Russia continues to develop the new Il-212 military transport aircraft. It is planned to be ready by 2026 and will replace the outdated An-26 and An-72. We tell you how the creation of the Il-112V in the 2000s influenced the start of the Il-212 project.
From Il-112V to Il-212
At the beginning of 2025, only one type of military transport aircraft is mass-produced in Russia — the heavy Il-76MD-90A (Il-476). This is a deep modernization of the Il-76 aircraft. However, the aircraft fleet needs more compact transport aircraft. Back in the early 2000s, it was planned that the Il-112V would appear, but its creation process was delayed, and then the project was completely curtailed.
The creation of the light military transport aircraft Il-112V began in the 2000s, when Russian aviation was trying to recover from the crisis of the 1990s. In 2010, the assembly of the first prototype began at the Voronezh Aviation Plant, but then funding was reduced and the project was suspended. They only returned to it in 2014.
In March 2019, the development was almost complete. At the same time, the first flight took place. However, the aircraft had design problems, which led to the second suspension of the project. As a result, it was decided not to resume it, but to proceed with the development of a new aircraft — the Il-212. The aircraft is being created by the United Aircraft Corporation.
Il-212: what is this project
The main difference between the Il-212 and the Il-112V is the use of new Russian PD-8 turbofan engines. As of the beginning of 2025, these engines are in the flight test stage. They were originally developed for the new import-substituted version of the Sukhoi Superjet aircraft. In 2027, the PD-8 should go into mass production.
The Il-212 layout involves placing the engines above the wing, which, like the Soviet An-72 and An-74, will allow it to be used on unprepared airfields. Although some solutions from the Il-112V project may be applied, the Il-212 is, in general, a practically new aircraft.
Sergey Chemezov, General Director of Rostec State Corporation, confirmed in 2024 that the development of the Il-212 aircraft is ongoing. The creation of a prototype transport aircraft is scheduled for the end of 2026. Note that in ideal conditions, it takes about five years from concept to flight prototype, and even more time is usually required for a production model.
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