Russia Starts Il-112V Light Military Transport Aircraft Production

Russian Voronezh Aircraft Manufacturing Company (VASO) has started the production of its first Il-112V military-transport aircraft.

“The work is on schedule. VASO has already started production of the first Il-112V prototype. The production will be completed in 2016. The aircraft’s maiden flight is scheduled for June 2017,” Ilyushin Company CEO, Nikolai Talikov, said at MAKS-2015 airshow Thursday.

Il-112V is a twin engine light military transport aircraft set to replace An-26 and An-72/74 transport aircraft of the Russian Air Force.

The aircraft can be used for transportation and air-dropping of military personnel, weapons and military equipment, vehicles and cargo. Construction and maiden flight of two prototypes is scheduled for completion in 2016. The two prototypes include one for static and fatigue tests and the other for flight tests. Il-112T is the civilian version of the military aircraft designed for commercial cargo transport.

The aircraft features a high-wing monoplane design with constant chord inner wings and tapered outer wings. The aircraft can be operated from short or unpaved runways and can land on ICAO category II aerodromes.

Russia announced plans of developing Il-112V by awarding US $240 million in December 2013.