Outdated Russian Aircraft on Its Way to Iran

Ilyushin intends to optimize the Il-114 aircraft again with modifications, and Russia has proposed joint production of this aircraft to Iran. Alexander Novak, the Russian Minister of Energy, stated that joint production of the upgraded Ilyushin-114 has been suggested to the Iranian side, and Russian companies are collaborating with Iranian partners to formulate specific proposals and agreements. But what kind of aircraft is this, and is it possible that the bitter memories of the Iran-140 aircraft might be repeated in this project? The Ilyushin 114 is a twin-engine turboprop aircraft with a capacity of 65 passengers, designed for routes under 700 kilometers. This aircraft first flew in 1990 and is one of the last aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. Production of the Ilyushin 114 was halted in 2012. However, the Ilyushin company intends to resume production with modifications. The Ilyushin company was founded in 1933 by Sergei Ilyushin. It is currently part of the United Aircraft Corporation along with companies like MiG, Antonov, Sukhoi, Tupolev, Yakovlev, and Irkut. During its first flight, some issues arose, and in its second flight in 1993, the aircraft crashed, leaving only two survivors out of nine passengers. After further modifications, it received the necessary flight certifications in 1997. By 2012, production had stopped with only 20 units built. This aircraft is currently used by some airlines in Russia and Uzbekistan and was an unsuccessful competitor to ATR aircraft. Iran Air has now signed a contract to purchase 20 ATR 72-600 aircraft. ATR is a Franco-Italian joint venture and is the strongest manufacturer in the turboprop passenger aircraft sector. In the past, propeller aircraft used piston engines (like cars), which had low power and efficiency, but current turboprop passenger aircraft engines are turbine-based and have high efficiency. The engine of this aircraft is a turboprop, meaning that instead of a large fan in turbofan engines, a propeller is used. Turboprop is a type of gas turbine engine that uses the rotation of the turbine shaft to turn the propeller and create thrust. These engines are suitable for aircraft with short ranges and speeds below 700 kilometers per hour and are more economical due to lower fuel consumption and maintenance costs compared to turbofan engines. These aircraft are generally suitable for distances under 700 kilometers. The Ilyushin 114, like ATR aircraft, is a turboprop and is designed to land at airports with limited facilities. This aircraft was designed to replace regional turboprops, including the Antonov 24, which was nearing the end of its operational life, targeting the former Soviet Union and its allied countries. The aircraft has a speed of 500 kilometers per hour and a flight range of 1,000 kilometers. However, a potential weakness for this aircraft is its ability to fly in tropical regions, a problem that many Russian or Ukrainian-made aircraft face. In recent years, alongside ATR aircraft, some airlines in Iran have tried to meet part of the demand for small commercial aircraft using the Iran 140 or Antonov 140. The Iran 140 also uses a turboprop engine like the ATR 72. However, because the Iranian-produced aircraft used a modified version of the Russian Mi-17 helicopter engine, many of the aircraft had engine issues. Additionally, this aircraft was not climate-compatible with Iran's weather and faced problems in high temperatures. In January 2003, the first accident of this aircraft occurred in Iran when the Antonov-140 crashed near Ardestan, killing several Ukrainian and Russian aerospace experts who had come to open a production line for a similar model in Iran. In February 2009, another Iran 140 passenger aircraft crashed near Shahin Shahr Airport in Isfahan. In August 2014, an Antonov-140 flying from Mehrabad Airport in Tehran to Tabas crashed north of Mehrabad Airport, killing 39 passengers and injuring 9 others. These incidents led to a ban on the use of this aircraft.