The design of a large-scale model of the Il-276 medium transport aircraft has been completed.
In a statement on March 20, the Zhukovsky Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) announced that it had completed the design of large model of the Il-276, allowing for better testing.
The firm said, “The designed construction allows holding experiments in three different configurations. The first option is a fully assembled model with all elements (fuselage, wing and engine, tail fins). The second configuration is a fuselage without the wing and fins. The third option is a full model with two types of tail fins and a unit for them to be mounted in turn.”
The Il-276 project is a successor to a discontinued Il-214 effort between Russia and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd, which was frozen in 2016. Russia redesignated the project the Il-276 the following year and continued to move forward with development without India. A prototype Il-276 is still to be created and should be ready to make its first flight in 2023.
Russia aims to replace its An-12s with the Il-276, assuming the finished product meets the Ministry of Defense’s requirements. Serial production of the aircraft is expected sometime in the mid-2020s.
Initial units of the aircraft will utilize the PS-90 engine, which should eventually be replaced with the PD-14. The Il-276 will be able to haul about 20 tons of cargo over a distance of 2,000-2,500 kilometers. Plans call for the aircraft to be able to reach speeds of up to 800 kmph.
Military markets analyst, covering Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa.
