The Ilyushin Il-96T freighter had its maiden flight on 16 May at the VASO Voronezh production plant. The aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney PW2337 engines and equipped with Rockwell-Collins avionics, was flown for 21min. It has now been ferried to the Zhukovsky flight-test centre where it will be flight-tested leading to type certification by the end of this year. Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines is due to take delivery of the first aircraft in 1997, with the second freighter to follow in 1998, together with the first Il-96M passenger aircraft. The $75 million aircraft are being part-funded using export-credit guarantees worth $1 billion from the US Exim bank.
Source: Flight International
