in January 1963. The plane served as the "board number 1" for the leadership of the USSR.

Il-62 characteristics:

• Wingspan - 43.2 m
• Aircraft length - 53.12 m
• Wing sweep angle - 32.5°
• Engine - NK-8-4
• Maximum flight range - 10,000 km
• Cruising speed - up to 850 km/h
• Passenger capacity - 168 people

An-2

The Soviet light multi-purpose aircraft was developed by engineers of OKB-153 under the leadership of aircraft designer Oleg Antonov. Biplane with a guy-wire wing (guy-wire - a thin cable pulled in any direction to connect parts of the structure in a certain position). The An-2 made its first flight in 1947.

An-2 characteristics:

• Wingspan of the upper wing - 18.7 m
• Aircraft length - 12.4 m
• Powerplant - ASH-62IR
• Powerplant power - 1000 hp
• Cruising speed - 236 km/h 
• Flight range - 990 km
• Passenger capacity - 12 people

Yak-40

The world's first three-engine turbojet short-haul passenger aircraft, developed in 1964 at the Yakovlev Design Bureau. The first flight of the Yak-40 took place in 1966. The plane replaced the outdated Il-12, Il-14.

Yak-40 characteristics:

• Length - 20.36 m
• Wingspan - 25 m
• Maximum take-off weight - 17,200 kg
• Powerplant - TRDD AI-25
• Auxiliary power unit - AI-9 GTD
• Cruising speed - 510 km/h
• Flight range with load - 820 km
• Passenger capacity - up to 40 people

Tu-204

Soviet medium-range narrow-body passenger aircraft, developed at the Tupolev Design Bureau to replace the Tu-154. The first flight of the Tu-204 took place in 1989. Modifications of the aircraft are produced at factories in Ulyanovsk and Kazan.

Tu-204 characteristics:

• Length - 46.14 m
• Wingspan - 41.8 m
• Maximum take-off weight - 88,000 kg
• Cruising speed - up to 850 km/h
• Engine - PS-90A
• Passenger capacity - up to 210 people

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