Ilyushin Il-14P

Il-14 is a low-wing twin-engine passenger plane for medium routes. In the design bureau of Ilyushin, even during the Second World War, designs began for a new transport aircraft which would replace the Li-2 and the American DC-3. The aircraft called the Il-12 first flew in August 1945 and immediately after that began to be used by Aeroflot. The first international route on which this plane flew was Moscow-Sofia. However, due to perceived shortcomings, such as weaker engines and frequent plane crashes, Ilyushin continued the development of the Il-12 by adding larger wings and a wider tail section to the existing fuselage.

The prototype of the new and more economical plane (it could accommodate 32 passengers) flew for the first time in 1950. Apart from the Soviet Union, it was also produced under license in Czechoslovakia and East Germany. In the period 1953-1959 around 1.350 examples were produced and used for civilian and military purposes in almost 30 countries, including Yugoslavia. For many years they represented the backbone of short- and medium-haul air traffic. After retirement from passenger traffic, most of these aircrafts were converted into cargo versions for transportation. It was used for traffic in polar regions because it had good properties in winter conditions.

During 1957, six Il-14s (with a capacity of 24 passengers per plane) were included in the JAT (Yugoslav Airlines) fleet. Due to their uneconomical nature, they were used for a relatively short time, until 1963 when the Caravelle (SE 210) fleet began to arrive and the Il-14 was assigned to the transport unit of the Yugoslav Air Force. In parallel with the Il-14, JAT used the American Conver CV-340 (with 44 seats), which was more economical and featured a higher payload, travel comfort and increased range.

The exhibited aircraft (f.no.6341306) was the first Il-14 in Yugoslavia, a saloon version with ten VIP seats, which Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev presented to Josip Broz Tito in 1956, after the normalization of relations between the two countries. Thus, it became the first aircraft of Tito's famous "white fleet" with which he traveled around the world. By the time it was admitted to the Museum on April 4, 1973, it had a total of 166 take-offs and 113 flight hours.