Article Posted on : - Apr 20, 2017

A model of the Ilyushin Il-112V light transport aircraft. An internet photo

MOSCOW (BNS): The Ilyushin Il-112V light military transport aircraft of Russia will undertake its maiden flight test before this yearend, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin has said after visiting the Voronezh Aircraft Plant (VASO) which is manufacturing the new plane.

The aircraft was originally planned to perform its maiden flight before July 1 this year, according to a  news report in Itar-Tass.

In February 2017, the first Il-112V plane prototype’s wing was mated to its fuselage and the aircraft was brought to the final assembly workshop.

At the same time, work to assemble an experimental full-mission simulator, which is important for the preparation of the Il-112V plane's first flight, began.

In early April, VASO, which is a part of Russia's United Aircraft Corporation, received the first TV7-117ST engines.

The Il-112V light military transport aircraft with a cargo-carrying capacity of five tons is designed to transport military personnel, armament and other cargo.

The cargo plane can take off and land on small, harsh airfields with both concrete and unpaved runways.

There are plans to produce two versions of the plane -- the commercial Il-112T and the military Il-112V, Itar-Tass reported.

The Russian Defence Ministry is planning to order some 62 Il-112V planes, it said quoting earlier news reports.