IL-114

The main purpose of the airplane, production of which started in 1992, was transportation of passengers with their luggage and cargo at domestic routes with heavy passenger traffic flows and at some long-haul routes with low passenger traffic flows. The IL-114 can be operated from relatively small airfields with either concrete or unpaved runways and that contributes to the expansion of the operational geography of the utilization of this airplane.

Since 1990, IL-114 aircraft were built in Tashkent, but in 2012, due to the re-profiling of the plant and the absence of new commercial orders, their production was curtailed. The An-24 and Yak-40 aircraft, forming the basis of today's Russian air fleet of this class, will soon retire. The Il-114 airplane, designed as their replacement in the Soviet era as far back as the 1980s, unfortunately turned out unclaimed. Airlines refused to adopt Il-114 series-production aircraft referring to its oversized design and operational unprofitability in conditions of decreasing air transport volumes, as well as to insufficient reliability of its engines.

Retailing for some $9 million, the Il-114 can carry up to 64 passengers as far as 1,200 kilometers. It has been in production since 1992, and was certified in 1997. Designed by the Ilyushin Design Bureau in Moscow, between 80 percent and 90 percent of its components are made in Russia, although it is assembled at a facility in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. The plane can be fitted either with two Russian-made turboprop TV-7 or Canadian Pratt & Whitney PW127C engines. It can also be fitted as a cargo plane, called the Il-114T, which has yet to be certified.

The IL-114 aircraft has the traditional layout: the straight wing with two engines, fastened to the fuselage according to diagram low wing monoplane, high keel. Each engine revolves six-blade low-noise propeller, and three-strut landing gear with the nose wheel is designed taking into account the operation of aircraft from the uneven, unprepared areas.

The design of the IL-114 aircraft represents a monoplane with low wings, the usual single-fin tail unit, with a three point landing gear. The composite materials are widely used in the design of the aircraft. The straight wing is located low, large lengthening, trapezoid form, caisson type. The wing is demountable and consists of the wing center section and two console parts. The wing is equipped with the means of takeoff-landing mechanism, which consists from sliding two-slot-hole flaps with the fixed baffles (deviating by 10, 20 and 40 degrees); the aileron with trimmers and service jacks, and four section brake panels (that deviate upwards at 50 degrees when chassis wheels contact with the surface of the runway).

The fuselage is hermetically sealed, round section and one-deck. The fuselage consists of forward, middle and tail parts, and also APU compartment. On the deck are placed: cabin of the crew and transport cabin that includes passenger cabin, entrance Hall, luggage and cargo compartments. The cabins are equipped with the necessary household, sanitary and rescue equipments. The emergency exits, entrance and cargo doors are located in fuselage. The tail unit is a single-fin with the fixed stabilizer on fuselage. Horizontal tail unit consists of two cantilevers with the control surface of height with trimmers on each cantilever. Vertical tail unit consists of fin, control surface with trimmer and balance tab.

Landing gear - removable, three-basic circuit with a forward rack. The chassis consists of single prop forward support, two main support, the system of releasing and retracting of landing gear, the control system of turning a forward support wheels, the system of braking of the main support wheels, the system of cooling of the wheels. A forward support is controlling. On an axis of each support two wheels are established. Wheels of the main support are braking. The shock-absorbing racks of the landing gear have the telescopic type with pneumohydraulic shock-absorption. All the landing gear supports are removed in the flight direction.

The Il-114's performance is largely due to its TV-117C turboshaft engines developed by the Klimov Company for this particular aircraft with a view to the maximum fuel efficiency, high dependability and easy maintenance. Indeed, only meeting these targets in full could secure a good future for both the engine and the aircraft. The TV-117 turboshaft engine was developed in 1997 for Il-114 regional airliners by a team of engineers led by Mr. V.S.Petrov. Its cost-effectiveness, service life and reliability make it one of the best models in this class in the world. The engine has a modular design. The upgraded TV7-117SM version of this engine was issued a type certificate in 2002. This version features a state-of-the art full authority digital control system (FADEC). The engine also has superb consumer qualities such as reliability, ease of maintenance and servicing. These engines hold considerable promise as a component of new Russian aircraft such as Il-114, Il-112 and MiG-110. Several versions of the TV7-117 are currently under development, including a TV7-117V turboshaft engine for helicopters, marine engines (for speed boats) and industrial engines (for power generators).

The IL-114-100 airplane version was made on the basis of the IL-114 airplane. A new version of the airplane unlike the previous version is equipped with the PW-127H engines manufactured by «PRATT&WHITNEY» (Canada). The new power plant permits to increase the flight range. It also improves the take-off and landing characteristics including those under mountainous terrain and high temperature conditions. Besides, like the basic aircraft the IL-114-100 is designed for operation on local routes in order to provide passengers with services close by its comfort level to those at long-haul routes. The airplane first flight was carried out on January 26, 1999.

Il-114-300 aircraft is intended to be used for regional airlines. The Il-114-300 has been equipped with new high-power turbo-prop engines TV7-117SM. The most important features are the increased fuel efficiency and the possibility to use poorly-equipped airfields. A modern passenger compartment provides a comfortable flight in all climatic conditions. To ensure autonomous operation at poorly-equipped airfields Il-114-300 is fitted with a built-in airstairs and an auxiliary power unit. Il-114-300 is being maintained "On Condition" concept ensuring the required level of airworthiness.

The final decision to re-launch production of the Il-114 twin-engine regional turboprop was made in May 2016 following a presentation of similar programs – Ukrainian Antonov An-140, Chinese Xian Aircraft MA700 and local Tupolev Tu-324 to the Russian President Vladimir Putin. According to Slyusar, about 40% of Il-114’s production may be located at sites in several regions along the Volga river. Combining the capabilities of United Aircraft’s Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod, the Ulyanovsk-based airframer Aviastar, and facilities in Voronezh, could enable production of 12 aircraft per year by 2022.