The Ilyushin IL62 is an incredible airplane and currently there are just a handful of these classic airplanes which are still operating. The airline "Rada Airways" recently acquired another Ilyushin IL62 Freighter and that` s why I can` t call these videos "The last IL62 Freighter worldwide" anymore. Last year they bought a formter Il62 cargo plane from Manas Cargo and now there two of these fantastic looking airplanes operating out ot Belarus.
The Rada aircraft arrived empty at Maastricht Aachen Airport from Belarus to operate a cargo charter flight to Yangon the next day. Lots of planespotters showed up at Maastricht to see and hear this rare and classic airplane. For sure its one of the most unique planes I will spot in 2021 and of course it` s already a highlight of the year and will be seen in my year reviews of year 2021.
Only three IL62 cargo planes have been built or converted in total. All of them operated for the russian cargo airline Kapo for many years until they ceased operations. After standing around for a few years they finally found a new home with Rada Airways. Let` s hope they will continue flying for a long time cause I just can` t get enough of this classic russian planes.
The Il-62 has tricycle landing gear with an additional lightweight gear strut at the rear of the fuselage which extends when the aircraft reaches its parking position. Aircraft with rear-mounted engines are usually tail-heavy when sitting empty on the ground, and to prevent the aircraft from tipping up on its tail, various devices are used for supporting the tail - from simple "pogo stick" fixed struts on small aircraft, to light-weight extendable struts (Il-62). Aircraft like DC-9 or Boeing 727 use an airstair door under their tail which serves the dual purpose of a tail support as well as an extra door for passenger loading.
The Il-62 is the largest airliner ever built with all-manual flight controls, using steel cables, rods, pulleys, aerodynamic and weight balances, and trim tabs.[citation needed] The Il-62 also has a forward-mounted tank serving as a water ballast. This may be used when the aircraft flies empty or lightly loaded. If this is a fact, it would rank the Il-62 alongside other airliners that use ballast, notably the French Caravelle and the Soviet Tu-154. Due to the rear-mounted powerplants, the wings are aerodynamically clean, and takeoff and landing aids are employed without the disturbing effect of engine nacelles, resulting in free airflow over the dorsal wing surface. This allows the aircraft to fly through air turbulence of 16-18 m/s without affecting its stability.
Another key Il-62 trademark is the "saw tooth" ("dog-tooth") on the wing leading edge. This prominent feature acts as an aerodynamic fence vortex generator (without which the wings would be almost vortex-free), and fixed leading edge droop/slat/flap. It ensures vice-free behaviour at high angles of attack and assists efficient long-range cruise. The saw tooth removes the need for hydraulic controls, stick shakers, and stick pushers. Later models of the VC10 (for British United Airways and Ghana Airways) also adopted this feature, in their case closer to the wing tips.
Thanks for watching, new videos every tuesday and friday.