Ilyushin Il-18

The Il-18 was the first Soviet airliner conceived from the start as a mass passenger aircraft rather than a bomber conversion. Four AI-20 turboprops gave a rare combination of range, capacity and fuel burn that made tickets affordable. From the late 1950s the Il-18 opened dozens of domestic and international routes, flew to Antarctica and served airlines of seventeen states. The Il-38 anti-submarine aircraft and the Il-20 reconnaissance aircraft were built on its base. The museum example served in polar aviation and took part in Antarctic expeditions; the navigator compartment is preserved in its original fit.