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 The Ilyushin Il-76, NATO codename "Candid", is a 4-engined heavy transport aircraft in widespread use in eastern Europe and Africa. First conceived in 1967, 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.
VariantsThe basic Il-76 is the first production version and in widespread use by the VVS. It has a turret in the tail for defense purposes. The Il-76M is another version, with more powerful engines, giving it a bigger payload capacity. The Il-76MD is the main commercial version. It has the same engines, a strengthened floor compared to the Il-76M, and usually doesn't have the tail turret. 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 a airborne tanker, otherwise known as a refueller (Il-78), a waterbomber, and AWACS aircraft (Beriev A-50 "Mainstay"). 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. While the Australasian Fire Authorities Council says the Il-76 is a "very, very good firefighting aircraft", and while Canada awaits a US decision, the matter recently hit US local television in Denver, apparently calling for a public interest decision from Americans themselves. Moscow News lately reports continued struggle with US bureaucracy helped along by the efforts of California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, while Canada's CBC television went national with the issue, featuring interviews with firefighting bureaucrats from both Canada and the US. According to Venik's Aviation pages online, in 2000, FEMA requested Il-76 waterbombers (2) to respond to Los Alamos area wildfires. Specifications (Il-76)General Characteristics
Performance
External linksIl-76 Waterbomber controversy
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