(Photo UAC)
RUSSIA’S UNITED Aircraft Corporation (UAC) carried out the maiden flight of its prototype Ilyushin Il-96-400M, RA-96115, on November 1. Sergei Sukhar, the Ilyushin Design Bureau’s chief pilot was in command, joined by four other crewmembers, including another pilot, a navigator, an engineer and a test specialist. During the 26-minute flight from the VASO facility in Voronezh, southwestern Russia, the four-engined aircraft reached an altitude of 2,000ft and speeds of 210kt and conducted tests of stability, manoeuvrability, system and engine performance and radio technology.
The IL-96-400M has a fuselage lengthened by 9.35m compared to the -300 and is powered by four PS-90A1 engines. It can carry 370 passengers in a single class layout, but UAC have stated that it can be configured with several classes. Upgrades include improvements to the navigation and communication systems, allowing the type to comply with the latest EU requirements for navigation capability. The aircraft has risen in importance since August, when UAC withdrew from a joint programme with China to develop the CR929 widebody.