Ilyushin Il-38

The Ilyushin Il -38 (Russian Ильюшин Ил -38, NATO reporting name: May ) is the military submarine defense variant of the propeller passenger plane Ilyushin Il- 18th

History

The project began in OKB Ilyushin a demand from the Central Committee and the Council of Ministers of 18 June 1960. Development headed Sergei Ilyushin himself, chief engineer was Yakov Kooterow. Unlike other IL-18 - versions of the pattern has a delay of about four meters by 1.8 meters body forward -laid airfoil to compensate for the damage caused by the electronic equipment placed at the front of the shifted center of gravity. The maiden flight Vladimir Kokkinaki on 28 September 1961. Due to problems especially in the development of the avionics troops launch delayed at the Soviet Seefliegerkräften. Although the pattern had already been released in December 1965 for series production, the Il- 38 was officially put into service until January 17, 1969 the first aircraft were delivered to the units from March 1968. Originally, 250 Il -38 will be built, but production ended in 1972 after 58 copies. The Il- 38 was flown at the 24th OPAP ( Independent submarine hunting air regiment ) in Severomorsk, the 77th OPAP in Nikolajewa in Vladivostok and the 145th opÄ (self-employed submarine hunting season ) in Riga.

From 1974 to 1977, known as Il- 38M variant was tested with in-flight refueling probe; also existed a version of Il- 38MZ with a retractable refueling hose in the bomb bay. Both types remained prototypes. On 4 April 2001 the prototype of the modernized Il- 38N, the place of the old Berkut -U- Jagdystems a Morskoi Smei ( Sea Dragon ) and an ELINT system has flew on top of the fuselage.

1977 and 1983 went three and two Il -38 of the Indian Air Force. In September 2001, issued a 200 - million-dollar contract to modernize these aircraft under the designation Il- 38SD, the first copy was delivered in 2006. Two of the Indian machine collided in October 2002 during a formation flight over the Goa airport and crashed, both crews were killed. They were replaced by two more Il- 38SD. Instead of the older Berkut radar this as the Il- 38N is equipped with a Morskoi Smei and missiles to combat Überwasserseezielen. From 1970 to 1972 some Il -38 were with Egyptian emblem used in the Mediterranean. These aircraft belonged to the 90th ODRAE (self-employed long-range reconnaissance squadron ), had been chartered and flew with Soviet crews. In 1983, a second version with additional radome under the fuselage known ( May- B).

The remaining approximately 25 to 30 machines to be fully modernized to Il- 38N and stay until at least 2020 in the service. Stationed they are in Severomorsk, Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and Nikolaeva.

Specifications

User States

• Soviet Union Soviet Union / Russia Russia
• Ukraine Ukraine
• India India