In domestic aviation, there is one aircraft that is well known to almost everyone, but no one has seen it as a regular passenger airliner. The Il-96 became the pride of the Soviet aircraft industry to compete with the best foreign machines and long-haul flights.
Not for other people's ears
A unique high-class communication system was developed for the Il-96-300, providing continuous contact with ground control centers.
Thanks to it, the first persons of the state can conduct any negotiations without the risk of intercepting valuable information. The characteristics of onboard systems, which is not surprising, are not published in open sources.
Folders with urgent matters, constant communication with the ground — all this is provided by unique high-class equipment installed on board No. 1. No one will be able to eavesdrop on or intercept the negotiations of our leader. The best teams of engineers worked on creating this flying control center of the country.
Emphasis on reliability, not economy
When developing the Il-96, engineers focused on endurance and reliability, not economy. The result is an aircraft that is often compared to a "flying tank".
The design of the aircraft is designed for serious loads, and the strength of the hull provides even an excessive margin. It is for this reason that airlines interested in the cost-effectiveness of flights do not look towards this aircraft.
Four is better than two
The aircraft received four PS-90A turbofan engines with a thrust of 16 tons each. In the event of a breakdown and failure of one unit, the crew will calmly continue the flight.
At the same time, the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec) is considering creating a new version of the Il-96 with two domestic PD-35 engines. Aviation expert Roman Gusarov called this task difficult, but solvable.
Earlier www1.ru reported that An-124 "Ruslan" went to Iran from the territory of the manufacturer Su-30 and Yak-130.