Russia resumes Ilyushin Il-112V testing
The Ilyushin Il-112V light tactical transport aircraft successfully completed its second flight test at the Voronezh Aviation Plant aerodrome on 30 March 2021.
‘During the flight, the operating modes of the power plant, the stability and controllability of the aircraft,and the operation of its main systems were checked,’reported United Aircraft Corporation. According to the crew, the flight mission was successfully completed.’ The 30-minute flight marks the resumption of the testing campaign for the plane, after two years of suspension.
The Il-112V is the first cargo plane entirely designed in Russia since the fall of the USSR. It is powered by two UEC Klimov TV-117ST with 3,600 horsepower. The engine is a derivative of the TV7-117V powering the Mi-38 military helicopter. It can carry up to five tonnes of cargo and be configured for airdrop, personnel transport and parachuting, as well as medical evacuation. The new twin-engine turboprop should eventually replace the Soviet-era An-24 and An-26 transport aircraft.
Il-112V programme setbacks
Officially, tests were interrupted to allow for the renovation of the Voronezh Aviation Plant runway. However, the development of the Il-112V programme has been encountering many setbacks and accumulating delays. Ilyushin Aviation Complex was selected to develop the airlifter back in May 2003. After eight years of research, the development was interrupted for the first time in 2011, as the first prototype was showing design flaws. In 2014, the programme resumed and on 30 March 2019, the Il-112V took off for its maiden flight.
However, the prototype was found to be more than 500 kilograms too heavy. The redesign of certain parts of the plane and the use of composite materials led to a weight saving of almost 1,000 kilograms.The Russian Aerospace Forces expect two prototypes of the Ilyushin Il-112V cargo plane in 2021, while the first production units should arrive two years later.
First serial Ilyushin Il-112V aircraft to be delivered in 2023
The Russian Aerospace Forces will receive the two prototypes of the Ilyushin Il-112V cargo plane in 2021, while the first production units should arrive two years later. The new twin-engine turboprop should eventually replace the Soviet-era An-24 and An-26 transport aircraft.
The Russian Ministry of Defence will be in charge of checking that the new aircraft is well suited to their needs. “We should transfer two prototype aircraft to the Defence Ministry for subsequent state trials by 2021 year-end and upon completion, we expect to supply first serially made aircraft to the Defence Ministry from 2023,” Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov announced. Given that the aircraft is due to replace a large and varied number of Soviet-era transport planes by 2030, Manturov said the assembly line could reach an output of 15 Il-112V assembled yearly. Russia also intends to export the plane.