Ilyushin Il-76

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The Ilyushin Il-76, NATO codename "Candid", is a 4-engined heavy transport aircraft in widespread use in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa. The aircraft was first conceived in 1967 to meet a requirement for a freighter able to carry a payload of 88 183 lb (40 000 kg) over a range of 2 698 nautical miles (3 107 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 USSR'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.

Related Topics:
Ilyushin - NATO - Aircraft - Europe - Asia - Africa - USSR - Lockheed - C-141 Starlifter - March 25 - 1971 - Tashkent - Uzbekistan

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