the Ilyushin Il-86

The Ilyushin Il-86 (Camber) is a four-engine, wide-body commercial airliner developed by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin design bureau in the 1970s. The Ilyushin Il-86 was the first wide-body aircraft to be developed in the Soviet Union, and it was designed to compete with Western airliners such as Lockheed’s, McDonnell Douglas’ and Boeing’s wide-body planes, and the new Airbus A300. It was the Soviet’s first airplane powered by high-bypass turbofan engines and could carry up to 350 passengers. It was the 2nd wide-body airliner in the world, after the Boeing 747, to include 4 jet engines. The Il-86 first flew on December 22, 1976, and entered service with Aeroflot, the Soviet Union’s national airline, in 1980 and was used primarily for long-haul flights.

Despite its advanced technology and modern design, the Il-86 was not as commercially successful as its Western counterparts. It faced a number of reliability issues and was expensive to operate, which limited its appeal to airlines outside of the Soviet Union. Production of the Il-86 ended in 1994 after 106 aircraft were built (other sources say less). Today, the Il-86 is no longer in commercial use, although some are still used by the Russian government and military.

1. Flight-deck for crew of three
2. Accommodations for up to 350 passengers
3. Integrated Airstairs
4. Stowage for baggage & cargo

5. Galley
6. Kuznetsov NK-86 turbofans
7. Stairs from baggage area

Aeroflot Ilyushin Il-86 Soviet Airliner