Fuselage mating has commenced for the first Ilyushin Il-114-300 to be manufactured using serial production technology.
The aircraft is being assembled at the Lukhovitsy plant of RSK MiG near Moscow.
Joining of the fuselage sections is being performed on an automated rig specially designed and built for the task, says United Aircraft.
Once complete the assembled fuselage will be mated with the turboprop’s wings and tail sections, beginning in the third quarter of this year.
This will be followed by installation of the Klimov TV7-117ST engines and the fitting of other systems.
Four consecutive work centres have been established, says the airframer, to sequentially carry out the assembly and inspection of the Il-114.
The modernised -300 version will have digital avionics and, according to state technology firm Rostec’s aviation cluster industrial director Anatoly Serdyukov, will become “one of the most promising models in its class”.
United Aircraft says the 68-seat turboprop will have a range of about 800nm (1,500km) and is designed to be reliable and capable of operating from remote and unpaved regional airports.
