OKB Ilyushin: A History of the Design Bureau and its Aircraft

Established in 1934, the Ilyushin design bureau is one of the best-known Soviet/Russian aircraft design companies. Over the years the Ilyushin OKB has developed aircraft for widely varying roles. Its first aircraft to achieve production status, the DB-3 bomber, entered service in 1936. The IL-2 (Shturmovik) armoured attack aircraft brought Ilyushin well-earned fame; this aircraft was used with considerable success during World War 2. Ilyushin's involvement with combat aircraft continued with the experimental IL-22 four-jet bomber of 1946 and the extremely successful IL-28 tactical bomber of 1947 - the Soviet counterpart of the English Electric Canberra. However, it was those years that marked the bureau's transition to transport aircraft from the twin-engined IL-12 of 1945 developed as a 'DC-3 replacement', followed by many successful aircraft, including the four-turboprop IL-18 airliner (1957), the four-turbofan long-haul IL-62 (1961), the IL-76 military/civil freighter (1971) and the first Soviet wide-body airliner, the IL-86 of 1976. The company has also moved into general aviation with the IL-103 four-seater. This book presents the full history of this famous organisation and the aircraft it produced. Written by well known Russian authors and based on detailed research in original Russian sources, it follows on from the earlier and successful Midland histories of the Mikoyan and Sukhoi design bureaux.