Russian Airliners
Russian designers and manufacturers have been at the forefront of aeronautical design from the outset. Whether those designers emigrated to other counties, for example Sikorsky, or stayed at home and worked in the state industry, their designs have been novel and iconic. The current lack-lustre commercial scene, now dominated by the bickering giants, Airbus and Boeing has lost a lot of the variety which the Russian types bestowed on the world's airports.
The electrical fire aboard the Kolavia Tu-154B at Surgut in January 2011 nailed the coffin shut on Tupolev's 1960 era tri-jet hotrod. The Ilyushin Il-86 succumbed to Stage 3 noise regulations and current economics. Only the niche filled by the An-124, Tu-204 and the Sukhoi "Superjet 100" provide any relief from endless A320 and Boeing 737 movements.
The links to other pages provide a brief history and pictures of each type.
