Ilyushin Il-46

Ilyushin Il-46

Industry	Aerospace
Founded	1951
Founder	Ilyushin design team
Headquarters	Soviet Union
Products	Military jet bomber aircraft

The Ilyushin Il-46 was a Soviet jet-powered bomber developed between 1951 and 1952 following a directive to overhaul the Il-42 design, of which approximately half the blueprints had been finalized. The updated requirements called for an aircraft capable of doubling the range and carrying 50% more bombs, with a prototype ready for state acceptance trials by July 1952. The Ilyushin design team proceeded to create two variants sharing as many components as possible: a straight-wing model (the Il-46) and a swept-wing version (the Il-46S). To adhere to the trial timeline, only the straight-wing configuration was constructed, due to concerns that the swept-wing design’s development and flight characteristics might introduce delays.

Design and development

The aircraft’s airframe was primarily built from aluminium alloy, with steel employed in areas subjected to high stress. Its overall appearance was reminiscent of a larger Il-28, featuring an elongated fuselage with swept tailplanes and a cockpit arrangement accommodating a pilot, navigator, and rear gunner similar to that of the Il-28. The wing had a moderate taper with straight leading edges and was mounted at shoulder height roughly at the fuselage midpoint, replicating the Il-28’s wing layout. Control surfaces included conventional ailerons, elevators, and rudder, each equipped with trim tabs to reduce pilot control forces during steady flight, alongside hydraulically-powered "reversible" actuators.

Power was supplied by two Lyul'ka AL-5 turbojet engines housed in elongated nacelles positioned ahead of the wings. Their exhausts extended through long jetpipes located behind the wing’s trailing edge. This engine placement allowed space for the main landing gear legs, which were mounted beneath the wings attached to the engine nacelles. Each side featured paired main gear legs aligned side-by-side; these retracted in opposite directions—one forward inboard and one rearward outboard—with single main wheels rotating 90 degrees to stow flat beneath the AL-5 jetpipes. For enhanced takeoff thrust, two JATO units could be affixed to the rear fuselage. Additionally, performance increased when upgraded Lyulka AL-5F afterburning engines were installed.

Flight testing and subsequent state acceptance trials confirmed that the Il-46 fulfilled all specified criteria. However, it did not enter production because the competing Tupolev Tu-88 demonstrated superior performance and was selected for manufacture as the Tu-16. The Il-46S swept-wing variant was designed simultaneously but never built, ensuring that development resources remained focused on completing the straight-wing model.

File:Ilyushin Il-46 top-view silhouette.png

Ilyushin Il-46 plan view silhouette

Variants

• Il-46
• Il-46S