Atlant-Soyuz orders 4 additional cargo Il-96s

http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2007/06/05/214360/atlant-soyuz-adds-il-96-400ts.html

Not only is this good news for Ilyushin and VASO (the production plant in Voronezh), the pic attached to the above article also promises some serious eye-candy. I’ve always been a big fan of the long fuselage Il-96s and these airframes are obviously being painted in Atlant-Soyuz’ smashing new colours!

Here’s what the aircraft itself will look like, although it will be powered by uprated PS-90A1 turbofans rather than PW2000s as seen on this photo:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/0061103/L/

And this is a better look at the rather magnificient colour scheme that will be gracing it:

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1205338/L/

http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1157761/L/

I find it interesting that the Il-96 freighters are finally seeing some success (AirBridge/VolgaDnepr, Atlant-Soyuz and possibly Aeroflot Cargo), you’d think they should have been in great demand after Boeing’s decision to halt MD-11F production. It is an almost perfect substitute in pretty much every respect, and with the superiour 777 freighter available soon, this precious window of opportunity for Ilyushin won’t last very long anymore outside Russia. Apparently the withdrawal of financial support by American investors in 1998 (also ending the cooperation with P&W and Honeywell just after FAA certification had been obtained!) was a very serious blow to the programme from which it is only now recovering.