Ilyushin IL-76

What is the Il-76 used for?

The Ilyushin Il-76 is a four-engine heavy transport that the Soviet Union designed to move bulky cargo to remote places. Its NATO reporting name is Candid.

The design brief called for a 40-tonne (88,000 lb) payload over about 2,700 nautical miles, flying from airstrips of 500 m or less. That mix of heavy lift and rough-field ability is why the type became the standard airlifter across the Soviet bloc and far beyond it.

Today it hauls military equipment, civil freight, relief supplies and troops. It also fights wildfires, refuels other aircraft and carries radar for airborne early warning.

How the Il-76 was built

The prototype first flew on 25 March 1971, and the first aircraft reached the Soviet Air Force in June 1974. The airframe has a high wing, a rear loading ramp and a large multi-wheel undercarriage that spreads the weight on soft ground.

Four Soloviev D-30KP turbofans power the original version. The full specification table for the aircraft is on this page, so the figures below only explain what matters.

The aircraft is 152 ft 11 in (46.60 m) long, and its wing span is 165 ft 8 in (50.50 m). That puts it in the same class as the Boeing C-17 Globemaster III, which is why the two are so often compared.

Il-76 variants

More than 900 aircraft have been built across the whole family, according to Wikipedia’s infobox, which flags that count as unverified. The basic transport accounts for roughly 860 of them.

• Il-76M and Il-76MD: the military transports. The MD carries about 48,000 kg (106,000 lb), up from 42,000 kg (93,000 lb) on the M.
• Il-76T and Il-76TD: civil freighters. The T first flew on 4 November 1978 and the TD followed in 1982.
• Il-76MD-90A: the modern version, with a glass cockpit, a one-piece carbon-fibre wing and Aviadvigatel PS-90A-76 engines. Its maximum takeoff weight is 210,000 kg (462,971 lb) and its payload is up to 60,000 kg (130,000 lb).
• Il-78: an aerial refuelling tanker, with around 50 built.
• Beriev A-50: an airborne early warning aircraft on the same airframe, with around 25 built.

The Il-76MD-90A is built at Ulyanovsk, Russia. The first serial aircraft went to the Russian Ministry of Defence on 2 April 2019, and Wikipedia reports 27 or more built by late 2025, with six delivered in 2023, six in 2024 and seven in 2025.

Il-76 engines

The original Il-76 uses four Soloviev D-30KP turbofans, each rated at roughly the figure shown in the panel on this page.

The MD-90A swaps them for four PS-90A-76 engines rated at 156.9 kN (35,300 lbf) each. The extra power is what supports the higher weights and heavier payloads of the newest version.

Il-76 range and speed

The published range depends heavily on payload. Wikipedia gives 2,700 nautical miles for the Il-76MD-90A carrying 52 tonnes, and about 5,200 nautical miles as a ferry range with no payload.

The page lists the original Il-76’s range as shown in the panel, which matches SKYbrary’s figure. Treat any single number as a best case for one weight, not a promise for every mission.

Cruise is about 432 kt (497 mph, 800 km/h) according to SKYbrary, at roughly Mach 0.78. That is slower than a typical jet airliner.

Il-76 vs C-17

The two aircraft do a similar job but come from different design philosophies. Both are four-engine strategic airlifters with rear ramps that can operate from short, rough strips.

The Il-76 is the older design, first flown in 1971 and built to a 40-tonne requirement. For the full numbers, see our C-17 Globemaster III page and compare it with the panel on this one.

Inside the Il-76

The cargo hold on later variants is about 20 m long, 3.4 m wide and 3.4 m tall, per Wikipedia. Britannica notes that the aircraft carries two cranes for loading heavy pieces.

The crew is normally five,.

Who flies the Il-76?

The Russian Aerospace Forces are the largest operator, with roughly 130 Il-76 transports, 19 Il-78 tankers and 12 A-50 and A-100 radar aircraft, according to Wikipedia. China’s air force flies about 26 Il-76MD and TD aircraft, and India operates 17 Il-76MD.

Algeria, Iran, Angola, Uzbekistan and Armenia also operate the type. Civil operators fly the T and TD freighters, such as the Il-76TD shown below.

Safety record

As of July 2024 the Aviation Safety Network tracked 137 incidents involving the type, with 1,158 fatalities and 99 airframes written off, as reported by Wikipedia. A raw count says little on its own, because the fleet is large and has flown for five decades.

The most widely reported recent loss was on 24 January 2024, when an Il-76 crashed in Belgorod Oblast, Russia. Russia said the aircraft carried 65 Ukrainian prisoners of war, six crew and three other personnel, and blamed Ukraine. Ukraine did not confirm a shootdown, and the cause remains disputed.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Il-76 used for?

It moves heavy cargo and troops, mostly for military forces. Other versions refuel aircraft in flight, fight fires, and carry airborne radar.

Which is bigger, C-17 or Il-76?

Both are four-engine strategic airlifters. The Il-76 was built to a 40-tonne payload requirement, and the latest MD-90A can lift up to 60,000 kg (130,000 lb). Compare it with the C-17 on our C-17 page.

How many Il-76 are still flying?

No single public count exists. Russia alone operates around 130 transports, and China, India, Algeria, Iran and others fly dozens more, plus civil freighters.

Is Il-76 a good plane?

It has been a durable workhorse for over 50 years, and the type is still being built. Its strengths are rough-field ability and cargo flexibility.

Is the Il-76 still in production?

Yes. The Il-76MD-90A is built at Ulyanovsk, Russia, with seven delivered in 2025 according to Wikipedia.