MOSCOW, November 12, Zakhar Andreev. The first flight of the modernized wide-body airliner Il-96-400M did not go unnoticed in the West. They were skeptical about this. Manufacturers themselves admit that it will be difficult to compete in the commercial sector. However, this does not negate the importance of the achievement of Russian aircraft manufacturers. Why the country needs a new large plane — in the material .
«They have no choice»
“An attempt to restore the Russian aerospace industry that existed before 1990 is a massive gamble. In essence, it is a loss of government billions. Although Moscow probably believes that the political effect is worth it. And, besides, they have no choice,” leads CNN words from Murdo Morrison, head of strategic content at FlightGlobal.
This is how an aviation expert reacted to the test flight of the Il-96-400M prototype — an upgraded version of the Il-96-300 airliner, which first took to the air in 1988. m.
This is a wide-body aircraft with three rows of seats and two aisles between them. It is economically feasible to use such aircraft over long distances. A flight can only pay off if there are a lot of passengers. Analogues — Airbus A330, A380, Boeing 747, Boeing 777.
The second number in the name of a domestic aircraft means the number of seats. The power of the Soviet engines did not allow more than 300 people to be accommodated on board. Whereas the Boeing 747 by that time could already carry more than 600.
However, the Soviet aircraft industry existed outside of global competition. The main task was to meet the needs of the domestic market and the market of allied countries.
In the 1990s, it turned out that Soviet aircraft could not compete with American and European ones. Even in cooperation with Western partners. They tried to install American Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines on the same Il-96. This made it possible to significantly improve the characteristics of the machine. However, the project did not receive development.
Since 1992, 31 IL-96s of various modifications have been produced, including cargo versions. That is, the production speed is one piece per year. The last aircraft came out of the Voronezh aircraft plant VASO in 2021. For comparison: Boeing 777s have produced over 1,700 units since 1993.
Several Il-96-300 aircraft remain in operation — in the Special Flight Detachment «Russia» (that is, the president of the country flies on them) and in Cubana Airlines. Il-96, in particular, carries the leader of Cuba.
The only one in the world
The new version of the aircraft is extended by 9.35 meters. This allows you to place 370 seats. More powerful PS‑90A1 engines are installed (thrust about 17.4 tons). The aircraft is equipped with entirely Russian equipment that “meets all international standards.”
They promise a comfortable cabin with “a modern infotainment system that provides access to the Internet, television and satellite communications, modern buffet and kitchen equipment.”
By taking the new Il-96 into the sky, the Russian aviation industry has confirmed its unique competence. The fact is that only three companies in the world can create wide-body aircraft — the American Boeing, the European Airbus and the Russian United Aircraft Manufacturing Company.
Considering that the first two build their aircraft in international cooperation, it turns out that Russia is the only country on the planet that produces such aircraft on its own. Even China has not yet mastered this technology. Although he is trying — with Western help.
Nevertheless, the Russian long-range aircraft is inferior in a number of characteristics to its Western counterparts — this is recognized by both the UAC and Rostec. Modern wide-body aircraft easily cover 15 thousand kilometers at a time. Whereas the IL-96-400M in a two-class configuration can only count on eight thousand. This is enough to get from Moscow to Bangkok. But the car will no longer reach Havana without refueling.
The main disadvantage, according to experts, is the four-engine system. On the one hand, this arrangement is considered safer than a twin-engine one. On the other hand, modern Western aircraft of a similar class have long switched to two. It’s more economical: fuel consumption is lower and maintenance is easier.
“We don’t yet see our airlines showing any increased interest in the new Il-96,” notes Andrey Fomin, editor-in-chief of the Vzlyot magazine.
Will the new engine kill the Il-96?
The relevant ministry admits that there is no talk of commercial use of the new aircraft yet. According to the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, the car is needed primarily for “state special transportation.” That is, apparently, she will be part of the presidential special flight squad.
The second task that the minister announced was cargo transportation. But first, the prototype — also known as a flying laboratory — must confirm all the declared characteristics.
A new powerful aircraft engine, which would allow Russian aircraft to compete with Western long-haul aircraft, is just being created. We're talking about PD-35. It is expected that its thrust will be 35 tons — just twice as much as that of the PS-90A1 installed on the new Il-96-400M. According to the same Manturov, the PD-35 will appear by 2030.
However, install a new one installing a motor on an old plane, even a modernized one, is not at all easy. The dimensions of the PD-35 will greatly exceed those of its predecessors. This means that a new wing will have to be developed. In fact, there will be so many changes that we can talk about a new model.
“Apparently, there will be some kind of modernization of the Il-96 with remotorization for two new engines. Or, what is more reasonable, the development of a new project,” says Fomin.
Thus, the new aircraft is outdated before it has even been born, — at least from the point of view of commercial application. On the other hand, it confirms Russia’s ability to independently create such complex equipment.
Urgent tasks
The production volumes of the Il-96-400M are not yet clear. As for the previous version, the Il-96-300, eight such vehicles should be produced by 2030. On the one hand, it seems like it’s not enough. However, it is not advisable to speed up the production of large aircraft, Fomin believes. There are much more pressing tasks.
The most popular type of passenger airliners on the market is medium-haul (range — up to six thousand kilometers). The most common models are Boeing 737, Airbus A320. According to Fomin, at the beginning of the year, Russian airlines had about half a thousand such aircraft. And not a single Russian one.
“To correct this situation is a top priority. We need to establish production of medium-haul MS-21s as quickly as possible. To be on the safe side, they are going to resume production of the Tu-214,” says Fomin.
The comprehensive Development Program for the air transport industry until 2030 involves the production of 270 units of MS-21s. -21-300 for this period.
They also want to ramp up production of the Tu-214 at an accelerated pace. They name ambitious numbers: reaching ten, and then as many as twenty aircraft per year. However, aviation experts are cautious about these plans.
The situation is slightly better in the segment at a lower level—regional aviation. The fleet of Russian airlines includes several hundred aircraft of this class. Among them there is a fairly high percentage of Russian-made Superjets. But there are a lot of problems here too. The SSJ-100 was produced in cooperation with Western manufacturers. There is a lot of work ahead to import substitution of all components. First of all, it is necessary to establish production of the PD-8 engine.
As for large long-haul aircraft, only about a hundred airliners are operated in Russia — all foreign. This reserve should be enough until 2030. By then it will be clear what to do with the Il-96 — upgrade it to a new engine or create another aircraft.
«The resources of the Russian aviation industry are not endless. Not only financial, but also labor. Aircraft production depends on the capabilities of related suppliers engines, on-board systems and other equipment. Therefore, replenishing the fleet of medium-haul airliners seems to be a priority,» explains the expert.
According to experts, creating a fleet of modern Russian-made civil aircraft is a feasible task.
«I believe that we are here, even if not very quickly, but still must achieve success, says Fomin. And gradually Airbus and Boeing in our airlines will be replaced by modern, completely domestically produced aircraft that meet the most stringent world standards. We are talking about both the aircraft as such and all their components — equipment, power plants, and so on.»
He notes: despite the statements of some Western experts, the Russian aircraft industry does not need to be «revived» — in many ways it has been preserved since Soviet times. This, in particular, is confirmed by the successes of the defense industry. Of course, the civil aviation segment has sank and now a lot of work remains to be done to reach the required production rates. However, there is no talk of any “adventure”.