A speed run took place at the Voronezh Aviation Plant
At the VASO enterprise (Voronezh Aircraft Plant) the necessary preparatory work is being completed to begin flight tests of the domestic wide-body long-haul airliner Il-96-400M: the aircraft has already completed regular taxiing and high-speed runs, and it should soon take off.
The modernized Il-96-400M, capable of accommodating 400 passengers
The difference between the Il-96-400M and the Il-96-300 is the fuselage extended by 9.65 m, due to this it was possible to significantly increase passenger capacity – up to 402 people in a one-class configuration versus 300 people for the Il-96-300. The modernized airliner also received more powerful PS-90A1 engines and modern avionics.
Alas, there are no commercial prospects for the Il-96-400M yet: this model is not included in the current comprehensive program for the development of the Russian aviation industry until 2030. A few weeks ago, the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, said that the Il-96-400M is not being abandoned, but the aircraft will not become truly widespread: they plan to produce it for the Special Flight Detachment “Russia” and use it as a transport aircraft. In this case, we are talking about a twin-engine version – with PD-35 engines. And the serial PD-35 will appear only by the end of the decade.
