THE SOVIET WORKHORSE

The Ilyushin Il-76 was a fixed-wing, four-engine turbofan designed by the Soviet Union’s Ilyushin design bureau as a commercial freighter in 1967 to replace the Antonov An-12.

It was originally developed to deliver heavy loads of equipment to remote areas lacking good quality ground facilities, first flying in March 1971. The Il-76 was able to carry a wide variety of heavy cargo and, with its ramp loading system, it requir…