Ukrainian Air Force Ilyushin IL-76 - 25th Transport Aviation Brigade - 76683

Originally designed as a commercial cargo aircraft for transporting heavy machinery to remote locations in the Soviet Union lacking any infrastructure, the IL-76 evolved into a large family of aircraft for commercial and military purposes. Since its initial introduction in 1974, more than 970 aircraft have been built. Compared to previous versions, the IL-76MD variant has a longer range while also having a higher gross weight. The engine and systems are identical to those of the Il-76M. Structural changes were made to the airframe to accommodate a higher payload of up to 50 tons. At the same time, the internal fuel capacity was increased to 117,000 liters by enlarging the wing tanks, resulting in a new range of 4,400 kilometers at maximum payload. This IL-76MD originally entered service with the Soviet Air Force in 1986. From 1993, it was used as a commercial cargo aircraft for Veteran Avia and later Atlant-Soyuz Airlines before being acquired by the Ukrainian Air Force in 2002. 76683 is part of the 25th Air Transport Brigade and is named after Lieutenant Colonel Oleksandr Ivanovych Bilyi. He was the commander of an Il-76 that was shot down by a Russian surface-to-air missile on approach to Luhansk Airport on June 14, 2014. Nine crew members and 40 paratroopers were on board. This IL-76 was posthumously named in honor of Oleksandr Bilyi.

A true-to-scale, miniature model for adult collectors.