Crash plane a military workhorse

An Ilyushin similar to the one that crashed in Georgia

MOSCOW, Russia (Reuters) -- The Russian Ilyushin-18, which crashed on Wednesday with 75 people on board, has proved itself a reliable workhorse for the Russian military machine.

The four-engine turboprop airliner was first commissioned by the Soviet Union's state carrier Aeroflot and entered service in 1959 on routes linking Moscow with its Black Sea resorts.

During its early years in service the Il-18 was considered one of the Soviet Union's most elegant planes.

Thanks to a big passenger compartment admitting up to 120 people and a 6,500km (4,000 mile) range the plane won favour with the military, which still uses it as reconnaissance vehicle and flying command post.

In all, more than 700 of them have been made and a number are in service in former Soviet republics.

Many were also exported to former Warsaw pact countries where some still remain in service due to their impressive reliability and proven track record.

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Dozens feared dead in plane crash

Aviation Safety Network: Ilyushin 18 accident index
Russian Ministry of Defence (in Russian)
Il-18 Main Page

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