Derived metrics
Computed by aircraft.fyi from the core specification — see how we calculate these.
How big is it, really?
The Ilyushin Il-76's wingspan, against things you already know the size of.
The numbers
| Length | 46.59 m |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 50.50 m |
| Height | 14.76 m |
| MTOW (MD-90A) | ≈210,000 kg |
| Max payload | up to 60,000 kg |
| Range (40 t) | ≈9,300 km |
| Engines | 4 × PS-90A-76 (MD-90A) |
| First flight | 25 March 1971 |
| Built | 960+ |
Put the Ilyushin Il-76 next to something
Last verified: 2026-07-14 · Spot an error? business@luck.fyi
What makes it different
No heavy transport has been built in greater numbers: over 960 Il-76s since 1971, and modernised Il-76MD-90As are still being produced today. It was designed to feed Siberia — 50 tonnes into unpaved strips in any weather — with a glazed navigator's nose out of a 1950s bomber and landing gear that laughs at gravel.
It became the developing world's airlifter, the UN's aid truck, a water bomber, a hospital, a zero-G trainer, the platform for Russia's A-50 radar aircraft and even a flying laser testbed. If something heavy landed somewhere improbable in the last fifty years, an Il-76 probably brought it.
China builds its own derivative lineage from it (the Y-20 owes it much), India flies a fleet, and its distinctive T-tail silhouette and 46.59-metre length close out our list of the fifty longest aircraft ever built.
Ilyushin Il-76 — the short answers
How fast is the Ilyushin Il-76?
How far can the Ilyushin Il-76 fly?
Is the Ilyushin Il-76 still in production?
How big is the Ilyushin Il-76?
The Ilyushin Il-76 line
Il-76MD
Il-76MD-90A
Il-78
A-50 / A-100
Il-76TD-90VD
Who flies the Ilyushin Il-76
The top 6 operators by fleet size, of ≈35 worldwide — the rest are aggregated below. Counts marked ≈ are approximate, verified 2026-07-14.