Ilyushin Il-76

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Image:Sudan Nyala Airport Ilyushin-76.jpg The Ilyushin Il-76 (NATO reporting name: "Candid") is a 4-engined heavy transport aircraft in widespread use in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The aircraft was first conceived by Ilyushin in 1967 to meet a requirement for a freighter able to carry a payload of 40,000 kg (88,000 lb) over a range of 2,700 nautical miles (3,100 statute miles; 5,000 km) in less than six hours, able to operate from short and unprepared airstrips, and capable of coping with the worst weather conditions likely to be experienced in Siberia and the Soviet Union's arctic regions. The basic layout of the plane was similar to the U.S.-built Lockheed C-141 Starlifter, but the new design had a larger cargo hold area and more powerful engines to achieve the desired performance. It first flew on March 25, 1971, and is still in production in Tashkent, Uzbekistan.

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Variants

The basic Il-76 is the first production version and in widespread use by the VVS.

Il-76T - ('T' for Transport, Транспортный) unarmed civil cargo transport version. NATO code-name Candid-A. It first flew on November 4, 1978.
Il-76TD -
Il-76TF - Civil transport version.
Il-76D ('D' for Desantniy, Десантный - "for paratroopers") has a gun turret in the tail for defense purposes.
Il-76DMP - Firefighting aircraft.
SKIP (СКИП - Самолетный Контрольно-Измерительный Пункт, Airborne Check-Measure-and-Control Point) - Il-76/A-50 based aircraft initially built to support Kh-55 cruise missile tests.
Il-76PP - Il-76MD-based radio jammer

The Il-76M(T/D) is another version, with more powerful engines, giving it a bigger payload capacity.

Il-76M - Transport version.
Il-76MD - Transport version.
Il-76MF - Stretched military version.

Image:Il-76-SKIP.jpg Image:Il-76MF.2.jpg Image:Il-76MF.jpg The Il-76-MF is the latest version, with a 6 meter extension and more economical and powerful engines, the Aviadvigatel PS90.

The Il-76 is also in use as an airborne tanker, otherwise known as a refueller (Il-78), and a waterbomber. Its airframe was used as a base for two AWACS aircraft:

Beriev A-50 'Mainstay'
Adnan I - Iraqi development with fibreglass-reinforced plastic radome over the antenna of the Thomson-CSF Tiger G surveillance radar with a maximum detection range of 189 nm (217.5 miles; 350 km).

The Il-76 waterbomber is a VAP-2 1.5 hour install/removal tanking kit conversion. It has stirred a decade's controversy in the West at a time where more powerful firefighting assists are needed. The Il-76 can carry 11,000 U.S. gallons (41,600 liters) of water; three times the capacity of the C-130 Hercules. While the Australasian Fire Authorities Council says the Il-76 is a "very, very good firefighting aircraft", and while Canada awaits a U.S. decision, the matter hit U.S. local television in Denver in 2004, apparently calling for a public interest decision from Americans themselves.

Later that year, Moscow News reported a continued struggle with U.S. bureaucracy. There, it was reported California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher vowed to break down barriers to use. Meanwhile, Canada's CBC television went national with the issue, featuring interviews with firefighting bureaucrats from both Canada and the U.S.; a first.

On April 26, 2005, Rep Rohrabacher spoke to importing the services of IL-76 waterbomber(s) on the floor of the United States House of Representatives, exhibiting a letter to the U.S. Forest Service chief aviation bureaucrat, Jerry T. Williams, which letter demanded an accounting.

According to Venik's Aviation pages online, in 2000, FEMA requested two Il-76 waterbombers to respond to Los Alamos area wildfires. Venik further reported this order was countermanded by the U.S. Forest Service.

On August 29, 2005, the day before the levees of New Orleans gave way to the forces of Hurricane Katrina, the Russian Federation offered humanitarian aid to the United States. Two (2) EMERCOM IL-76 aircraft landed at a disaster aid staging area at Little Rock, Arkansas September 8. This marks the first time Russia has flown such a mission to North America. A second Emergency Situations ministry IL-76 first-aid shipment, specially arranged with the U.S. leadership, departed Russia for Little Rock September 14.

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