Lightweight compact aircraft IL-103, designed for a pilot and three passengers, was developed and released in the nineties of the last century in the battery named after S.V. Ilyushin. This machine is distinguished by maneuverability, ease of use, has various purposes and can be climbed to a maximum height of 4,000 kilometers in terms of technical capabilities.
According to operational characteristics, officially the aircraft is designed for 15 years of service, which is equivalent to 14,000 flight hours.
Today, about forty of these single-engine piston passenger aircraft fly around the world, but their release has been suspended. In case of interest from Western investors, serial production of cars will be resumed. Today, development of design solutions for deep modernization of the aircraft is underway, options for re-equipping engines for unmanned models are being considered. In the event of the resumption of production of machines, the manufacturer, the Lukhovitsky Plant, will launch aircraft at a price of approximately $ 150-20 thousand, a very advantageous offer within this segment.
In Soviet times, about 100 aircraft of this type were successfully produced and manufactured at the facilities of the enterprise.
Areas of use
IL-103 is a multi-purpose aircraft, mainly used for transporting passengers, it also operates training flights, it is used as a liaison vehicle.
The aircraft can also be operated as:
- air taxi;
- coastal patrol facility;
- research work machine.
IL-103 can serve as a mobile laboratory and can be used for environmental monitoring, in studies of the situation on land and at sea.
The machine is not intended for transporting goods.
IL-103: technical specifications
This is not a new representative of the Ilyushin family, his first flight took place on May 17, 1994. The domestic certificate was received only on February 15, 1996. At the end of 1998, the United States of America approved a document on aircraft compliance with international FAA standards. This meant that the machine was completely ready for use, passed all tests and was in compliance with the standards. Serial production of the IL-103 was established at the Lukhovitsky machine-building plant.
The maximum curb weight is 1460 kg, the empty mass is 765 kg. The maximum payload content is 395 kg. The maximum amount of fuel, which is taken into account when the load of the aircraft, should not exceed 150 kg.
With an eight-meter length of the machine, the wingspan of each wing is 10.56 m, and the horizontal tail is 3.9 m. The IL-103 aircraft with a height of just 3.135 m has a chassis track of 2.404 m. The diameter of the propeller is impressive and amounts to as much as 1.9 m.
The machine is equipped with a tricycle, fixed gear. The aircraft is equipped with nose supports and springs, it can be operated without a runway, it can be planted on rammed soil.
IL-103 - design description
The aircraft is designed according to the standard scheme, the wings have a low landing, due to the simplicity and effectiveness of which the IL has improved aerodynamic performance, with flaps released it maintains a wide range of angles of attack of air.
IL-103 is controlled by the handle and pedals, the steering elements are located in the handle. From the left side of the cockpit, flaps are controlled using special devices. For the pilot's comfort, the pedals are adjustable in height; an additional helm can be installed. The equipment inside the cabin allows you to maintain an optimal level of microclimate, the three-mode air conditioning system works to support the circulation of the air flow, as well as for cooling and heating.
Engine
The engine has a mass of 158.9 kg. The aircraft can reach speeds not exceeding 250 km / h, while the cruising speed is 225 km / h. The maximum flight distance of the car is 1070 km.
When cruising flight at an altitude of 3000 meters, the hourly fuel consumption is an average of 22.3 kg. An alternative engine can be installed on the IL, in particular, manufactured by Lycoming.
Modifications
In October 1996, a deep modification of the machine was planned, re-equipment, the addition of new functions.
For example, the possibility of replacing one installed Teledyne Continental Motors IO-360ES engine with a capacity of 210 liters was considered. from. two - in other words, release a model with two motors. In addition, on the agenda was the issue of increasing engine power to 270-280 liters. from. From the point of view of experts, this optimization, while maintaining the current load level, would improve the flight performance during take-off and landing, which in the commercial sense would bring tangible benefits, since it would expand the possibilities of using the aircraft.
There is another version of the modification of the model with a float structure, which was supposed to be equipped with the most powerful engine; its launch was planned in 1997. A plane with a ski landing gear flew for the first time in 1996.
Equipment
The first IL-103, released in 1996, was equipped with domestic airborne installations, while there was no navigation equipment in them, later all the necessary instrument system from Bendix King was installed additionally, modern machines began to meet all flight safety requirements.
Construction and materials
All modifications are made of riveted all-metal aluminum glider with additional alloys. In the manufacture of machines, the developed technology for riveting thin-sheet skin was applied.
As for the instruments, they are made of titanium alloys, composite materials, as well as clad sheet D-16 - this is the optimal composition for various parts of the aircraft. In the manufacture of the aircraft used riveting and fiberglass. Upholstery made of modern materials was carried out taking into account the basic requirements for flammability in accordance with FAR 28.853.
When creating the inside of the machine, the best practices of the USA were used, in particular, the details of the on-board equipment, engines and propeller were made according to American technology.
Distribution geography
The regular operators of the IL-103 are Russia (30 aircraft), as well as Belarus, which has four aircraft at its disposal. Latin America did not stand aside: Peru acquired six copies for educational purposes. Today, a total of 40 cars of this series fly around the world. Three aircraft were acquired by Laos in 2002. South Korea acquired 23 aircraft, with some of the cars delivered on public debt.
Production start
The history of the creation of the IL-103 dates back to 1988, it was then that the design and implementation of the idea of a new aircraft began. An open competition was announced for the creation of the machine, young specialists willingly entered into the project, led by Pupkov. According to the terms of the competition, it was necessary to create an easily implemented design in accordance with the existing production conditions. Novozhilov was chosen as the general designer.
The design was carried out by highly qualified specialists of the Ilyushin Design Bureau, who realized a huge amount of work on the aerodynamic layout, the created models were presented in several versions. A thorough study was carried out and as part of the technical side of the aircraft control, it was decided to simplify it as much as possible.
After some time, the project was changed, and the competition changed the conditions - the innovations concerned the expansion of aircraft capabilities in terms of its operation. Only the technical requirements of the main indicators were unchanged. The designers had the opportunity to choose the concept and basic schemes of the future machine on their own, thus opening up a whole horizon of opportunities for the realization of their ideas.
Test
The first Il-103 aircraft went flying May 17, 1994, at the helm was the pilot Gudkov. The data obtained from the tests confirmed the excellent characteristics of the machine, a decision was made on the serial production of aircraft at the Lukhovitsky plant. The plane did not fall on the wing, fell on its nose and immediately began to gain speed. The tests were carried out in extreme situations, when the pilots let go of the steering, did not use the flap functions, ignored the engine. According to the data received, the aircraft can perform aerobatics, distinguishing it from similar models.
In addition to the domestic, an American certificate of suitability for the aircraft was obtained. IL-103 was recognized as an excellent aircraft with optimal performance and satisfactory carrying capacity, which means it should have become popular in the market.
Misfortunes
Officially, 4 crashes were recorded involving this model. The first crash of the IL-103 occurred on June 21, 2011 in South Korea during a training flight. The pilot and instructor died, the cause was the error of the pilot-trainee.
In 2016, on August 12, in the Altai Territory, an IL-103 crashed during takeoff; according to the official version, an engine failure occurred at an altitude of 20 meters. A private plane crashed 100 meters from the runway.
IL-103 today - rebirth
According to the first deputy general director of Il PJSC Pavel Cherenkov, today interest in light-engine aircraft has attracted interest from foreign customers, and the production of the modernized IL-103 can be restored.
The manufacture of aircraft of this series was fully mastered in Lukhovitsy near Moscow (now MiGs are assembled at the Lukhovitsky plant).
Cherenkov emphasized that a ready-made comfortable aircraft can be offered to the market for $ 150-200 thousand, this is simply a unique offer at its own profit.
The project has many issues to solve. While this is an initiative development of the Ilyushin Design Bureau, how realistic it will be to realize it will show time and demand for cars.
For example, engines of such sizes that it is planned to equip new aircraft are not yet produced in Russia, therefore, as an alternative, they are considering using foreign power plants for commercial use. It is also necessary to solve the issues of balanced heating of the aircraft cabin.
Employees of Simonov Design Bureau are currently developing engines for a drone based on the light-engine IL-103.
This beautiful light aircraft is suitable for more than domestic tasks. It is easy to train pilots, including for work on fighter jets, to deliver humanitarian aid as part of military operations. We wish our developers good luck!