Last year, a Russian aircraft manufacturer began developing a cargo plane. The prototype should be ready in two years.
According to Sergei Shoigu, Russian Defense Minister, the Ilyushin 212 prototype is expected to be ready in 2026. The prototype will then be presented, followed by the first flight. The question remains whether the manufacturer will address this. Alexei Rozogin, former director of Ilyushin, believes that the plane is unlikely to fly before 2027. He says this based on his experience in developing other aircraft. Rozogin also indicates that the first deliveries could take place from 2030.
The Il-212 is actually a modified version of a previously manufactured cargo aircraft, the Ilyushin Il-112V. The intention was that this machine would replace older types, especially Antonov An-26 aircraft. Due to financial problems and delays, only two examples were built. The first prototype, whose development began in 1994, did not fly until 2019. But the project was halted after one of the two planes crashed in Russia on August 17, 2021 due to a fire in the right engine. The incident was recorded on video.
difference
The most obvious difference between the two designs is that the new aircraft is no longer powered by turboprop engines, but rather by jet engines. It is not known whether the prototype's crash in 2021 played a role in the choice to abandon the turboprops.
design
The Il-212 is based solely on the airframe, instruments and electronics of its predecessor. Because of the switch to jet engines, other components would have to be modified, including the wings, landing gear and fuel system. As with the Antonov An-72, which would also be replaced by the Il-212, the engines were mounted on top of the wings to enable take-off and landing on unpaved runways.
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