Background
In April 1936, the Soviet Government placed an order with Douglas for 18 DC-3s on behalf of Aeroflot. By the end of the year, a further 21 had been ordered, prompting the Soviet government to acquire a license to produce the DC-3 in the Soviet Union.
Built by a team under the direction of Soviet engineer Boris Lisunov, this Soviet DC-3 was known as the Lisunov Li-2. A workhorse just like the DC-3, the Soviets built over 6,000 Li-2s between 1939 and 1952.
Though the primary aircraft used by Aeroflot during the 1940’s, the Li-2 had become outdated by the mid-to-late 1940’s, prompting Soviet aircraft manufacturer Ilyushin to design a brand new airliner to replace it.
Known as the Ilyushin Il-12, Ilyushin’s new airliner resembled the Li-2 in many ways, but also had its differences: namely its tricycle landing gear and larger size.
After over a year of rigorous flight testing (which uncovered several major design issues that needed to be fixed before it entered service) the Il-12 was revealed to the public in May 1947 and entered Aeroflot service in June that same year.
Yet even after extensive
Development
Operational History
Airline
Military
VIP
Aviation Authority
Museum
Specifications
| Specifications | Ilyushin Il-14M |
|---|---|
| Length | 22.3 m (73 ft 2 in) |
| Wingspan | 31.7 m (104 ft) |
| Height | 7.9 m (25 ft 11 in) |
| Crew | 4 |
| Passengers | 24-32 |
| Max. Speed | 417 km/h (259 mph; 225 kn) |
| Range | 1,305 km (811 mi; 705 nmi) |
| Service Ceiling | 7,400 m (24,300 ft) |
| MTOW | 18,000 kg (39,683 lb) |
How Safe Was The Ilyushin Il-14?
Why Was The Ilyushin Il-14 Used For so Long?
Legacy
Communism
Just as with other pieces of Soviet-made technology, most of the countries within the Soviet sphere of influence operated the Il-14, which allowed it to be used as a sort of pan-communist propaganda tool throughout the 1950’s.
Heavily featured in propaganda movies like Czechoslovakia’s Hrdina má strach, Poland’s Przerwany lot and the Soviet Union’s Bez sroka davnosti, communist propaganda ministries used the Il-14 to get an important message across: all communist countries are equal to one another.
Similarly, countries like the USSR, East Germany and Czechoslovakia issued stamps featuring the Il-14 to reinforce this message. Though it depends on the year, country of origin and condition of the stamp, they can be worth up to $50 today!
Indeed, it was such a good propaganda tool that many Soviet propaganda reels featuring the Il-14 wound up in the West, segments of which (often featuring the Il-14) were used to teach children in the West the dangers of communism.
To that end, when Western TV shows or movies in the 1960’s and 1970’s needed to feature a small, Soviet-made airliner, the Il-14 was often used!
Future Aircraft
What do you think about the Ilyushin Il-14? Have you ever flown it? Tell me in the comments!