The new plane, named Il-78M-90A, successfully took to the skies for the very first time on January 25. The plane was designed by the Ilyushin Aviation Complex and manufactured by Aviastar-SP in the city of Ulyanovsk.
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It has become the very first aerial tanker produced in Russia since the demise of the Soviet Union, as the plant which used to manufacture earlier models of Il-78 remained in Uzbekistan. While the new Il-78M-90A bears a strong resemblance to its predecessors, the plane basically retains only its old airframe, featuring entirely new equipment. The machine is based on the modern Il-76MD-90A transport planes, also manufactured by the Ulyanovsk plant.
The new plane is fitted with new wings and modern PS-90A-76 engines, which are more powerful and some 14 percent more fuel-efficient than those of the Soviet-era models. The new machine therefore boasts a larger flight range and can carry more juice to refuel other planes. The Il-78M-90A has also retained an important perk from the original Il-78, as it can easily be converted into a general-purpose transport plane in the field. The aircraft can also be fitted with fire-extinguishing equipment.
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The tanker can simultaneously refuel two smaller jets, such as Su-30s or MiG-35s, as well as one larger, long-range plane while airborne. When it is on the ground, the Il-78M-90A can refuel up to four other machines.
