Warszawa 2014-06-26
Iliuszyn Ił-96.
The Iliushin Il-96 is a long-range passenger aircraft, which is a continuation of the Il-86 design. The aircraft was developed at the CCCP at OKB Iliushin.
Already on June 26, 1972, the CCCP announced the start of work on a long-range version of the Il-86 aircraft. The aircraft was designated Il-86 D (дальний). In fact, it was an order from the Kremlin. The initial design was completed in June 1976. It was estimated that for the proposed range of 8,500 km, the aircraft should have a larger wingspan. New Łotarev D-18 engines were recommended for the aircraft, but the protracted work on these engines hampered the construction of the aircraft.
During the research and development work, the Il-86 D aircraft underwent gradual transformations. Despite the external similarity, the aircraft became a new design. Therefore, its designation was changed to Il-96. The first and basic version was the Il-96-300 variant.
The design of the Il-96 aircraft was accompanied by a different philosophy. Because the plane was supposed to be long distance and will be flying abroad. Abroad, the "luggage with you" system will not work. Therefore, there was no point in installing shelves for suitcases on the lower deck. Luggage must be checked in at the airport. If so, the ladders leading to the lower deck are unnecessary. Passengers will board the plane traditionally, usually through the terminal sleeves. Removal of gangways reduced the weight of the machine in favor of a larger fuel supply. The corridors on the lower deck were also eliminated, so there was room for additional freight.
The next thing was the passenger cabins. However, there was only class in the Il-86. In addition, the flight did not last more than three or four hours. At least two classes had to be designed for the Il-96. Three different grades with different standards have been developed.
Work on the prototype went faster when the office had a different, suitable engine at its disposal. Sołowiow PS-90 A engines (designer Paweł Sołowiow) became the drive of the new Il-96 aircraft. Work on the engine has been going on since the late 70s. It was then designated D-90 AN (D, dwigatiel). It was not until 1988 that the engine received a conditional certificate and could be installed in the aircraft, but without being approved for flights with passengers. The engine was certified in 1992. Sołowiow PS-90 A engines are one of the greatest achievements of the Soviet industry of the 1980s, although they still did not match the designs from the USA and UK. The engine became the propulsion of the Il-96, Tu-204, Tu-214 aircraft.
The Il-96 power unit consists of four Sołowiow PS-90 A engines with a thrust of 4 x 156.6 kN. The capacity of the fuel tanks is 152,620 liters.
The first flight of the Il-96-300 aircraft was made on August 30, 1988, i.e. 12 years after the first flight of the Il-86. The captain of the crew was S. Blizniuk. The Il-96-300 aircraft has a wingspan greater by 9.60 m, it is shorter by 4.20 m, higher by 1.76 m, the wing area is 30 square meters larger and it also has a 5 degree smaller sweep. The plane takes 2,000 kg less payload, has a 10,000 kg higher maximum take-off weight, with the same landing weight. The hull cross-section is identical. The chassis is also left. Two versions of the aircraft were envisaged; for 300 and 235 passengers. Hence the markings.
The Il-96-300's wing has a sweep of 30 degrees. It has rich mechanization, supercritical profile and winglets at the ends. The wings have a rich mechanization with external and internal ailerons. Internal double-slot hatches, external single-slot hatches. There are spoilers and gills. The hull has a total capacity of 950 cubic meters. There are 350 cubic meters per passenger cabin. The rest is the lower deck, crew cabin, toilets, galleys. The crew remained three-man (two pilots and a flight technician). However, crews still fly accompanied by a fourth crew member, the navigator.
New plastics were used in the construction. The structures were planned for a service life of 60,000 hours or 12,000 landings. The aircraft has a range of 7,500 km with a payload of 40,000 kg, 9,000 km with a payload of 30,000 kg, 11,000 km with a payload of 15,000 kg. In 2005, the price of the Il-96 aircraft was 60-75 million dollars. By comparison, the A 330 cost $150-180 million and the Boeing 777 cost $190-250 million.
Success propaganda.
G. Novozylov, just after the start of flight tests, said that "The Il-96 technically corresponds to aircraft that will be prepared for production only in the 90s." "The Il-96 solutions look far into the future." How did Professor G. Nowożylov know what planes would be constructed in a few years? Unless he was clairvoyant. The constructors claimed that airlines were waiting for this plane and it was very much needed. It was so needed that by 2007 (i.e. for 20 years) only 28 copies were built.
Il-96 and the case of Poland.
Even though the economy of the Comecon countries was in decline, those in power in the Kremlin and Warsaw still hoped that these were only temporary problems. Therefore, already in 1986, there was talk of further participation of the Polish Aviation Industry in the creation of the Il-96 aircraft. The first copies of the Il-96-300 aircraft received a horizontal tail produced in PZL Mielec. The vertical one could not be mounted, because it was higher and larger.
The joint plans were still very ambitious. Attempts were made to involve all Comecon countries and Yugoslavia in the construction of the Il-96-300.
The Polish Aviation Industry at that time (1986) was heavily involved in the final production of complete An-28 transport aircraft. We produced a whole range of agricultural aircraft (Kruk, Dromader in various varieties). Production of helicopters (Mi-2 and Sokół) continued. We continued to build components for the Aerobus Il-86.
Soviet industry was in the process of pursuing two more civil aircraft programs; Il-114 and Tu-204. PZL has already signed preliminary contracts with Biuro Iliushin for the production of landing gear and propellers for the Il-114 aircraft in Poland. (At that time, it was not yet determined whether the propellers would be metal or composite). We did not participate in the Tu-204 program due to the lack of production capacity. What is important, in order to undertake new tasks, we did not need significant investment outlays.
The Soviets still hoped that LOT Polish Airlines would introduce, if not Il-86 planes, then the newer Il-96. However, that did not happen. The cause was another crash of Il-62 M belonging to PLL LOT on May 9, 1987. Thanks to the determination of part of the management of PLL LOT, we have chosen the right direction, for Boeing aircraft.
The socio-economic changes in the Republic of Poland in 1989, and then the collapse of the CCCP, led to the breaking of international cooperation on Soviet aircraft. Unfortunately, as a result, PZL fell into great difficulties.
Il-86 design.
The Il-86 is the first Russian wide-body aircraft. Built in a classic low-wing layout. 4-engines were used for propulsion, which were suspended on booms under the wings. Metal construction, with little use of plastics. Duralumin, steel, titanium are used. Oblique wing. Technologically divided into 3 parts. The middle wing is a center wing integrally connected to the middle part of the fuselage, and a 7-meter span of trapezoidal parts of the wings. The outer parts of the wings are attached to them, to which the jibs for suspending the engines are mounted. The profile at the hull has a relative thickness of 17.5 degrees. The angle of attack of the wings is 35 degrees. They have positive rise; 4 steps at the hull, 3 steps outside. The wings are equipped with rich mechanization. The gills are placed on the leading edge. The wing flaps occupy about 70 percent of the span. They are divided into double-slot hatches and external single-slot hatches. The flaps swing up to a maximum angle of 40 degrees. At the ends, ailerons are mounted, which occupy about 20 percent of the span. On the upper surface there is a set of spoilers (interrupters) tilted upwards. They assist the ailerons and act as air brakes.
The fuselage of the aircraft is circular in cross-section. The maximum diameter is 6.08 m. The hull is double-deck. The upper deck is the main deck. Here they are; crew cabin, three passenger cabins, toilets (8 pieces), two wardrobes and two cupboards. The upper deck has 8 emergency exits, but not all of them have inflatable slides. The lower deck is two-piece; front and rear. They are separated by the center wing. Kitchens are located in the foreground, from which meals are delivered to the upper deck by means of elevators. Access to the lower deck is provided by three gangways equipped with their own stairs, located on the left side. On the starboard side there are two doors through which containers with freight and luggage are put.
The standard layout of the seats is 3x3x3. The seats of the middle package are shifted by half the length, thanks to which passengers standing up at the same time enter the aisle with an overlap.
The passage in the Il-86 aircraft is 0.55 m wide. The Soviets boasted that these are the widest passages in wide-body aircraft. They are 0.07 m wider than competitors. Passengers and a stewardess with a pram passed each other without any problems in the aisle.
The passenger cabin is equipped with four (two on each side) emergency exits equipped with inflatable slides. The constructors announced that 350 people would be able to leave the aircraft in an emergency within 90 seconds, using the exits on one side only. Observing the tests conducted by Western aviation companies, we claim that this was a lie, and such tests were not actually carried out on the Il-86 aircraft.
Classic tail with division into fins and rudders. The horizontal has an area of 96.5 square meters and a span of 20.57 square meters. The vertical tail has an area of 56.06 square meters.
Classic chassis with an additional center leg and bogie. The three legs of the main landing gear are equipped with identical four-wheel bogies. All wheels of the main landing gear are braked with multi-disc brakes. Front chassis with two steered wheels. Wheelbase 11.15 m, chassis base 21.34 m.
The equipment of the aircraft is at the level of equipment used in the Il-62 aircraft. The aircraft is equipped with a weather radar. Only in 1990, the aircraft was equipped with the navigation system ПижMA-1. Four-circuit hydraulic system. Electrical installation. The electricity is generated by 4 GT-40PCh6 generators built on the engines and by the APU generator. In addition, the aircraft has batteries. The main electricity installation is 200/115 V, 400 Hz. Additional 36V/400Hz AC and 27V.
Alternative drive unit.
NK-86 with 4 x 127.5 kN thrust. The NK-86 is a turbofan engine, but not a turbo fan. It consists of 5-stage low pressure, 6-stage high pressure, annular pitcher combustor, 1-stage high-pressure turbine, 2-stage low-pressure turbine, cascade reverse thrust. The starter is pneumatic. The thrust reverser deflects the jet only 105 degrees from the normal direction, which gives only 15 degrees of reverse thrust. The aircraft is equipped with an additional VSU-10 type APU turbogenerator.
Il-96 design.
The wings have been completely rebuilt. They received a smaller bevel, which is 30 degrees. It has also been extended. Wing extension 9.5. The span increased by 9.60 m. The area increased by 30 m2. The profile was changed to supercritical, which has more lift and more internal space, thanks to which it takes more fuel. Wing mechanization has been modified. Among other things, internal ailerons were used. Winglets were mounted at the ends of the wings. First time on a Soviet plane.
The fuselage of the aircraft was also rebuilt. It was shortened by 4.20 m. The main goal was to reduce the size of the cabin and reduce the weight of the structure. (There would be 350 passengers on international flights.). The entrance gangways and internal stairs have been abandoned. Passengers board the main deck straight away, just like in a classic plane. The lower deck is just a hold. Passengers check in their luggage during check-in. The hull was equipped with 6 entrance doors, three on each side. Passenger cabins are three class.
The landing gear of the Il-96 aircraft is almost identical to the landing gear of the Il-86 aircraft. The track of the main landing gear is 10.40 m.
The Il-96 aircraft has a more modern cabin than its predecessor. 5 screens appeared in the cabin.
Data T-T Ił-86, Ił-96:
List of Il-86, Il-96 aircraft.
In Poland, the Il-86 and Il-96 aircraft were not operated. The Polish Aviation Industry participated in their production.
Written by Karol Placha Hetman