On March 30, the flight test program of the Il-112V light military transport aircraft, built under a contract with the Russian Ministry of Defense, has been continued. The flight took place at the airfield of VASO aviation plant. During the flight, the operating modes of the power plant, the stability and controllability of the aircraft, and the operation of its main systems were checked. The flight lasted about 30 minutes and went on normally. The aircraft was piloted by a crew consisting of Chief Pilot of PJSC “IL”, 1st class test pilot, Hero of Russia Nikolai Kuimov, 1st class test pilot Dmitry Komarov, 1st class test flight engineer Nikolai Khludeev.
During the flight, the operating modes of the power plant, the stability and controllability of the aircraft, and the operation of its main systems were checked. The flight lasted about 30 minutes and went on normally. The Il-112 has similar weights and dimensions to the An-26 it is intended to replace but differs by having a notably larger cabin cross-section, allowing it to accommodate 44 armed soldiers instead of 38. Thanks to the engine’s reduced specific fuel consumption, which is down by 38 percent, the Il-112 has twice the ferry range, at 5,200 km (2,808 nm). The crew is reduced from six to two thanks to modern avionics and onboard equipment.
The Ilyushin Il-112 (Russian: Ил-112) is a high-wing light military transport aircraft being developed by Ilyushin Aviation Complex (JSC IL) for air landing and airdrop of military air cargoes, equipment and personnel. The aircraft is newest of all historically Soviet-origin aircraft (as of July 2019), and being manufactured by Voronezh Aircraft Production Association in Voronezh. In October 2020, Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov announced that the two prototype aircraft will be delivered to the Defense Ministry in 2021, and that the first serial production units should arrive to the Russian Aerospace Forces in 2023.
