odc 62 catamaran

Yachting World

• Digital Edition

First look: Ovnicat 48 aluminium multihull

• Rupert Holmes
• April 26, 2022

The inevitable combination of both the trend for aluminium yachts and towards multihulls, the Ovnicat 48 is a new go anywhere catamaran, Rupert Holmes reports

It’s easy to assume that all rugged metal yachts are very heavy. While that was the case at one time for steel designs, it’s a different matter for aluminium which, before carbon fibre became feasible, was frequently used for competitive racing yachts and from which the Ovnicat 48 is built.

This means it was almost inevitable that two of the biggest trends in cruising yacht design – expedition yachts and multihulls – would merge at some stage. The Garcia Explocat 52 , launched late in 2020, wasn’t the company’s first aluminium catamaran, but it brought the concept to a bigger audience.

At the same time Ovni, which has built 1,500 shoal draught aluminium monohulls over the past 50 years, was also developing a multihull concept with a 48 design. The first two have already been sold, with one scheduled to launch in 2024.

We don’t yet have many details, but it looks like an enticing design by Mortain and Mavrikios, with more of an emphasis towards warm water sailing and temperate climates than the other yachts in this selection.

Despite the boat’s rugged nature, laden displacement is lower than that of most cruising catamarans of similar size, giving the promise of brisk and enjoyable sailing without the worries of a more fragile fibreglass construction.

Ovnicat 48 specifications

LOA: 14.50m / 47ft 6in Beam: 7.75m / 25ft 6in Draught: 1.35m / 4ft 5in Base price: €1,200,000 ex VAT Builder: alubat.com

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CATANA 62 A fun and luxurious adventurer

The Easy version sailplan already shows great potential. A Performance version with carbon mast and D4 membrane sails is available for sporty crews

The Catana style has been redesigned, evolving towards a “contemporary functional luxury”

The panoramic view from the 62 is exceptional. The moveable bulkhead disappears almost completely behind the galley

The choice of materials is subtly rational, favoring ease of upkeep and resistance to knocks from life on board

Suede deckheads (Alcantra effect), leatherette linings, leather-style upholstery and contemporary design

Port aft guest cabin: the same comfort and same quality as found in the owner’s hull

Absolutely remarkable bathrooms (light, faucets, draining floors, ventilation)

A perfectly accessible engine room, carefully insulated and with the motors set well forward in the boat, for better weight centering

135 miles in 12½ hours at an average of 11 knots. One happy boat tester!

Practical info

• Builder : CATANA SA
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• Available in issue # 153

Boat Test price $5.00 Inc. tax

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In 2013, the Catana 59 designed by the in-house design team in association with Marc Lombard caused something of an internal revolution, as the 47 and 42 foot models were the only ones still in the range which had been drawn by Christophe Barreau.  The spinoffs from the 59 had carried on and we now have the 53 which we expect to see in the spring of 2017 along with the recently launched 62.  We had the chance to try out this big cruising catamaran in testing conditions (big wind and big seas) during a dynamic delivery of 140 miles across the Golfe du Lion in the Mediterranean.

A capable model.

Despite being a descendent of the 59, the Catana 62 is a new boat.  She has absorbed all of her predecessor’s experience and has evolved with significant improvements in terms of dynamic characteristics, centering of weight and the construction process itself.

With an extra 90cm of length, the 62 fully expresses the power of this design, with a high freeboard, very good bridgedeck clearance, a light sheer at the deck-edge and a generous sailplan.  The muscled-up appearance indicates this adventurer’s vocation, and the lines which seemed audacious four years ago can now be better appreciated.  The profile shows this boat’s strong personality, characterized by slightly inverted bows and the straightness of the topsides being broken by a rib which runs longitudinally, highlighting the strip where the portlights are found.

An exacting build

The production facility at Canet en Roussillon in the South of France is a vast and modern factory.  The amenable climate in the Perpignan region limits extremes of temperature and provides long periods of natural conditions favorable to composite curing.  The 62 is built in one main mold, comprising the nacel...

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O Yachts Class 6

Description

Safety at speed.

Dan Lévy launched O Yachts with the Class 4, a design by Lerouge, and he has followed this success up with the Class 6 , a design that is turning heads and making waves in the catamaran industry. The O in O-Yachts stands for Owner – these are catamarans that are developed with their owners in a partnership with the yard.

Dan’s first aim from his Latvian base, northeast of Riga, is to produce yachts that protect their owners from anything that the weather can throw at them, and that can eat up the nautical miles offshore safely, at speed. The Class 6 is setting high standards. This is a world cruiser that is competing strongly with the likes of the Garcia Explocat 52 and the HH range.

Like the O-Yachts Class 4 , this bigger boat is a catamaran for sailors and their families who want to travel big distances over an extended period of time in safety and comfort. It’s a very spacious yacht that is capable of fast cruising in a controlled fashion, whatever the state of the sea.

Keeping the Weight Off With a length of 19.50m (64 foot), the O-Yachts Class 6 weighs only 15 tonnes light. Go for the full carbon option and this number comes down to 13.5.

Dan Levy, along with Laurent Bourgnon (sadly no longer with us, double winner of the Route du Rhum, as well as the Transat Jacques-Vabre  with his brother Yvan), dreamt up this catamaran whose signature feature is a spine or longitudinal central beam that provides the boat with rigidity, stability and buoyancy in steep waves. The mast and forestay are fixed to this structure and the design allows for a large 44 square metre living space unhindered by cross beams.

Keel or Boards? In light winds, the Class 6 will sail at wind speeds and over. Make your own wind for more sailing and less motoring! The large, curved dagger-boards (an option, you can also specify keels) give a draft of 3.8 meters or 12½ feet when down, helping the Class 6 to pinch upwind, particularly in calmer conditions.

A Luxury Sporty Cat

The first priority of this boat is safety at sea, but make no mistake – this is a comfortable catamaran that goes places fast (and gets you out of trouble quickly). Performance means safety and 300 nm a day in good conditions is the target on this boat.

There is more than 44 m² (473 sq ft) of living space in the nacelle. Who needs a flybridge increasing your windage and forcing your sail and centre of effort higher?

High Tech Construction

Talk to Dan Levy, and this is clearly an area that he is passionate about. One of the keys aspects of producing a safe boat is strength, so the Class 6 has been “over engineered” in this respect. There is a spectrum of materials you can choose from, depending on your wish list and budget. These range from Vinylester resin/carbon-glass-kevlar/Gelcoat on the Performance pack to Epoxy resin/100% carbon + kevlar/paint on the Race pack.

Weight control is a big factor in the design of these yachts, so  carbon fiber is used for all the outer and inner skins. Foam is inserted into this sandwich, and the whole packagage is vacuum infused with epoxy and reinforced with Kevlar in high stress and potential impact areas.

This all-carbon construction gives a light displacement of 15 tons, with an ability to carry loads up to a total weight of 18 tons. The spine means that there is no forward crossbeam, and it gives an impressive rigidity to the narrow hulls. The axe bows are also designed to efficiently pierce through waves and space is maximised through the use of chines.

With the curved daggerboards option and lifting rudders mounted in a well, the draft can be reduced to 0.9 m (3 feet).

Sailing – Safety First

Examples include a rotating mast and carbon boom with hydraulic furling system. The staysail, genoa and gennaker, can also furl hydraulically. The sail plan emphasises the priority of this yacht which is safety. You will be matching wind speed with the main and XL Genoa (104m2) in light air (3 to 10kts). With a Code 0 or Gennaker flying off the bowsprit, you will be sailing faster than TWS.

The steering systems can be configured as wheel steering or tiller steering with seats.

Mainsail, Genoa, Solent and Storm Sail The O Yachts Class 6 typically comes with a mainsail and genoa which can be unfurled with a press of a button. You will have a variety of lighter wind sails to fly off the bowsprit (Code 0, 280 m² gennaker, also on hydraulics). With these flying you will be faster than wind speed on a reach in calmer conditions. With the sheets coming back to hydraulic winches at the helm, it doesn’t take long to furl the genoa and deploy the self-tacking staysail if the wind picks up. And this being a safety first boat, there is an option for a storm sail as well.

Centred Mast Another benefit of the spine is that it has enabled the designers to set the mast further back than you would normally see on a comparable catamaran. This is a trick more recently used by Gunboat on their 68 to achieve a balanced sail-plan, and it means that the main sail area is only 109m2 (or 1173.27 sq) ft in favour of more sail area up front: which is easier to manage of course. The centralised mast position also helps to give a stable, smooth ride.

Living Space

This is an  area where the Class 6 excels. The saloon/cockpit area is 44 m² or 475 square feet, a huge living space with an enormous galley. This is a French designed boat after all.

The sliding window at the back of the saloon opens right up to give you an Open+ design. Down below, the berths are wide with island beds in the aft cabins thanks to those chines. Forward, the berths are arranged athwartships and higher up, in order to accommodate the performance of the bows. Foam sandwich is used in the furniture to keep the weight down.

That said, the choice is yours on this boat: pick one of the following options:

– Fixed keel (Simple, more buoyancy) – Daggerboards – Asymetric daggerboards – Curved Asymetric daggerboards

The whole idea of the Class 6 is to keep the engines off, but how does she perform coming into the marina?

She Motors Well, the Class 6 comes with twin 80 HP Yanmar engines. You will begin to appreciate the shape of those hulls, as with these running at 2,500 rpm, you will be pushed along at ten knots in a steady sea, using around 11 litres per hour (2.9 US gal/h).

Use half the fuel and only one engine and you will cruise comfortably at 7 knots.

The O Yachts Class 6 competes in a hot market segment:  luxury fast catamarans. But what sets the Class 6 apart, is its emphasis on safety and comfort.

Yes, this boat is fast, but that’s almost a by product of this innovative design. The living space feels like a New York apartment. The boat has been kept light, is rigid and has a punchy sail plan (without being overpowered).

If you are looking for a yacht to take you long distances, the Class 6 ought to be on your shopping list. Dan claims that the Class 6 is the best catamaran a couple can manage without skipper. It is hard not to agree with him.

There is even a power version, with a Smart Hybrid power unit (one diesel engine, one electric).

For more information on the Class 6, head to O-Yachts .

Technical Specification

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Passenger Vessel

• Cat. 26m 400 seats
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• 26m 295 seats | 6 tons
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PASSENGER VESSEL CATAMARAN 26M 400 SEATS

This Aluminium Passengers Shuttle, 26.05m long and 9.10m wide is approved to Maritime French standards.

Its total capacity is 400 passengers in 4th category and 387 in 3rd category in addition to the pilot and three crew members., her deck plan is rational and effective and provides good passenger flow, layout and seating have been designed for comfort., passengers experience numerous improvements ( hybrid parallel propulsion , quietness thanks to soundproofing). thanks to its solutions proposed by shipyard maintenance is made easy (engine hatch opens-up for easy access, working bench is set in the front compartment, pumps in place to renew engine oil, etc.).

TYPE OF VESSEL

Semi-planing catamaran for passenger transportation, specifications.

• Naval Architect
• Mer et Design
• Construction material
• Marine Aluminium

CLASSIFICATION

Passenger vessel compliant with french regulations.

• Drawing Approval by Bureau Veritas
• Building Survey by Bureau Veritas
• Shipyard visits by Marine Affairs

MAIN CHARACTERISTICS

• 3000 h/year
• Overall Length
• Hull Length
• Waterline Length
• Reference Length
• Moulded Depth
• Loaded Draft
• 400 in 4 th category / 387 in 3 rd category
• Fresh Water Capacity
• Black Water Capacity

PROPULSION SYSTEM

• Propulsion type
• Inboard Diesel
• 2* Baudouin 12 M26.3 1500 Hp @2200 rpm
• Fuel Capacity
• approx. 20 knots
• Engine Ventilation
• Input 2* 13000 m³/h + output 2* 7300 m³/h
• Shafts and propellers

STEERING SYSTEM

• Pump and jack
• Helm angle sensor and indicator
• Hydraulic bypass and manual safety steering system

INTERIOR / FURNISHING

• Noise and Vibration Reduction System
• Aluminium honeycomb panel ceiling planking in wheelhouse and passenger saloon
• Glasses and Windows in wheelhouse and passenger saloon
• Fusion audio system
• VIP upholstered seat in passenger saloon
• Aluminium passenger seats outside
• 2 confortable Pilot Seat
• 6 Dometic toilets (1 disabled)
• LED lighting
• 3 pilot stations

SURFACE TREATMENT

• Topsides : Waterborne painting cycle with low environmental impact Epoxy filler treatment
• Underside : International Trilux 33 anti-fouling paint

ANCHORING SYSTEM

• Electric Windlass
• High performance Rocna Anchor

NAVIGATION EQUIPEMENT

• Navigation system Simrad NSS12 evo2 GPS pack + Antenna
• Halo 20 Simrad radar
• 2* RS20S Simrad VHF
• 1* GMDSS portable VHF
• Ocean Signal Transponder SART
• Lalizas Compass
• EPIRB Ocean Signal Tag
• 3G Vessel Monitoring System Bilge monitoring Navigation lights monitoring Service and battery pack monitoring Tank monitoring Diesel engine and genset monitoring GPS Monitoring Insulation monitoring between electrical circuits and hull Structure vertical acceleration monitoring 3G connectivity

ENERGY SOURCES

• Onan Generator
• 220V / 11 kVA
• 2 Optima engine packs
• 24V / 75 Amp
• 1 Optima windlass pack
• 1 service pack
• 24V / 200 Amp
• 1 safety pack
• 24V / 150 Amp
• 1 radio safety pack
• 12V / 110 Amp
• 2 battery chargers
• 24V / 30 Amp

NAVIGATION LIGHTS

• Marinelec Regulatory Lights Supervision System
• Regulatory Lights

FIRE FIGHTING SYSTEM

• Marinelec Fire Detection System
• Saint-Gobain rockwool Engine room Fire Protection insulation
• Novec extingishing system
• Fire fighting pump on one engine + fire hose
• Additional backup diesel pump
• MED Regulatory firefighter equipment

BILGE SYSTEM

• Marinelec Water Detection System
• Bilge pump on one engine + pipe network
• Additional backup diesel pump on pipe network

EVACUATION SYSTEM

• Approved Safety System
• Pneumatic lifting of rafts initiated from the wheelhouse

Related to Propulsion

Upgrade hybrid parallel propulsion system, (for crossing protected areas at hull speed).

• Inboard Hybride
• Diesel Propulsion
• 2* Baudouin 12 M26.3 1500 Hp @2200 rpm
• Gasoil Capacity
• Electric Propulsion
• Battery Power
• Battery Type
• Lithium Iron Phosphate
• Battery Charger
• 380V / 2* 60A
• Diesel Max. Speed
• Electric Max. Speed
• approx. 8.5 knots
• Electric Cruising Speed
• approx. 6.5 knots
• Electric Autonomy at Cruissing Speed
• 3h à 6.5 knots
• Vessel Monitoring System

Catalyst System

• SCR Catalyst System (2* Baudouin 12 M26.3 1500HP @2200RPM) (Selective Catalyst System – IMO III / EPA IV compliant)

Diesel Engine downgrade

• 2* Baudouin 12 M26.2 1200 Hp @1950 rpm + 2* ZF3055A
• 2* Man D2862LE438 1200 Hp @2100 rpm + 2* ZF3050A
• Trolling valves 2* Man D2862LE438 1200 Hp

Related to equipment

• Wheelhouse Aircon Frigomar
• 14.000BTU / 1.5kW
• Wheelhouse and passenger lounge Aircon Frigomar
• 380.000BTU / 35kW
• Flexiteek 2G Main Deck
• Flexiteek 2G Top Deck
• Hydraulic bow thruster with coupled pump
• Upgrade Cummins soundproof Genset
• LS Electro-hydraulic pump and Simrad autopilot + gyrocompass
• 12 Cameras Video System – Engine room monitoring and navigation assistance
• Solar panels
• Crew cabin in forward hull
• Gianneschi black water pump
• SS60 Airmar Depth Sensor
• EEBD Lalizas – Emergency Evacuation Breathing Device
• Spare upholstery VIP seat

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Sail Performance

Description

ORC42 is a fast cruising catamaran, built by MARSAUDON COMPOSITES, entirely designed for both performance and comfort. The open space between outside and inside gives the ORC42 a much larger living space. Offset helm stations allow a good vision forward and on the rig, easy access to the tuning of the sails. This is very much like the helm position found on dinghies. All of this optimizes the tuning. The space on the platform is customizable. The access to the hulls is watertight. Security to thefts with the textile entry door. The rig is very simple: no spreaders (carbon version), lower shrouds and staysail with short and stiff luff, which makes it more efficient. The rig is also quite set back to maintain a good self-tacking forward sail surface. The rest area, very enjoyable, offers a 360° sea view. This particular spot allows participation to life onboard, without getting in the way of the rest of the crew. This is also a perfect spot to keep an eye on a child while he’s taking a nap. The kitchen is really spacious, especially considering the size of the boat. You will also find a large bathroom in each hull. The aft cabins are full of light, with a nice view on the aft of the boat. ORC42 exists with both removable or textile doors, and with dagger boards or fins according to the sailing programme.

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Performance Indicators

Performance

Bruce Number

(higher is faster)

Sail Area to Displacement

Displacement to Length

(lower is faster)

Specifications

Length (LOA)

Length (LWL)

Displacement ​ (light)

Payload capacity

Sail Area (main+jib)

Draft (min)

Draft (max)

Mast clearance

Bridgedeck clearance

Manufactured Since

4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10

Engine (hp) ​

Hull Material

Christophe Barreau

Daggerboards

Mechanical/Hydraulic

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Heritage Special: The Il-62, Russia’s First Long Haul Jetliner

The history of the Ilyushin Il-62

The Soviet Union had a jetliner (the Tu-104) and a long hauler (the Tu-114 propliner) but it took the Il-62 to be both, bringing the most far-flung corners of the empire, and the world, to Moscow at jet speed.

The story of Russia’s first long haul jetliner begins in the century before last, with the birth of aircraft designer Sergei Vladimirovich Ilyushin on March 30, 1894, in the Vologda Oblast in northeast Russia. After training in the Tsarist Army as a pilot in 1917, and as an aircraft technician in the Red Army after the revolution, his future as one of the world’s most famous aircraft designers was probably set in stone in late 1919 when a British Avro 504 fighter plane crashed near Petrozavodsk — he was one of the team who took the plane apart and transported it to Moscow to be reverse-engineered and built as the Soviet U-1 trainer, of which 707 were built. In 1921 he joined the Red Army Engineering Institute and the Air Force Science and Technical Committee in 1926. In 1931 he began working as an aircraft designer at TsAGI, and in 1933 became chief designer at the TsKB (Ts = Central, KB = Design Bureau) which in 1935 became the Ilyushin OKB.

The first production aircraft designed by the Ilyushin OKB was the Il-2 ground attack aircraft which was then the most produced aircraft of all time, with 36,183 built (including the Il-10 development, the number rises to 42,330). After World War 2, the focus turned to civil aviation – between 1950 and 1959, domestic air traffic within the Soviet Union grew tenfold. The Ilyushin OKB was at the forefront, with the first of 2,011 Il-12 and Il-14 propliners flying in 1950, and the four-engined long haul Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop following in 1957.

The Tupolev Tu-104 was doing great work and could stay up for two or three hours at a time, but the Soviet Union needed a true long haul machine, so in February 1960 Sergei Ilyushin himself presented a proposal for a four-engined passenger jet to the Soviet Council Of Ministers, and received a formal go-ahead on June 18. The Kuznetsov OKB, specialising in aeroengines, was simultaneously instructed to develop what would become the NK-8 turbofan engine.

The placement of the engines in pairs on the rear fuselage would later be controversial in the West as it so closely replicated the contemporary Vickers VC-10 produced in Britain. In fact the configuration was dictated by TsAGI on the basis that the Ilyushin OKB did not have the resources to engage in prolonged configuration studies and engine placement on the rear fuselage was considered scientifically correct and thus immutable. (Indeed engines attached to the wing by pylons remained anathema to Soviet airline design until the entry into service of the widebody Ilyushin Il-86 in 1980.)

In fact the layout was also shared with the Lockheed L-329 / L-1329 Jetstar business jet, against which there are no accusations of plagiarism, and has several advantages which are no doubt why it appealed to Vickers and Lockheed as well as Ilyushin — a very quiet passenger cabin, a clean wing optimised for aerodynamic efficiency, and a smaller rudder required due to the lack of asymmetrical power in the event of an engine failure.

Another noteworthy design element on the Il-62 is the distinctive ‘dogtooth’ indentation in the leading edge of the wing, which was added to create a powerful vortex over the wing at low speeds, localising the turbulent airflow of an incipient aerodynamic stall and protecting the high lift outboard wing. The flight controls were also fitted with a ‘stick shaker’ to warn of an approaching aerodynamic stall, and a ‘stick pusher’ which would physically force the control column forward if the aircraft reached a fully-stalled condition. This feature was met by resistance by pilots at the time, but is a feature of all T-tailed aircraft today.

The horizontal stabiliser is small for the size of the aircraft and the consequent aerodynamic load. This reduces cruise drag significantly (and structural weight a bit) at the expense of having the wing placed slighty further forward. This creates no issues in flight but in some loading regimes, can place the centre of gravity aft of the main landing gear, which gave rise to another Il-62 trademark, the retractable tail stand. is extended when the aircraft is parked. With the tail stand in place, loading and unloading can be done in any order without risk of the aircraft tipping up on its tail.

The first prototype, registered CCCP-06156, taxied under its own power at Khodynka airfield in Moscow, on September 19, 1962. The engines used initially were Ljulka AL-7 turbojets as the Kuznetsov NK-8 was still being readied for use. The AL-7 had many successful military applications such as the Sukhoi Su-7 Fitter and Su-9 Fishpot as well as the AS-3 Kangaroo cruise missile and even the Beriev Be-10 flying boat.

CCCP-06156 was formally unveiled to the country’s top brass including General Secretary Nikita Khrushchev at Khodynka on September 24. After that, the machine was dismantled and transported by road to Zhukovsky, south east of the capital, home of TsAGI and the Soviet Union’s main centre of aerospace research and development, where it was reassembled for flight testing. High speed taxi runs resumed on December 19, and the aircraft even made a few short hops into the air of a few seconds each.

The Il-62’s first flight was a successful thirty-four minute sortie on the morning of January 2, 1963 under the command of Captain Vladimir K. Kokkinaki, joined by First Officer Eduard I Kuznetsov, navigator V. F. Voskresenkiy, flight engineer I. B. Kuss, radio operator V. S. Siliminov, and project engineer P. V. Kazakov. A second prototype, CCCP-06153, was transported to Zhukovsky and after reassembly flew with Kuznetsov NK-8 engines on April 24, and also had redesigned ailerons for better roll control.

The Il-62 test programme suffered a major blow when, on February 25 1965, CCCP-06156 crashed at the start of its 127th flight. Under the command of Captain A. S. Lipko, during a maximum takeoff weight test, CCCP-06156 lifted off with a high angle-of-attack and low airspeed, and, unable to gain altitude, hit the airfield perimeter fence before crashing in the countryside beyond, with the loss of ten of the seventeen men onboard, three of whom (navigator Voskresenskiy, flight engineer Kuss and test engineer Kazakov) had been on the first flight.

Undaunted, a third prototype, CCCP-06176, made its way to Zhukovsky for a first flight on July 28, and production began at the famous Aircraft Factory Number 22 in Kazan, Tatarstan; CCCP-06170 and -06300, the first two production aircraft, joined the test programme on route-proving trials. On May 11, Captain Boris A. Anapov commanded a ten hour flight that covered 8,050 km (5,000 miles), and on July 9, flew the ship in an airshow at Moscow Domodedovo airport, leading a column of commercial aircraft in the display which unveiled the Soviet Union’s new flagship to the public. On July 11, another Kazan-built machine, CCCP-86666, left Moscow and overflew Murmansk, the North Pole, and Sverdlovsk (today Yekaterinburg) before returning to base, covering 8,940 km (5,556 miles) in in ten hours and 48 minutes; the purpose of the sortie was to check the avionics for navigation accuracy.

CCCP-86661 was the first production aircraft to be fully civilianised, with the anti-spin parachute in the tail replaced by a TA-6 auxiliary power unit, and was delivered to Aeroflot’s base at Krasnoyarsk in Siberia. The first revenue flight was performed on September 8, 1967 on the trunk route from Moscow to the Kazakh republic’s capital city of Alma Ata (today Almaty). The following week saw the Il-62 make its international debut, displacing the Tu-114 propliner from the transatlantic route to Montreal. The triumph and tragedy of the four-year test programme had paid off.

The first export customer for the Il-62 was Czechoslovakia’s flag carrier CSA, who got their first machine, OK-YBA, on October 29, 1969, followed by -YBB on November 28 for services to Moscow and a long-haul service to Jakarta via Damascus, Karachi and Rangoon (today Yangon). (As a star pupil of the Warsaw Pact airlines, CSA had been the first airline after Aeroflot to fly the Tu-104, and was even in the frame to operate the supersonic Tu-144 in the late 1970s.)

East Germany’s national carrier Interflug was next, DM-SEA arriving at Berlin Schonefeld on Lenin’s 100th birthday, April 22, 1970 to begin service to Moscow, followed by the Middle East — Cairo, Baghdad, Damascus, and later as far afield as Dubai, Tashkent, Havana, Hanoi, Lagos, Luanda, Karachi, Maputo and Singapore, as well as intra-European sectors such as Amsterdam, Prague, Athens and Paris.

Further export customers included the CAAC (Civil Aviation Administration Of China) and United Arab Airlines / Egyptair in 1971, TAROM of Romania and Cubana in 1972, and LOT Polish Airlines in 1973. Air France and Japan Air Lines both wet-leased Il-62s from Aeroflot for service to Russia and Japan, carrying dual titles in the Aeroflot livery. Mostly they were used on long haul trips – LOT put theirs straight into transatlantic service from Warsaw to New York, Toronto and Chicago serving the large Polish populations there, while TAROM initially used theirs on shorter trips but made it across the Atlantic in the end, to New York and Chicago, with a tech stop in Amsterdam.

A suggested modification to improve range was designated the Il-62D (D for Dahl’niy — “long range” in Russian), which involved using the rear of the main deck for additional fuel tanks; Sergei Ilyushin felt this was not ideal for either safety or efficiency, and instead worked towards the Il-62M (M for modifitseerovannyy — “modified”), the most important upgrade being the use of Solviev D-30 engines, which were turbofans with a higher bypass ratio than the NK-8, a better engine nacelle, lower exterior noise, and a new clamshell reverse thrust bracket.

Other upgrades were the addition of a 5,000 litre tank in the tail fin, asymmetric spoiler control to assist the ailerons in roll, refined elevators for better pitch control, an upgraded APU, better cockpit lighting, new control yokes and ICAO category II-compliant avionics.

After 94 standard Il-62s were delivered, production switched to the Il-62M, the first example, CCCP-86656, getting into the air on April 15, 1972. Test flying was extensive and even included a trip to South America to evaluate the aircraft’s performance at “hot and high” airfields. The certification process was complete by November 1973 and the first revenue service with Aeroflot took place on January 8, 1974.

All of the airlines who operated the original Il-62 took the M version, mostly in a one-for-one fleet upgrade. Three new export customers were found — TAAG Angola (two aircraft were delivered, D2-TIF and -TIG), DETA Mozambique (one aircraft, registered C9-BAE), and Choson Minhang (today Air Koryo) of North Korea, who took four passenger liners and a head of state Salon aircraft.

After the success of the Il-62M, a few further variants were produced in very small numbers, such as the Il-62MK, a shorter range version intended for high frequency short range operations (sixteen for Aeroflot and two for Interflug); and the Il-62MU, a combi (just one, RA-86586, operated by the Kazan factory’s own airline, KAPO Avia). The Il-62M-250 was a stretched variant, boasting an extra 22 feet and 3 inches (6.8 metres), but never left the drawing board.

While the Il-62 had an excellent safety record, with only a handful of fatal accidents, LOT Polish Airlines’ experience was noteworthy for the loss of two aircraft in identical accidents at Warsaw, seven years apart. LO 007, operated by SP-LAA, the first Il-62 delivered to the airline, was landing after an overnight flight from New York on the morning of March 14, 1980, when it initiated a go-around due to a landing gear warning light. Upon the application of full power, engine number two engine exploded, cuting control lines to the tail and causing an immediate uncontrollable descent into the ground just outside the airport perimeter with the loss of all 87 on board.

In an eery repetition, on May 9, 1987, SP-LBG, a Il-62M, was operating LO 5055 to New York; climbing hard to comply with an air traffic control instruction to avoid a block of military airspace in its path, number two engine exploded, taking out engine number one and all of the flight controls except pitch trim, and starting a fire in the rear cargo hold. Remarkably, the crew were able to keep the disabled machine in the air for thirty-one minutes and nearly made it back to the runway at Warsaw, but in the end the ship was unflyable and crashed at the opposite end of the airport of the 1980 tragedy, taking with it a further 183 lives.

In the wake of the second accident, LOT pioneered some safety upgrades to the Il-62, including duplication of flight control systems, replacing flammable elements in the cargo hold, installation of smoke detectors, and upgraded engine vibration detection systems and fire detection systems.

While 1989 itself was bad, with two major crashes (Interflug due to pilot error and Cubana due to windshear), the two decades that followed, which were the years with the most Il-62s flying, were notable for seeing no fatal accidents. Compared to the 707, VC10 and DC-8, the Il-62 had the lowest incidence of accidents, with twenty-two fatal accidents and a further eleven aircraft written off without fatalities.

Although the country that created the Il-62, the Soviet Union, had ceased to exist, the 1990s were in many ways the Il-62’s halcyon era, as the deregulation of the Russian airline scene saw the splintering of an industry that was up to that point sedate and top heavy into new flag carriers as the former Soviet republics became independent nations. What had previously been Aeroflot’s Uzbek base at Tashkent became Uzbekistan Airlines, inheriting a fleet of four Il-62 and eleven Il-62Ms to begin serving cities as far afield as London and Seoul. Air Ukraine, previously Aeroflot’s Kiev operation, sprang to life with seven Il-62Ms and opened up transatlantic flights to New York and Toronto in one direction, Bangkok in the other.

In the Russian domestic scene, new independent airlines multiplied — Interavia, Aviaenergo, Dalavia, SAT, and VIM all flew large fleets of the Il-62 in the 1990s. Forty-five machines passed through the hands of Domodedovo Airlines alone. At most of these airlines, the ageing Il-62s were flown hard enough to peel the paint off — some averaged seventeen hours of use per day. In the Czech Republic, ex-CSA machines were snapped up cheaply by budding airline moguls to create Espe Air Prague, Egret BMI and Bemoair.

Aeroflot itself, while a fraction of it’s former size, was able to benefit from the reduction in political tension — the peace dividend – in the world, and catered to an increase in international flying. New routes were added including Moscow-Larnaca-Sal-Rio-Sao Paolo, and Moscow-Shannon-Havana-Panama-Managua. In fact the Il-62M fleet was doing so much transatlantic flying that on certain days of the week, eight aircraft were dropping into Shannon for refuelling in the space of a few hours — each way.

An interesting aside to the Il-62 and Aeroflot’s story with Shannon: starting in the 1980s, Aeroflot (after complaining of high fuel prices at Shannon and moving some of their stopover traffic to Gander in Canada) came to an arrangement with the handling agent at Shannon that the Soviet Union, and later Russia, could build their own fuel farm and deliver their own fuel to the airport. This fuel was supplied by the Soviet, and later Russian, government. By the mid 1980s, 3,000 Aeroflot movements a year were being fueled, with regular deliveries of 1.25 million gallons of top quality Jet A-1 at a time on tankers from the Black Sea. For Aeroflot, the pleasing collateral benefit of this arrangement was that as the fuel came from their government, it somehow didn’t show up on Aeroflot’s financials. So the story goes, Aer Rianta then offered Aeroflot free landing fees and ground handling services (parking, steps, ground power, line maintenance etc) in return for the ability to sell off some of this magic free fuel to other airlines just a little less than at market rate. This made the airport a popular stopover and attracted TWA, Rich International, American Trans Air, Worldways and TAROM on their way to and from the Atlantic. Hey, get a little, give a little.

As the 1990s rolled into the 2000s, the availability of middle-aged Boeing and Airbus jets with comparable seating capacity but far superior economics finally spelled out a gradual end for the Il-62 and other Soviet-era hardware. Aeroflot’s last thirteen Il-62s were stood down on November 1, 2001. Other Russian carriers followed suit as the decade wore on. A common sight in provincial Russian airports for a while was old Ilyushins and Tupolevs parked around the fringes of the fields, streaked with mildew, birds nests in engine cowlings. Today most have been scrapped.

The final production Il-62 was built in 1995 without a delivery customer and put into storage. KAPO, the Kazan Aircraft Production Association, the latter-day owner of Aircraft Factory Number 22, formed KAPO Avia in 1999 and put RA-86586 into service themselves, flying charter trips or leases on behalf of some of the world’s most obscure airlines — Magma Airlines, BGB Air, Luk Aero — before it was acquired by Kazakh broker Sayat Air and reregistered as UP-i6205.

The rock-bottom price and long range of the Il-62M, many of which were still available with low airframe hours, and with plenty of old boys who knew how to fly them still around, whose more adaptable, English-speaking erstwhile colleages had gone off and by hook or by crook got themselves A320 and 737 typeratings and jobs with the emergent national carrier, were quite happy to drag their old Aeroflot uniform out of the closet in Almaty or Osh and go and fly Il-62s in Iran, Sudan or Equatorial Guinea.

Iran in particular represented rich pickings for airliners with pilots for hire, as documented in more detail in the chapter about the Tupolev Tu-154, as the country, geographically vast and with a huge and growing population, was restricted from buying new planes due to a diplomatic falling-out with the United States. Kazakh-sourced and –crewed Il-62s came in towards the tail end of the peroid that this capacity gap was filled with Soviet hardware, but alas sister ship UP-i6208, an older ship delivered to Interflug in 1989, crashed on landing in Mashhad on July 24, which brought Aria Air’s experiment to a premature end. For fans of the Il-62 this is a lost alternate future – Aria had big plans for the Il-62, with a fourth Il-62, UP-i6210, arriving from Kazakhstan to Tehran just eight days before the crash in the partial livery of previous operator InvestAvia, never to enter service with Aria Air. Expansion was not only planned to a wider Iranian domestic network, but international flights to Kuwait, Moscow, Istanbul, and Bombay, with more Il-62s to come. UP-i6205’s ferry flight to Fujairah in 2014 will almost certainly be its last, with only a thousand hours at most in the logbook — such is the price of being born too late.

Cubana was one of the last major airlines to fly the Il-62, with transatlantic flights (to Madrid, Paris, Frankfurt and Las Palmas) and routes throughout Latin and South America gradually being reduced to neighbouring Santo Domingo, Mexico City, Recife and Caracas. The last aircraft, CU-T1284, was stood down on March 1, 2011.

The following year, North Korea’s flag carrier Air Koryo bought CU-T1280, reregistered it P-886P and in July 2012 flew it from Havana to Pyongyang where it was scrapped for parts to support North Korea’s surviving pair of passenger machines (P-881 and P-885) plus Kim Jong Un’s head of state aircraft (‘Air Force Un’). Having once flown as far afield as Moscow, Berlin, Sofia and Belgrade in the halcyon days of the 1980s, by 2012 Air Koryo mainly flew the Il-62 on the trunk route to Beijing, with occasional appearances at Shenyang, Moscow, Bangkok and Macau. On the last day of 2012, China banned the type due to noise; P-881 went to the air force as a back-up for Air Force Un, leaving P-885, North Korea’s first Il-62M (delivered in 1979), to remain in service.

Even in a country with a tiny geographical footprint, an economy operating (at least on face value)  at a very low level, a population unable to travel, and the type banned on the main international trunk route (Beijing), there is still room for P-885 to make a living in North Korea, as uplift is occasionally needed on ad hoc domestic runs (such as to transport a delegation to Mount Pektu, or a workers charter between Pyongyang and the country’s second biggest city, the industrial hub of Hamhung). Air Koryo’s once-a-week flight to Vladivostok, when demand outstrips the supply of seats on the usual Il-18, is subbed with the Il-62, which has no environmental restrictions against it in Russia. Don’t dream it’s over.

One more Il-62 was built, over a whole decade later — on October 8, 2009, RA-86495 was completed using parts at Kazan for the Russian government. Oddly, it was given the same manufacturer’s serial number and registration as a 1977-build Il-62MK that flew for Aeroflot and the Soviet military and later with Moscow Airlines; that original machine was damaged beyond repair in 2002 and scrapped at Chkalovsky. The second incarnation of RA-86495 remains in service to this day with the Russian Air Force’s 223rd Flight Unit which specialises in transport and logistics up to and including head of state transportation.

Comparison to the VC-10 is inevitable given the similar appearance of the two aircraft, and western chauvinism insists that the Vickers machine must be superior to the “VC-10ski”, but while the VC-10 had inferior range and only 54 were produced, Russia’s first long range jet was a success by any standard — 295 produced between 1963 and 1995 (plus 2009’s one-off), flying for countless airlines in over thirty nations including 213 passing through the fleet of Aeroflot. Today the Il-62 remains in service with one airline (North Korea’s Air Koryo) and a number of governments including Sudan, Russia, The Gambia and Ukraine. Of all the aircraft designed by Sergei Ilyushin, it is the silhouette of an Il-62 that is carved into his headstone as his greatest achievement — the flagship of the Russia’s Soviet era.

Sam’s Travel Hacks

As a frequent flier, I recommend book flights and compare prices on  Skyscanner  and JustFly for the best deals on the internet. We have put together many useful travel tips and airfare promotions in my  Smart Travel  section to guide you travel in more luxury with lower price!

Flying soviet era coffin. Hundreds people died in crashes around the world. Shame to even mention that thing as airplane.

Maybe you haven’t read the article: “Compared to the 707, VC10 and DC-8, the Il-62 had the lowest incidence of accidents, with twenty-two fatal accidents and a further eleven aircraft written off without fatalities”.

Silly much? You obviously living on another planet.

Great article Sam! There is a story connected with the two LOT crashes that reminds me Final Destination film. The Mechanic Ryszard Chmielewski, who couldn’t fly on LO 007 flight due to some health issues and was replaced by a colleague, died onboard the plane performing LO 5055 flight, on which he was Instructor. Best regards

Wonderful article Sam! I had a chance to fly on a few. Great memories.

Please start praying for people who died on those flying coffins.

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Moscow skyline: explore the city from the rooftops

1. Moscow-City tower The Empire and the Federation Towers, which are located in the new business center in the immediate vicinity of the city center, are part of the tallest complex of buildings in Russia’s capital. Standing on the high-altitude terraces of Moscow-City (Moscow International Business Center buildings) you can enjoy truly inspiring views of the Moscow River and the western part of the city.

The Sixty Restaurant - Bar (the name refers to the interior, which has been executed just like in the 1960s) on the 62 floor of the Federation tower , which makes it the highest restaurant in Europe. 

You can enjoy views of the city from a bird's eye view free of charge too – you will just have to reach the new terrace of the Empire Tower on an express elevator (the 58th floor), located at an altitude of 238 meters.

2. The Vorobyevy Gory and the main Moscow State University building One of the most popular "postcard" views of Moscow is from the observation deck of Vorobyevy Gory (Sparrow Hills). The landscape is especially beautiful on a clear day and late at night when the city lights are turned on. The capital can be seen as if it were in your hands; this is definitely the best place for gazing at the seven Stalin skyscrapers – the famous “Seven Sisters” . From the upper floors of the Moscow State University main building , you can take in an even more breathtaking panorama.

3. Time Out Bar A bar with rather affordable prices and a terrace with simply stunning views of Moscow. Time Out Bar is located on the 12th and 13th floor of a rather old hotel Beijing in the heart of the capital. This is one of my favorite places, which can be found in Moscow skyscrapers; here bartenders prefer making signature cocktails.

4. City Space – a panoramic bar City Space is the highest bar with a 360-degree view of the capital. It is located on the 34th floor of the Swiss Hotel Red Hills , and according to the 2008 Bartender's Guide, it was included in the top 10 bars in the world, and the top 50 best bars in the world by Drink International 2011. The price of one cocktail is around 900 rubles, a must drink for the capital guests is the legendary Moscow Spring Punch with ginger, raspberry and honey.

5. Ivan the Great Bell Tower You can have the possibility of seeing old Moscow from a bird’s eye view if you go up to the 80-meter bell tower of Ivan the Great – "the capital’s first skyscraper" which was built in the 16th century. The belfry is located in the heart of the city – right in the Cathedral Square , adjacent to Red Square. The exhibition is open to visitors and there is also an observation deck, which offers a wonderful view of the Kremlin's Cathedral Square and the old streets of Zamoskvorechye . You can enter with a ticket from the Kremlin Museums.

You can enjoy the view from above with a cup of coffee, which you can get close by – on the rooftop of the Ritz Carlton , where there is a cozy 02 Lounge , which offers an unforgettable view of the Kremlin. The average bill is approximately 2500 rubles.

5. The Ostankino Television Tower The Ostankino Television Tower observation deck has been open to visitors for over 40 years. During this time it has been visited by over 10 million people – from a height of 340 meters you can take a look at northern Moscow and the Moscow region. You can get to the site only as a part of a tour and preferably having booked in advance.

Duration of the tour is 1 hour, the tower is open to the public from 10.00 am to 21.00 pm. 

7. Kalina bar Located on the 21st floor of the Lotte Plaza on Novy Arbat , Kalina Bar offers visitors a panoramic view of the Moscow-City towers , hotel Ukraine , Old Arbat street , Cathedral of Christ the Savior , and many other monuments in the city center. Besides this it offers great Western and Asian cuisine with a bill of approximately 2,000 rubles.

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This project is part of the thriving Moscow City mixed-use district—centrally located within the sprawling Russian metropolis—the design of which is similar to London’s Canary Wharf and Paris’s La Défense. An 85-story skyscraper and a 49-story office tower soar from a 7-story transparent crystalline base, gradually tapering away from each other as they rise. Designed by US-based architectural and engineering firm Skidmore, Owings & Merrill—renowned for its iconic towers, including Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest building—the OKO Tower complex laid the groundwork for a new era in contemporary Russian development. At 1,150 feet high, and with a total area of 4,300,000 square feet, the OKO South Tower is not only the largest skyscraper in Moscow, but also the highest residential tower in Europe. The complex also has the biggest parking area in Moscow, with 15 levels for 3,500 parking spaces.

Residential and office lobbies have elegant interiors by Italy-based designer Massimo Iosa Ghini. With leading engineering solutions and security systems, 24/7 services, restaurants and bars, a private cinema hall, a luxurious spa and fitness center, and a private landscaped park, OKO Tower offers the ultimate in comfort and activity. The key-ready residential apartments boast designer interiors and stunning panoramic views of the Moskva River, the Vorobyovy Gory (Sparrow Hills) park, the Kremlin and the skyscrapers of Moscow City.

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The ElCano Challenge – Supporting our Carbon free future.

Odisea are pleased to announce that Peter “Plukky” Lukursky has chosen the ODC48 to complete the incredible challenge of sailing around the work without the use of hydrocarbons and in doing so,

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