| Technical data | |
|---|---|
| Type | Il-86 |
| Function | Passenger |
| Year | 1976 |
| Crew | 3...4 |
| Engines | 4*13,000kg NK-86 or NK-86A (since 1987) |
| Fuel consumption | 11,300 kg/hour |
| Length | 59.94m |
| Height | 15.8m |
| Wingspan | 40.06m |
| Wing area | 320m2 |
| Weight (kg) | |
| Empty | 111,500 |
| Loaded | 215,000 |
| Landing | 175,000 |
| Wing Load (kg/m2) | 672 |
| Thrust to Weight |
0.24 |
| Speed (km/h) | |
| Cruising | 900 |
| Landing | ? |
| Airstrip demand | 2840m |
| Range | 4600km |
| Range with max. load | 3800km |
| Cruise Ceiling | 12,000m |
| Climb | |
| 10000m | ?min |
| Payload | |
| Fuel | 88,400kg |
| Cabin size LxWxH | 44x5.7x261 m3 |
| Seats (economy) | 350 |
| Seats (3-class) | 234 |
| Cargo | 42,000kg |
Il-86 by G.V.Novozhilov, Ilyushin OKB
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The first wide-body passenger jet to be developed by the USSR. Intended for medium domestic and international lines. Il-86 features advanced swept (35°) wing with ailerons, triple-slotted flaps, full-span leading edge slats and interceptors. Novelty for Soviet aircraft is third (central) leg in main undercarriage. On early design stages Il-86 had T-tail, but final aircraft layout became compete retreat from earlier Il-62 and Il-76. Crew consists of two pilots, engineer and (provision for) navigator.
Il-86 first took off on December 22, 1976 and started replacing Tu-154 and Il-62/Il-62M in December 1980. Closest Western counterparts are hree engined McDonnell Douglas DC-10 and Lockheed L-1011 in the US and the Airbus A300 twinjet in Western Europe.
Aircraft concept "baggage in hands, cargo in containers" gains popularity in the World, while inefficient and noisy turbojets (no high-bypass engines were available at the design time) restrict aircraft to mostly domestic operations. Il-86 high capacity and baggage storage capabilities allow aircraft remain in service on high density routes and charter flights. Wide range of allowed CG location makes possible baggage loading without weighting (first time in the world practice). Internal stairs allow passengers to load baggage to the cargo (lower) deck and proceed the upper (passenger) deck.
Il-86 was intended for congested domestic lines, but already on July 3 1981 crew of V.Mishustin opened first international route to Berlin. Other European capitals followed. In 1984 Il-86 crossed the equator on the way to Lagos. Currently Il-86 routes net cover no less than 85 cities in 64 countries.
The Il-86, of which some 120 units were built to date, is still used by airlines of the CIS mostly. Some found their way to Chinese Airlines. Thanks to their capacity and baggage storage capabilities, most Il-86 remain in service on high density routes and charter flights.
Some sources claim that Il-86 withdrawal from service started in 1993, but new international routes are established as late as 1997 (Erevan-Amsterdam-London). Now former CIS companies and aircraft manufacturers face a dilemma - to invest into modernization of the 20+ years old Il-86 (including avionics and interior upgrade) or to buy more Il-96Ms. But the majority of Il-86 operators are not in a position to afford modernization. The Il-86 exists in smaller quantities, and, therefore, the cost of modernization per one airframe will be higher.
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Some 100...120 units were built to date at the Voronezh factory until 1993, when production switched to Il-96. In 1995 GE proposed to use the components for its own CT-7 and CFM-56 aircraft engines, the latter of which, manufactured in conjunction with Snecma, may be installed in Russian Il-86 and Il-76 aircraft. Looks like those offers did not materialize.
As most of Soviet/Russian aircraft, Il-86 established several World Records. Following was demonstrated at Podmoskovnoe Aerodrome (USSR) by pilot G.Volokhov on closed circuit:
| Date | Closed Circuit | Payload | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|
| September 22, 1981 | 2000km | 65000kg | 975.3km/h |
| September 42, 1981 | 1000km | 80000kg | 962.0km/h |
| Predecessors | Modifications | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| - | Il-80 | 'Rossia' |  Il-96 |
