In 1974, the Minister of Aviation Industry P.V.Dementev ordered ND Kuznetsov to start the development of the engine for the first Soviet wide-body passenger aircraft – Ilyushin Il-86.

Kuznetsov was by then intensely engaged with the improvement of OKB military engines destined for Tu-22M and did not have the resources available to fulfill the requirements and the strict deadline set for the IL-86 program.

However, from the outset the chief designer made it clear to the Minister and warned that the fuel economy and power output delivered by the proposed NK-86 will most certainly fall short of contemporary foreign engines.

This was due in part to the low values of the turbine inlet gas temperatures and the pressure ratio attained – both of which were unsatisfactory because of limited production technology at that time.

Also, eight engines were modified to version NK-87 (with corrosion-and heat-resistant coatings, providing reliable operation in the marine environment) which were used to power the Soviet ground effect vehicle also known as Ekranoplans.