Similar in appearance to the U.S. C141, the IL76 is superior in many aspects.

It made its first flight on 25 march 1971 and came to the Paris Airshow that same year. It nickname was "Candid"

More than 900 airframes have been produced since then in Tashkent - Chkalowa (GAZ Nr84) or Moscow - Khodinka (GAZ Nr301)and today Ilyushin 76 aircraft are operated in almost every CIS state by hundreds of companies. The production line at this moment is dormant, but a new production of the MF version is still expected.

Some of the aircraft, presently used for air cargo traffic, are only 4 years old !

The aircraft with it's beautiful design can be easily loaded. It's payload is about 43 tons. It can operate from very poor runways. The runway and tarmac only need to be able to cope with a pressure of 6 kilos per cm² to accommodate the IL76. The aircraft also can operate very autonomously. For example the crew can change an engine without help of an outsite crane or lift truck.

Together with the B707 freighter, the IL76 is certainly one of the best examples of legendary jets in the cargo world.