First military transport aircraft developed in Russia after the end of the Soviet Union, the Il-112V completed its second test flight on Tuesday at the Voronezh Aviation Plant in Moscow.
Ilyushin’s turboprop aircraft had taken the inaugural flight exactly two years ago, on March 30, 2019. The second takeoff was due to take place in April 2020 but, according to TASS, it was eventually canceled for reconstruction of the aerodrome runway.
Since then it has undergone improvements, in addition to receiving its painting in the colors of the Russian Air Force. Among the improvements are the reduction of the weight of the twin engine and the refinement of several systems.
The Il-112V’s mission is to replace the numerous turboprops An-24 and An-26 from 2023, when production will begin at an annual rate of 12 aircraft. The Russian Ministry of Defense, however, has not revealed how many units will be ordered, although sources in the country say 62 planes must be delivered.
The high-wing turboprop is 24 meters long and has a wingspan of 27.6 m. The Il-112V is capable of carrying up to 5 tons of cargo and flying at a speed of 450 km/h.
Ilyushin uses a large number of local components on the aircraft, such as ТV7-117CT engines with six-bladed propellers. The model can operate on unprepared runways up to 1,200 meters in length.
