Ilyushin Il-18

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Il-18D

Il-18 on display at Moscow's Sheremetyevo International Airport

Type Airliner
Manufacturer Ilyushin
Maiden flight 4 July 1957
Status In service
Primary users Aeroflot
Soviet Air Forces
Number built 719
Variants Ilyushin Il-38

Two Soviet aircraft have shared the designation Ilyushin Il-18. The first Il-18 was a propeller-driven airliner of 1946. After a year of test flights, however, the programme was abandoned.

The second Il-18 (NATO reporting name: Coot) is a large turboprop airliner somewhat resembling the Lockheed L-188 Electra that became one of the best known of Soviet aircraft (over 850 built), and one of the most popular and long lasting, having first flew in 1957. The IL-18 was one of the world's principal airliners for several decades, and was widely exported. Because of the plane's durability, many achieved over 45,000 flight hours.

Contents

[edit] Design and development

The Il-18 is a passenger aircraft equipped with four turboprop engines. The aircraft was mass manufactured for twelve years. The popularity of the aircraft was ensured, not just because of its reliability and operational economy, but because of the possibility to increase the number of passenger seats and its flight range for every modification (A, B, V, D and E) as well. The Il-18 was also produced in VIP version («Salon»).

Cubana retrofitted their Il-18s with the Bristol Britannia nosewheel and other parts in the nose gear, to improve the handling on poor runways.[citation needed]

[edit] Operational history

Iljuschin Il-18 in 1946
Iljuschin Il-18 in 1946

The first Il-18, equipped with NK-4 turboprop engines, flew on 4 July, 1957. On 17 September, 1958 the aircraft first flew with the new AI-20 engines. V. K. Kokkinaki was the test pilot. Between 1958 and 1960 twenty-five world records were set by this aircraft, among them flight range and altitude records with various payloads. In 1958 the aircraft was awarded the Brussels World Fair Grand Prix. In April 1979 a monument was unveiled at Sheremetevo airport to commemorate this remarkable aircraft.

Seventeen foreign air carriers acquired 125 Il-18 aircraft. Seating 100 to 120 passengers. Many are still in service in Cuba, Siberia and the Middle East.[citation needed]

[edit] Price

According to Country Studies, Ghana purchased eight Il-18's on credit in 1961, at a price of more than US$1,500,000 each. However, since the operating costs were rather high, four were later returned to the USSR, and others were used by Ghana Airways.

[edit] Service life

  • Calendar: 42 years
  • Flight cycles: 18,000
  • Flight hours: 40,000

[edit] Variants

[edit] Civil

An example at a museum in Borkheide, Germany
An example at a museum in Borkheide, Germany
Another Il-18 at Sinsheim, Germany
Another Il-18 at Sinsheim, Germany
Il-18A
The original production model, powered by either Kuznetsov NK-4 or Ivchenko AI-20 turboprop engines.
Il-18B
First production model, which could seat 84 passengers.
Il-18V
Standard Aeroflot version, which entered service in 1961. The Il-18V was powered by four Ivchenko AI-20K turboprop engines. Seating 90-100 passengers.
Il-18I
Equipped with more powerful Ivchenko AI-20M turboprop engines, producing 3,170 kW (4,250 shp). Seating increased to 122 passengers.
Il-18D
Silmilar to Il-18I, but equipped with an extra centre section fuel tank for increased range. The Il-18D is fitted with four 4,250-hp (3169-ekW) Ivchenko AI-20M turboprop engines.
Il-18E
Similar to the Il-18I, but without the increased fuel capacity.
Il-18T
This designation was given to a number of Aeroflot aircraft, which were converted into cargo transport aircraft.

[edit] Military

Il-20M Coot-A
ELINT electronic, radar reconnaissance version. Also known as the Il-18D-36 Bizon.
Il-20RT
Naval Elint version.
Il-22 Coot-B
Airborne command post version.
Il-24
ELINT version.
Il-24N
Civilian version of the Il-20 Coot.
Il-38
Maritime reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare version.

[edit] Operators

Il-18 operators (current military operators in red)
Il-18 operators (current military operators in red)

[edit] Civil operators

Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan
  • Royal Afghan Airlines
Flag of the People's Republic of China People's Republic of China
Flag of Cuba Cuba
Flag of Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia
Flag of Djibouti Djibouti
Flag of the German Democratic Republic East Germany
Flag of Egypt Egypt
Flag of Ghana Ghana
Flag of Guinea Guinea
Flag of Hungary Hungary
Flag of Kazakhstan Kazakhstan
  • Irbis Aero
Flag of Kyrgyzstan Kyrgyzstan
Flag of Mali Mali
Flag of North Korea North Korea
Flag of Poland Poland
  • LOT (Nine from 1961)
Flag of Romania Romania
Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union
Flag of Russia Russia
  • ASTAir
  • GVG Airline
  • NPP-MIR
  • Tretyakovo Airlines
  • Rossiya
Flag of Somalia Somalia
Flag of Sri Lanka Sri Lanka
Flag of Ukraine Ukraine
Flag of the United Arab Emirates United Arab Emirates
Flag of Vietnam Vietnam
Flag of Yemen Yemen

[edit] Military operators

Flag of Afghanistan Afghanistan
Flag of India India
Flag of North Korea North Korea
Flag of Poland Poland
Flag of the Soviet Union Soviet Union

[edit] Specifications (Il-18D)

Malev IL-18 in at an open air aircraft museum at the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport
Malev IL-18 in at an open air aircraft museum at the Budapest Ferihegy International Airport

General characteristics

  • Crew: Six or seven (pilot, co-pilot, flight engineer, flight navigator, and 2 or 3 cabin attendants)
  • Capacity: 120 passengers
  • Length: 37.40 m (122 ft 8 in)
  • Wingspan: 37.90 m (124 ft 4 in)
  • Height: 10.17 m (33 ft 4 in)
  • Wing area: 140 m² (1,506.4 ft²)
  • Empty weight: 35,000 kg (77,000 lb)
  • Max takeoff weight: 64,000 kg (140,800 lb)
  • Powerplant: 4× Ivtschenko AI-20 M turboprop engines, 3,169 kW (4,250 hp) each
  • * Fuselage diameter: 3.5 m (11 ft 6 in)
  • Propeller: AW-68 I
  • Propeller diameter: 4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
  • Auxiliary power unit: TG-16M (28 Volt DC)
  • ICAO standards: Annex 16 Chapter 2
  • Max. landing weight: 52,600 kg (115,720 lb)
  • Max. zero-fuel weight: 48,800 kg (107,360 lb)
  • Max. taxi weight : 64,500 kg (141,900 lb)
  • Max. fuel tanks capacity: 30,000 l (24,000 kg)

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 675 km/h (364 knots, 416 mph, or Mach 0.61-0.88 depending on altitude)
  • Cruise speed: 650 km/h (351 knots, 401 mph, or Mach 0.59-0.86 depending on altitude)
  • Range: 6,500 km (3,510 nm, 4,010 mi)
  • Service ceiling 10,000 m (32,800 ft)
  • Range with max.payload: 4,300 km (2,322 nm, 2,650 mi)
  • Approach minima: ICAO CAT 1 Decision Height 60 m (200 ft) / 800 m (Visibility) or 550 m RVR

[edit] See also

[edit] Related development

[edit] Comparable aircraft

[edit] Related lists

[edit] External links