Ilyushin IL62

The Ilyushin Il-62 is a Soviet long-range narrow-body jet airliner developed by the Ilyushin design bureau in the early 1960s. It was the first long-range Soviet jet airliner and served as the flagship of Aeroflot for decades, connecting Moscow with intercontinental destinations across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas. The aircraft features a distinctive rear-engine configuration with four turbofan engines mounted in pairs at the tail, resembling the British Vickers VC10. The Il-62 entered service with Aeroflot in 1967 and was also widely exported to airlines in Soviet-aligned countries. An improved variant, the Il-62M, introduced more fuel-efficient Soloviev D-30KU engines and additional fuel capacity. Though largely retired from major carriers, small numbers of Il-62s remained in limited service with operators such as Air Koryo of North Korea well into the 21st century. The type is considered a classic of Soviet aviation engineering and played a critical role in establishing USSR long-haul air transport capability.