The Ilyushin Il-96 300 is one of the main variants of the Il-96, a widebody airliner built by the Ilyushin Design Bureau and produced by the Voronezh Aircraft Production Association. The aircraft features a quadjet design, powered by Aviadvigatel PS-90 Russian high-bypass turbofan engines.
During the mid-1980s, development of the Il-96 began. In 1985, the Ilyushin Il-96-300 was launched. On September 28, 1988, the first prototype conducted its maiden flight. In 1993, the variant entered into service with Aeroflot. The Il-96-300 is the first version of the Ilyushin Il-96 series and is powered by Aviadvigatel PS-90A Russian high-bypass commercial turbofan engines that produce a maximum thrust of 35,300 lbf each.
Aside from being a high-bypass turbofan engine designed for economy, the PS-90A also features integrated exhaust with exhaust mixer for better performance, acoustically-treated exhaust duct to produce low noise, full-authority digital engine control (FADEC) to perform at maximum efficiency during certain conditions, long service life based on on-condition maintenance, and modular design for easy maintenance.
The Il-96-300 can travel on a range of 5,940 nautical miles while carrying 262 passengers on board and fuel reserves in a two-class layout. The standard travel range with maximum payload is 6,209 nautical miles. An upgraded variant of the Il-96-300 designated as Il-96-300PU is in service as the main aircraft in the Russian presidential fleet.
Four Il-96-300PUs are in service with the Russian President Vladimir Putin and the VIP planes by Deputy Chairman Dmitry Medvedev. Russia State Transport Company, the largest air carrier in Russia, operates the Ilyushin VIP planes. The Republic of Cuba is also one of the operators of the Il-96-300.
The aircraft has a service ceiling of 43,000 feet, a cruising speed that ranges around 459 to 469 knots, a takeoff distance of 2,380 meters, and a landing distance of 860 meters. It has a maximum takeoff weight of 250,000 kg, a maximum payload of 40,000 kg, and a fuel tank capacity of 40,32 US gallons. The Il-96-300 has an external length of 55.3 meters, an external height of 7 meters, a tail height of 15.7 meters, and a width of 6.08 meters. It has a 21-meter wheelbase, a 60.1-meter wingspan, and a 350-square meter wing area.
