Ilyushin Il-32

The Ilyushin Il-32 was a Soviet heavy military glider developed after World War II to deliver 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) of cargo.

After the end of World War II, the Soviets devoted a considerable amount of effort to developing heavy transport gliders to deliver troops during an airborne assault.

As part of this effort, the Council of Ministers ordered the Ilyushin design bureau on 20 September 1947 to begin work on a glider capable of carrying 7,000 kg (15,000 lb) of cargo, including 60 troops or a 122 mm (4.8 in) cannon with its prime mover, ammunition and crew.

[1] The Il-32 was an aluminum-bodied,[2] high-wing cantilever monoplane with a fixed tricycle undercarriage whose fuselage was square in cross-section to fit as much cargo as possible.

During these flight tests it reached a cruising speed of 323 km/h (201 mph) at an altitude of 3,000 metres (9,800 ft) and a weight of 16,000 kg (35,000 lb).