Voronezh aircraft manufacturers have restored the Il-96-400T – it is now fit for flight
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Voronezh aircraft manufacturers have restored the Il-96-400T – it is now fit for flight

PJSC VASO aircraft plant restored airworthiness Aircraft Il-96-400T. This is a transport model, which has been stored in the manufacturer's warehouse since 2013. The winged machine has already managed to make its first flight.


The tests have proven that the Il-96-400T is ready for commercial operation. It will be sent to the Sky Gates Airlines fleet, where they are already using the same aircraft, restored in 2023.

Let us recall that we are talking about the aircraft RA-96101, known by its proper name "Vyacheslav Salikov". The fate of this aircraft is complex and multifaceted. It all began in the first half of the 1990s. Then the management of the Ilyushin Aviation Complex decided to create a passenger airliner Il-96-300.

Voronezh aircraft manufacturers have restored the Il-96-400T – it is now fit for flightThe restored Il-96-400T lands. Photo: youtube.com

Unfortunately, the Soviet Union had collapsed by that time. Accordingly, the previous flow of funding became unavailable. And it was not possible to improve the PS-90A engines and a number of special equipment without serious investments.

As a result, they decided to create the Il-96M – with American engines. In parallel with this development, they also started working on a transport model capable of carrying up to 92 tons of cargo. This aircraft was called the Il-96T.

In 1998, the new model was ready for serial production. It passed all certification tests. Moreover, it even received permission from the FAA (USA) in 1999.

But unfortunately, that was where it all ended. At that time, there were no funds to purchase American engines and systems. And potential customers were mainly interested in passenger airliners. And even then, they preferred foreign models.

It became clear that the Il-96T was doomed. Only import substitution could save it. Therefore, the Il-96-400T was developed on the basis of this model. The most important requirement for this aircraft is to replace foreign engines with domestic ones. Instead of PW-2337, they decided to install PS-90A1.

The Il-96-400T is still a fairly modern model. Photo: youtube.com

A pair of serial Il-96-400Ts began commercial flights in 2009. The cargo airliners suited the Polet company, but no one else showed any particular desire to purchase these aircraft.

So the Il-96-400T never became a mass-produced aircraft. However, this was a typical fate for Russian airliners of those years. Potential customers preferred foreign models, and the industry was gradually declining.

The Il-96-400T operated until 2013, when the Polet company went bankrupt. The fact that the planes were restored after 11 years of downtime is considered almost a miracle.
Do you think the Il-96-400T has any prospects?
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