Antonov An-2

     Notes: The An-2 is a seemingly antiquated design that was so useful to Soviet and Russian civilians, and to the Air Force, that it was produced in large numbers from 1947-2001. The An-2 is known for being a very rugged and robust design that gives a long period of useability to its owners. The An-2 was mass produced in astounding numbers, and used by civilians and military concerns all over the world. The An-2 was originally designed as a forestry and agricultural aircraft as well as a bush plane, but the basic airframe is very adaptable and numerous variants have been developed, from basic transport to scientific research to water bombers. Initial production of the first 5000 An-2s was at State Factory 473 in Kyiv, and later Soviet production was as State Factory 464 in Dolgoprudniy.  After 1960, most An-2s were actually built by PZL in Poland, where over 13,000 were built. China also built the An-2 under license as the Shijiazhuang Y-5. By 1992, the An-2 had the longest production run of any aircraft, though this record has since been exceeded. The An-2 is essentially a large, slow, rugged biplane. The An-2’s first military use was by North Korea during the Korean War.

     The An-2 is a biplane in a world of monoplanes, but the paired wings give high lift and maneuverability. Despite the biplane design, the aircraft is of all-metal construction. The most common version is the 12-seater An-2T utility cargo aircraft. The initial engine designated for the An-2 was quickly replaced by the 9-cylinder radial Shvetsov ASh-62 engine developing 1010 horsepower. The An-2 is not known for its speed, but it has excellent slow speed handling characteristics and STOL performance. The An-2 was deliberately built with complexity kept to a minimum. The wings have automatic (though non-mechanical) leading edge slats that contribute to the An-2’s slow speed handling. The compressor is connected to an air pump so that tire pressure in the landing gear and shock absorbers can be adjusted.  The landing gear brakes are the same as those on heavy trucks of the period. The engine is self-starting and does not need an external power source. The cabin is heated and ventilated.

     Variants include the An-2A, developed from the An-2T as an interceptor for reconnaissance balloons from the US.  It has a combined searchlight/autocannon turret on the rear fuselage on top mounting a pair of GSh-23 autocannons or a single A-12.7 heavy machinegun. The An-2A has a turbocharged ASz-62IR engine for high-altitude use, delivering 1178 horsepower.  The An-2P is the An-2T with permanently mounted passenger seats; Soviet An-2Ps had ten seats plus two for the pilots, but PZL-built An-2Ps had 12 seats plus two for the pilots. The An-2TP is a version specifically for the transport of small teams of paratroopers, and has tip-up bench seats and static line attachment cables. The An-2V is a floatplane variant, with floats instead of conventional landing gear.  It will not be further detailed here.

    The An-3 is essentially a turboprop-powered An-2T, powered by Glushenkov TVD-20-03 1375-horsepower turboprop engine. This comes in variants similar to the An-2; the An-2TK is a convertible cargo/passenger version with six foldable twin seats, and the An-3D is the paratrooper version.

    In 2013, there were further developments on the turboprop-powered An-2 front; Antonov developed a new version of the An-2, called the An-2-100, powered by a Motor Sich MS-14 turboprop developing 1500 horsepower.  The primary aim was owners in former CIS countries, where aviation gasoline is no longer being produced in large amounts.

Antonov An-12

     Notes: Also known by the NATO reporting name of Cub, this aircraft was produced in very large numbers and sold worldwide to former Soviet client states and trading partners.  It is also used by civilian agencies.  It is roughly in a class with the American C-130 Hercules, and also looks similar to that aircraft, except for the An-12’s T-tail. It is a military variant of a civilian passenger aircraft, the An-10, which itself developed from the An-8 prototype aircraft. First flight occurred in 1957, and initial service entry was with the Soviet Air Force in 1959. A similar version is built in China and known as the Y-8.  Military users of this aircraft include Afghanistan, Angola, Czechoslovakia, Ethiopia, Iraq, Russia, Yemen, China, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Sudan. Variants include ELINT and ECM versions, as well as a SAR version. 

     The aircraft has a rear ramp for cargo and paratroopers. The wing is mounted high on the fuselage, like most modern military cargo aircraft, and the tail is mounted in a semi-T fashion, with a long fin in front of the vertical stabilizer. Above the rear tailcone is a position for a tail gunner, manning a pair of autocannons. The An-12 is powered by four Ivchenko AI-20A turboprops, each delivering 4000 horsepower. The An-12 can be used for airdrops, and can, for example, tote a pair of BMD fighting vehicles.

     The An-12 has a number of variants.  The An-12A has fuel tanks in the inner part of the wing as well as the outer wings, and is powered by AI-20K engines developing 4250 horsepower each. The An-12AP is a further improved An-12A, with more fuel tanks under the floor of the cargo compartment.

     The An-12B has the extra wing fuel tanks of the 12A, and the wings are also stressed to handle the extra fuel load. It also has a separate Flight Engineer station at the rear of an enlarged cockpit.  A TG-16 APU is mounted in the port landing gear fairing, which allows for operations with the engines turned off or to allow the An-12B to self-start. The engines are the same power as the An-12A, but are more reliable AI-20Ms. Some An-12Bs were built at the factory as civilian transports; these have military and sensitive equipment removed or replaced, but carry the same designation of An-12B. The An-12B-I is an An-12B equipped for electronic warfare with a Fasol active jamming system. Only seven such modifications were made. The An-12BK is an An-12B with improved avionics, a TG-16M APU, and a widened cargo door; it is also rated for a larger cargo capacity. The An-12BK-IS is another EW variant, equipped with the Sirena active jamming system as well as the Fasol active jammer; from 1974, the Fasol and Sirena systems were supplemented with the Bar’yer ECM system and a new IRCM jammer (don’t know the name of it). The An-12BK-PPS is developed from both the An-12BK and An-12PP; it is similar to the An-12BK-IS, but has the addition of chaff dispensers in the tailcone. Most An-12BK-PPSs served until 2006, when they were stripped of EW equipment and returned to transport duties as An-12BKs. The An-12BP is the same as the BK, but also has the underfloor fuel tanks of the An-12AP.

     The An-12BKTs is a meteorological reconnaissance laboratory. The An-12BPTs is similar to the An-12BKT, but also has a data recording suite and cloud seeding equipment. The An-12BKK is a VIP transport variant, with a single such aircraft being so modified. The An-12BKT is sort of a flying gas station; it is not an aerial tanker, but designed for refueling of aircraft on the ground where no refueling facilities are available.  It’s cargo bay has a sealed tank for 19,500 liters of fuel. The An-12T is similar, but can also be equipped to carry rocket fuels and oxidizers. The An-12PL is an An-12BP fitted with skis instead of conventional landing gear. These in this paragraph will not be further detailed here.

     The An-12M is a standard initial-production An-12, but fitted with four AI-20DM 5180-horsepower turboprops; this variant, despite its higher performance, was stopped due the AI-20DM engines being discontinued. The An-12P is a standard initial production An-12 with additional fuel tanks under the floor of the cargo bay. The An-12PP is an EW platform based on the An-12B, equipped with Booket active jammers to provide wide radius jamming support; the An-12PP was designed to operate as part of a larger formation of An-12s and provide wide-radius EW support. The An-12PP also has ECM jammers and automatic chaff dispensers in the tailcone. The An-12R is the probable designation for a small number of An-12BKs modified for the electronic reconnaissance role.  The An-12R is studded with antennas and antenna fairings, and is equipped with ELINT gear and radar and radio detection and ranging gear. The An-12VKP is an An-12A airborne command post, with several secure radios of various ranges and a navigation suite.  The cargo bay is pressurized and fitted out as a “war room.” The An-12VKP has several self-defense flare and chaff dispensers. Only one was built.

Antonov An-14 Pchelka/An-28 Bryza

     Notes: Known to the Russians as the Pchelka (Little Bee) and to NATO as the Clod, the An-14 is a light short-range STOL transport originally produced for civil aviation, but pressed into military service, particularly for insertion of small Spetsnaz teams.  The Clod has excellent low-speed characteristics, and it is capable of short and rough-field takeoffs and landings; it generally praised for being easy to fly and having natural stability. The An-14 is used by Russia, Bulgaria, Guinea, Mongolia, and Yugoslavia. Despite its good flying statistics, the An-14 proved unable to replace the An-2 and was not built in as large numbers.

     The An-14 is a high-wing monoplane with struts under the wings. The wings have automatic leading edge slats and split flaps. The tail has a slightly V-shaped set of tailplanes and twin vertical stabilizers. The tricycle landing gear is not retractable, but the wheels can be fitted with skis for winter operation. The main wheels are mounted on short sponsons. The An-14 has a clamshell rear end that can open for cargo loading, but this rear end cannot be opened in flight.  The An-14 is powered by a pair of Ivchenko AI-14RF radial piston engines developing 300 horsepower each.

     The An-14B variant tested the viability of giving the An-14A retractable landing gear, but this gear added so much weight and complexity that manufacture was not authorized. The An-714 tested the use of an air cushion device to allow landings on very rough terrain, but again this added so much weight and complexity that it was not manufactured beyond the initial prototype. These versions will not be detailed here. The An-14M eventually diverged enough from the initial An-14 design that it was given its own designation, the An-28.

     Also known by its NATO reporting name of Cash, the An-28 is an expanded-fuselage version powered by Glushenkov TVD-10B turboprop engines with 960 horsepower each, a vast increase in engine power over the An-14, enabling it to haul more weight. The wings have a bit more surface area than the An-14, as do the tailplanes and vertical stabilizers. It is almost two meters longer than the An-14, with a wider fuselage.

     The An-28RM Bryza 1RM is modified as a SARbird and air ambulance; I don’t have enough details to stat this one with justice. The An-28PT is made by PZL of Poland, and is powered by Pratt & Whitney PT6A-45 turboprops developing 1020 horsepower each.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Germany had 4 An-14s at the start of the Twilight War that once belonged to the former East Germany.  The An-28PT does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Antonov An-22 Antei

     Notes: This is a Russian transport designed for the shipment of bulk cargo, and has little accommodations for troops.  The aircraft is fitted with two radars, one being terrain-following radar that lends itself to low approaches and low-altitude flying. 

     The An-22, known as the Cock to NATO, is a conventional design high-wing monoplane with a pair of vertical stabilizers at the tail. The tails are fitted with anti-flutter masses atop the vertical stabilizers. The An-22 is powered by four Kuznetsov NK-12MA turboprop engines with 15,000 horsepower each, driving contra-rotating propellers with eight blades each. The landing gear is designed for takeoff from rough surfaces; initially, the tire pressure could be adjusted in flight for the surface on which they were about to land, but this feature was later deleted as unnecessary. The cargo space was pressurized to only 3.55 PSI, allowing the construction of the fuselage to be lighter. (Oxygen bottles were carried by loadmasters and cargo crews.) The forward part of the cargo section, separated by a bulkhead from the rest of the cargo space, is pressurized to a 3000-meter level. Prototypes had glazed noses, but production versions were fitted with radar and the glazing deleted; the standard radar was fitted in the right wheel well and the TFR in the nose. The flight controls were augmented to ease the flying task on the pilots. The rear of the aircraft has a large ramp for loading and unloading of cargo, and the An-22 can “kneel,” settling onto its landing gear to facilitate loading and unloading.

     Initial production An-22s required an external engine start system, but the An-22A (a designation not used by the Soviet military) had an internal APU for engine starts, and had updated radios and navigation equipment. The An-22PZ was designed to transport wing center sections and outer wings externally above the fuselage. These aircraft are fitted with pylons above the fuselage to carry the outsize cargo.  These aircraft have a third vertical stabilizer in the center.  The An-22PZ will not be detailed here.

     The An-22 was originally slated to operate until 2033, when they would be fully replaced by the An-124.  However, they were retired early; an An-22 was destroyed in a crash in 2025, when it was testing equipment to extend the life of the fleet, and the upgrade program ended and the fleet was grounded. The An-22 still holds the record as the largest turboprop ever produced.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: Only about 45 remained in service by the time of the Twilight War, most being used by Russian Airborne forces and Spetsnaz for the delivery of vehicles and other large cargoes.

An-26 Nastia

     Notes: The An-26 is a military version of the An-24 Coke passenger aircraft, first flown in 1960.  It is a short-range transport with a rear ramp for loading cargo, and has an enlarged cargo compartment.  The aircraft is very popular in the Third World.  The An-26 also has paratrooper exit doors on the sides near the rear.  The An-26 is also manufactured by China, without a license, as the Xian Y-7. The An-26 is known by NATO as the Curl.

     The An-26 was built to replace the An-24, which was based on a commercial passenger transport and did not have good accommodation for military service, not having a rear ramp or paratrooper doors. The An-24 uses a lot of the airframe of the An-24, and in some ways may be thought of as an An-24 with a rear ramp. The An-26 may be reconfigured in 20-30 minutes for paratrooper or personnel delivery to a pure cargo configuration, or to a medical evacuation configuration. No ejection seats are provided, and the aircraft is not capable of in-flight refueling. The An-26 is a standard military cargo configuration aircraft, with high wings and long landing gear struts. The An-26 is powered by a pair of Ivchenko AI-24 turboprop engines developing 2820 horsepower each.  The An-26 has a small Tumansky Ru19A-300 turbojet engine in the tail, functioning as an APU and providing a little more oomph for takeoff runs, developing 1760 pounds thrust. Unusually, the An-26 has a secondary role as a bomber, with hardpoints under the wings next to the fuselage, which are able to take MERs; it was employed as such in several African conflicts.

     The An-26D is an extended range version with extra fuel in the wings and extra fuel tanks mounted on the sides of the fuselage. One such An-26 was retrofitted and delivered. The An-26LL-PLO is designed specifically for the hunting and killing of stealthy nuclear submarines; it has several special sensors for the role and carries weapons such as torpedoes, depth charges, and antishipping missiles on its hardpoints, along with sonobuoys, MAD gear, and even sniffers for detecting any nuclear particles the submarines may shed. Only one was built, and it is not known whether it is still in service. The An-26REP is an EW version which was built and tested but did not enter service, it had cylindrical active jamming pods on the lower sides of the fuselage and chaff and flare dispensers. The An-26RT is an ELINT and electronic reconnaissance variant. The An-26RTR is a battlefield communications relay aircraft, capable of retransmission from battlefields in Europe to the national command authority in Moscow.

     There are several specialist versions of the An-26 which will not be covered here. These include the An-26 Nel’mo arctic reconnaissance and surveillance aircraft, the An-26 Pogoda weather control aircraft, the An-26 Polyot air traffic control research aircraft, the An-26 Sfera atmospheric research aircraft, the An-26 Vita mobile operating room, the An-16ASLK automated flight control and monitoring system research aircraft, the An-26B Tsiklon weather control research aircraft and the An-26P and An-26LP firefighting aircraft.

An-32 Cline

     Notes: This is a development of the An-26, with a high-lift wing and engines mounted 1.5 meters above the wing to improve unimproved airstrip performance and allow for larger propellers.  The An-32 may be thought of in some ways as an enhanced An-26 with more powerful, remounted engines. The engines are more powerful, the aircraft is larger, and the tail is higher and has a larger vertical tailplane.  The aircraft is optimized for high-altitude takeoff and landings as high as 4500 meters.  It is used by Russia and nine other countries, including Ukraine and India; India is in fact the one of the largest users of the An-32; another notable user of the An-32 is Mexico, who employs some of theirs as water bombers. The An-32’s NATO reporting name is Cline. 

     There are doors in the rear fuselage for paratroopers, and a rear ramp.  The aircraft has a removable upper deck that can hold up to 3 tons of the cargo.  The aircraft has no ejection seats and is not capable of in-flight refueling. The planform of the An-32 is generally the same as the An-26, but the wings have additional high-lift devices, including triple-slotted flaps, automatic leading-edge slats, and an enlarged tailplane for improved stability in thin air. The engines of the An-32 are Ivchenko AI-20DM turboprops developing 5112 horsepower each, nearly double that of the An-26. They retain the hardpoints and bombing option of the An-26, and Iraq employed them as such against ISIS targets in 2014.

     Variants include the modernized An-32B-100 with maximum takeoff weight and cargo capacity increased.  The An-32B-110 has modernized avionics allowing the deletion of the flight engineer on the crew, and giving enhancements such as a radar altimeter. The 110 uses metric instrument readouts; the An-32B-120 is the same aircraft with redouts in Imperial measurements. The An-32B-300 is fitted with Rolls-Royce AE 2100 turboprops, which are less fuel hungry but also less powerful at 4600 horsepower each. The An-32V-200 is based on the An-32B-100, and is further modernized like the An-32B-110 or 120. Despite persistent interest from various countries, few have been sold. The An-32 RE is like the An-32V-200, but with further enhanced avionics including weather radar and computerized navigation.

Antonov An-72 Cheburashka

     Notes: This is a Russian transport aircraft designed for STOL operations from unpaved runways.  It was designed to be a jet-powered replacement for the An-26. There are other versions than the basic cargo carrier, but it is the most numerous; there is also a civilian transport, a maritime patrol and attack version, a luxury transport version, and an all-weather version (the An-74). Besides Russia, this aircraft is used by Iran and Peru. The maiden flight was in 1977, but development was slow, and it did not see service in the Soviet Air Force until the late 1980s. There is some indication that the An-72 was a response to the American Advanced Medium STOL Transport program; though the AMST program did not result in a production aircraft, one of the prototypes of that program, the YC-14, has a marked resemblance to the An-72. The An-72’s name is based on its resemblance to a Soviet-era cartoon character; its NATO reporting name is Coaler.

     The engines are located above the wing to keep them clear of debris and to utilize the Coanda effect to increase lift by blowing the jet exhaust over the wing and flaps. The high T-tail and the automatic augmented flight control system also cater to the An-72’s STOL profile. The wings have a double sweep angle – inboard, they are almost straight, while they have a marked sweep angle outboard beyond the engines. The wings have flaps which are double-slotted, and the leading edges have automatic slats. In addition to being able to operate from austere runways and fields, the An-72 can take off and land in icy conditions. The aircraft has a rear ramp which may be opened in flight, though only 7.5 tons of cargo can be configured for airdrops. The An-72 is powered by a pair of Lotarev D-36 Series 1A Turbofans developing 14,330 pounds of thrust each.

     The An-72A is the primary production version; it is longer than the prototype and has several other improvements to fix problems found in prototype testing. The An-72S is a VIP transport version, with luxury seats.  Normally, the cabin is fitted with 24 luxury recliners, but these can be replaced with 38 less luxurious seats, or to fly cargo, or as an air ambulance/operating room supporting eight patients. The An-72P is a patrol version, armed with a 23mm autocannon and hardpoints for bombs and rocket pods; I have not been able to ascertain how the autocannon is mounted, so I have just gone with a forward-firing mount. The An-72R was a prototype ELINT/electronic reconnaissance aircraft; it was known as “Aircraft 88” during development and therefore erroneously called An-88 in the West at first. I do not know whether the An-72R is still in service.

     The An-74 is a variant of the An-72 modified for use in the high Arctic and Antarctic.  It has upgraded avionics and radar, and can be equipped with skis for ground operations. It has the same nickname, Cheburashka, as the An-72, and carries the same NATO reporting name, Coaler, it was manufactured at the same time as the An-72, but can carry heavier cargo and with a larger avionics bay. It also has advanced navigation gear, including a trip computer. The An-74 uses the same engines as the An-72. The An-74 has an internal winch to assist in loading cargo.

     The An-74D is the VIP transport version, similar to the An-72S above. The An-74T is a freighter version of the standard military An-74; it is not configured for passengers, though they could be carried as cargo, and that is the figure given below. The An-74TK-100 is convertible, able to be quickly configured for passengers, paratroops, stretcher cases, or cargo. It will not be covered further in this entry. There are various civilian passenger and freighter versions in service around the world; they will not be detailed here due to lack of information.

An-124 Ruslan

     Notes: The second-largest aircraft in the world, it is the largest that was in regular production (the An-225 Mriya derivative having had only two models made, both especially for transport of the Buran, the Russian space shuttle).  In the early 1970s, design work began on the Ruslan, to alleviate the shortfall the Soviets had in heavy airlift capacity.  First flight was in December 1982, but civilian certification didn’t take place until 1992; the ex-Soviet Air Force sought to sell some of the An-124s it could no longer afford to civilian airlines and air freight companies. The An-124 resembles the American C-5 Galaxy, but is even larger.  About 5% of the An-124 is of carbon fiber, with the remainder being largely of aluminum, titanium, and stainless steel. The floor of the entire lower cargo deck is composed of titanium. The An-124 is operates by both the Russian military and by civilian air freight operators; 13 are in the Russian Air Force with a further 13 in reserve, while 15 are used by civilian agencies. The An-124’s NATO reporting name is Condor.

     The An-124 may be loaded from the front and rear, but only the rear ramp or the side doors may be opened in flight. The An-124’s cargo hold has a fully pressurized upper deck holding 88 passengers, but the main cargo hold is only partially pressurized (3.57 PSI) to save weight and money. The An-124 may “kneel,” settling onto its landing gear, to help facilitate loading and unloading operations. The Ruslan’s lower cargo deck has an overhead crane able to winch in 20 tons. The An-124 is not normally used to deploy paratroops, as the partial pressure of the lower cargo hold would mean that the troops would require oxygen masks and cold weather gear during flights. The An-124 is powered by four Lotarev D-18 turbofan engines, each developing 51,000 pounds thrust each; the An-124 is also equipped with a pair of TA18-200-124 18 Kw APUs to power the aircraft on the ground and to provide power to start the engines. These APUs are fed by fuel from the An-124’s fuel tanks. The APUs’ exhausts are near the bottom of the aircraft; the exhausts are so hot that many airports require runway and tarmac protection to allow them to operate. The engines have thrust reversers to shorten the landing run. The An-124 has two radar units, one for navigation and one for weather.

     The An-124-102 Sion is a stretched version which is also re-engined for more power, with four Progress PD-35 engines, developing 77,000 pounds thrust each. The An-124-102 is almost 13 meters longer and has an almost 15-meter greater wingspan, with a nearly two-meter wider fuselage. The An-124-102 has upgraded avionics and navigation computers. The wing has a higher aspect ratio and is largely of composite construction. This version is still in development and is not yet in service.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: By 2000, the survivors of the fleet were rarely flown due to the large amount of fuel required to fly them even short distances.  However, earlier in the war they were used for massive spot insertions of troops and heavy equipment, as they can move even multiple heavy tanks, and are fairly fast aircraft.  The An-124-102 does not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.

Ilyushin Il-76

     Notes: This was one of the primary transports of Russia during the late Cold War, and was also produced as a tanker (Il-78 Midas) and an AWACS aircraft (A-50 Mainstay).  It remains in service, though it has been partially supplanted by the An-124 in the Russian Air Force. It was designed to replace the An-12 in the heavy lift role, and capable of delivering cargo to austere airstrips in Arctic and Subarctic conditions. It is similar in appearance to the US C-17; the Il-76MF is a rare, stretched version, 6.6 meters longer and slightly wider and with more powerful engines.  The Il-76 was also produced as a civilian airliner.  Military versions are unusual in that some of them have tail guns. Another unusual fact is that the Il-76 was first designed as a commercial airlifter, then developed into a military variant. The Il-76 is noted for its rugged airframe and ability to shrug off damage. The Il-76’s NATO reporting name is Candid.

     There are side doors for crew entry near the front, at the rear for paratrooper exit, and clamshell doors and a ramp at the rear. The Il-76 has some resemblance to the C-17, though it preceded the C-17 by more than two decades; however, it has a T-tail, a noticeable hump above the wing roots, a glazed nose for the navigator, and a fairing under the nose for radar.  And, of course, those tail guns. (The Il-76 perhaps looks more like a smaller C-5 Galaxy.) The Il-76 is powered by four Soloviev D-30KP-2 turbofan engines developing 26,460 pounds thrust each. Landing run is shortened by using thrust reversers in the engines.

     The IL-76D was the original military version (Desantnyi, or paratrooper); its interior is optimized for paradrop operations, though it may also be configured for regular troop and cargo carrying. It is armed with a pair of 23mm autocannons in the tail, along with a position for a tail gunner. The Il-76MD is similar but has more fuel in the wings and the fuselage. The Il-76M is the standard military version; it is not normally equipped with hookups for static lines and is optimized for cargo, though it can easily be configured for troops or paratroops.  For game purposes, the Il-76M is identical to the Il-76D. The Il-76MD-90 is also similar but is powered by four Aviadvigatel PS-90 turbofans with more power at 35,300 pounds thrust each. The Il-76MF is based on the MD-90, but is stretched and widened and has more cargo capacity and a higher maximum takeoff weight; the Il-76MF was designed for the Royal Jordanian Air Force, but the Jordanians later sold the two they had to the Egyptian Air Force. The Il-76MD-M is a version of the MD with modernized avionics, including weather radar, and a glass cockpit; one crewmember, the flight engineer, is deleted as unnecessary due to the modernization. The Il-76MD-90A is the same as the Il-76MD-90, but with upgraded avionics and cockpit, a stretched and expanded fuselage, and a one-piece carbon fiber wing; the carbon fiber wing is much lighter than the standard aluminum wing. There are also numerous scientific specialist versions and civilian versions which will not be detailed here.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The Il-76MD-M and MD-90A do not exist in the Twilight 2000 timeline.