June 26, 1983 made its first flight fuel IL-78, created by the Experimental Design Bureau Ilyushin. Took off the aircraft crew honored test pilot of the USSR, the test pilot of the Experimental Design Bureau Vyacheslav Semenovich Belousov.
In the cargo cabin of the IL-78 installed two fuel tanks holding 14 tonnes of paraffin. The fuel system had inter-tank transfer of fuel, thanks to which the wing and fuselage tanks are connected into a single common fuel system of the aircraft. This system increased the amount of fuel transferred to the refuelled aircraft.
To provide in-flight refuelling, the IL-78 was equipped with three unified suspended refuelling units – UPAZ-1: two were placed on pylons under the wing of the aircraft, the third – on the port side of the fuselage tail. Four hoses were used for ground refuelling of military equipment, which were part of the removable on-board set of the aircraft.
To control and monitor the process of fuel transfer in the aft cockpit of the aircraft to remove the defensive armament and equipped with a workstation operator refueling.
The IL-78 is to be replaced with a new fuel tanker, the IL-78M-90A, based on the IL-76MD-90A military transport aircraft. The fuel tanker has an upgraded flight and navigation system, a glass cockpit and a new more efficient power plant. As a result, the IL-78M-90A features an increased range and can take more fuel for refueling aircraft.
