FX.co ★ Legends of air transport

At the moment, there are many aircraft that are preparing to celebrate the 50th anniversary from the first flight and even from the day of construction. Such veterans of the sky are also in Russia (for example, Tu-95), and abroad (B-52, which is the part of the US Air Force). For many of them, the 100th anniversary is just around the corner. The most popular models of such aircraft are presented in our rating.

November 1952 saw the first flight of the Tupolev Tu-95 turboprop, the first Soviet intercontinental bomber and the last aircraft design developed on Joseph Stalin's order. The design of the propellers and the engines' high power made the Tu-95 one of the noisiest aircraft in the world: It could be detected even by submarine sonars. At the same time, the Tu-95 is the fastest propeller aircraft on Earth and the world's only production turboprop bomber. Tu-95 is also considered to be the symbol of the Cold War.

The B-52, designed to deliver nuclear strikes, is not inferior to the Tu-95 in a variety of applications: the aircraft was used as a scout, and as a patrol vehicle. It is significant that the youngest of the B-52s have already celebrated their 50th anniversary.

The KC-135 tanker, the conversion of the civilian B-707, is an aviation platform. He began his service in 1954. Now this veteran of the sky performs various military functions – from the tanker to the scout.

The Ilyushin Il-38 is a maritime patrol aircraft and anti-submarine warfare aircraft designed in the Soviet Union. It was a development of the Ilyushin Il-18 turboprop transport. The aircraft, like its American colleague and coeval P-3 Orion, still remains in service and should serve for at least another 20 years.

The legend of the aviation world and the candidate for the centennial anniversary can be called the C-130 Hercules. The C-130 has the longest, continuous military aircraft production run in history and is one of the top three longest, continuous aircraft production lines of any type. The aircraft is widely considered as the world's most proven workhorse. The C-130 remains the world's most proven airlifter because of its ability to adapt, remain relevant and deliver results no matter the mission.

An-12 can also be called a legendary aircraft. He is still in the ranks, although his first flight took place in December 1957. Unfortunately, now this model does not belong to Russia: modern An-12 under the designations Y-8F and Y-9 are being built in China.

The Beriev Be-12 is a Soviet twin-turboprop-powered amphibious anti-submarine and maritime patrol aircraft. Be-12 is development of the Beriev Be-6 flying boat whose primary roles were as an anti-submarine and maritime patrol bomber aircraft. Be-12 entered service with Soviet Naval Aviation, or AV-MF, in the early 1960s in the maritime patrol role, and is one of the few amphibian aircraft still in military service in the world. However, in the next 10 years it is planned to replace these aircraft with modern ones.

The aviation veteran Antey will serve for more than a decade. Almost retired after the collapse of the USSR, these aircraft, built in 1966-1976, are being repaired and modernized. They are preparing to return to the Air Force of Russia.

Light carrier AN-26 (Air Force of Russia), created in 1969 on the basis of An-24, is preparing to write-off. The IL-112V aircraft created by Ilyushin Design Bureau should replace it.

The Ilyushin Il-62 is a Soviet long range jet airliner. Conceived in 1960 by Ilyushin, it first flew in 1966 and entered Aeroflot service on 15 September 1967 with an inaugural passenger flight from Moscow to Montreal. The Il-62 was the Soviet Union's first long-range jet airliner as well as the first to be put into service by several other countries. It was also the first Russian pressurized aircraft to have a fuselage with non-circular cross-section and ergonomic passenger doors, and the first Russian jet with six-abreast seating and international-standard navigation lights.