New Mould: Ilyushin Il-96-400 from Phoenix

For a long time it seemed Phoenix was content to just churn out the same old Asian models on weak moulds ad infinitum, while more active newer brands stole their marketshare. That is no longer the case. In the past year Phoenix have shown commendable agility, and have pivoted towards a wider diversity, of often classic models. They have also updated several moulds and now they are going to be making a type all new to 400 scale - the Ilyushin Il-96-400.

A lot of this welcome change at Phoenix is down to a new partnership they have formed with Dang Tung, a collector friend of mine, who has been suggesting new releases and reviewing the artwork for them. I can't exaggerate the impact he has had and I believe he was the person who provided Phoenix with the boost to get this mould made.

The existing and excellent Phoenix Il-96-300

Phoenix already has a superb Il-96-300 mould, but since only six stretched Il-96M / Il-96-400s have been built to date the number of available liveries is limited and Phoenix no doubt considered the mould probably wasn't viable. Whether the recent upsurge in Soviet-era aircraft in 400 scale and the number of unusual sub-variants (Tu-134UBLs, Tu-214 with radar aerials etc) being produced by NG and Panda has given them greater confidence, or whether it has just been the persistence of Tung I'm not sure. Either way, the new mould is ready!

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What is an Il-96-400?

Anthony Noble (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

Above: The Il-96M with Pratt & Whitney engines attached, here at Farnborough in 1994

The first stretch Il-96 was the Il-96M. This was the original series 300 prototype, RA-96000, converted and equipped with western engines and avionics. The programme never went anywhere, partly it seems, due to pressure from Boeing. This variant is not included in this new mould's remit due to the US engines, but the successor to the M was the series 400, equipped with Russian engines and avionics. The series 400 is just under 64m long, so 8.58m longer than the stubby series 300.

Below: RA-96000 just prior to being scrapped in July 2009

The series 400 was mainly conceived as a freighter (as the 400T), since it couldn't hope to compete against Western widebody types. Orders from Cubana proved optimistic and with Aeroflot showing little interest, plus the state of the Russian civil aviation scene, progress was slow. RA-96101 first flew in March 1997 but the 2nd (RA-96102) and 3rd (RA-96103) aircraft weren't completed until 2007 and 2008. A fourth frame, RA-96104, first flew in November 2011.

Usage has been with a small variety of cargo operators and the Russian military. A further updated passenger version, the IL-96-400M, was announced in 2017. The project languished for years due to disinterest with the prototype remaining unfinished. The recent Russian aggression in Ukraine has changed this though, and now cut-off from Western airliners Russia has moved forward with the project once again.

The first IL-96-400M, RA-96115, flew on November 1, 2023 after a June rollout. It is hard to see the type having much of a career, but it is distinctive and adds some excellent variety to 400 scale models in a sea of twinjets!

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Mould Development

I've been aware of this new mould's development since mid-2023 and it is great to see the mould coming to completion now. The first announced releases should be made in the next month or two. So far the mould looks very promising and, as you can see, it can be fitted with different versions of the long dorsal avionics hump if required.

The following photos illustrate build progress. First the mould components alongside the smaller 300 variant:

Below is an early resin text fuselage with the metal wings and stabilisers attached:

Below is the final diecast sample, which I hope to get a copy of to review here at the site soon:

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Il-96-400 Wishlist

So, what can actually be made using this new mould? Let's take a look at the possibilities:

01: RA-96000 re-equipped with Russian engines:

​02: RA-96101 with Atlant Soyuz

Dmitriy Pichugin (GFDL 1.2 or GFDL 1.2 ), via Wikimedia Commons

03: RA-96102 in Aeroflot Cargo colours

04: RA-96101, 96102, 96103 and 96104 with Polet Flight

05: RA-96104 while under conversion for the FSB

06: RA-96104 with the â€‹FSB - Federal Security Service

07: RA-96102 with the Russian Air Force

Dmitry Terekhov from Odintsovo, Russian Federation, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

08: RA-96103 with Air Bridge Cargo

09: RA-96103 with Sky Gates

10: RA-96115 in UAC colours

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Summary

I'm super-pleased to be able to announce this mould and to see it in 400 scale at all. It illustrates the benefits of model brands working with collectors and looks like it'll be an excellent addition to the scale. Well done to all involved.