Il-14G

The Ilyushin Il‑14G is a Soviet‑designed, twin‑engine transport aircraft that entered service in the early 1950s as a modernized successor to the wartime Il‑12. First flown on 23 June 1950, the Il‑14G was produced at the Ilyushin plant in Moscow and later licensed in Poland and Czechoslovakia. Powered by two Shvetsov ASh‑82 radial pistons, the aircraft could carry up to 24 passengers or equivalent cargo over a range of roughly 2,400 km, while maintaining a cruise speed near 300 km/h and a robust landing gear suited for unprepared airfields. Its pressurised cabin, improved navigation equipment, and reinforced airframe gave it a reputation for reliability in harsh climate conditions, contributing to its extensive use on domestic routes across the USSR, in Eastern Europe, and on remote Arctic supply lines. The Il‑14G also served military transport, paratroop, and medevac roles, and was exported to over a dozen allies. Although quickly eclipsed by jet transports, the Il‑14G’s combination of endurance, simplicity, and adaptability left a lasting imprint on post‑war civil aviation, influencing later Soviet commuter designs. Today a few restored examples still fly in air‑show circuits, serving as living reminders of the era’s rugged regional air transport.