The story
The Il-96 is the long-range, fly-by-wire successor to the Il-86, and it never chased Boeing and Airbus on volume: only a few dozen have been built since its 1988 first flight. Its most famous job is carrying the Russian president: the Il-96-300PU leads the presidential fleet, flown by a special squadron of Rossiya Airlines.
The Il-96 is shorter than the Il-86 it grew out of, yet with a new supercritical wing, winglets and new engines it flies twice as far, from about 2,700 to 5,400 nautical miles.
Quick answers
How do you identify a Il-96?
Four underwing engines and winglets on a wide-body. The Airbus A340 is the lookalike, so check the details: an RA- registration, a Cubana scheme, or the white-blue-red Rossiya livery of the presidential fleet means Il-96.
What does a Il-96 sound like?
Four PS-90 turbofans — a smooth, modern hush compared with the Il-86 it replaced.
How fast is the Il-96?
Top speed is 469 kts (Mach 0.84).
How many passengers does the Il-96 carry?
Up to 300. A typical layout is 263 (2-class).
How far can the Il-96 fly?
Range is about 5,400 nmi.
How big is the Il-96?
It is 181 ft 7 in long and 197 ft 3 in across the wings.
When did the Il-96 first fly?
Its first flight was in 1988.
How many Il-96s have been built?
30+ built.
How rare is a Il-96 in Bogey?
RARE. A good day. Most spotters go weeks between sightings of something this rare. Your first Il-96 catch is worth 250 points.
