Russian IL-276 Military Transport Plane Aims at Simultaneous Military, Civil Certification

A Russian twin-engine medium-sized military-transport aircraft IL-276 is preparing for multiple certification tests for both military and civil aviation, simultaneously.

According to Ilyushin press release dated June 5, the tests will be conducted jointly with the state one for the first time in the domestic aircraft industry.

“For the first time in the history of the creation of military transport aircraft, the request for proposals will be prepared both under the standards of the Ministry of Defense and under the requirements of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO). This will allow to combine state and certification tests and to count the results for both military and civil purposes. At the present time, the preliminary design of this aircraft and the process of approving the tactical and technical task is underway in the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation,” said Pavel Cherenkov, First Deputy General Director of the PJSC «Ilyushin Aviation Complex.

The thrust loading of the aircraft and the high lift devices should ensure the operation of the IL-276 from austere and ground airfields, including those located in hot and high-altitude areas, as well as in the Far North and Siberia.

The dimensions of the cargo cabin of the aircraft take into account the operational features of the aircraft both for military purposes and for civil aviation flights. Built-in loading and unloading mechanization is developed taking into account the vast experience of the operation of IL-76 aircraft and providing mechanized loading of heavy mono-cargoes, large-sized equipment, cargo on pallets and in international containers.

As previously reported, the priority of the IL-276 program is the construction of a military transport aircraft that will meet all the requirements of the Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation. Completion of the bulk of the design work, preparation of production and the first flight is planned in 2023, the beginning of serial procurement of the aircraft to the troops is expected in 2026.