Il-96-400M Clings to Three-Person Cockpit Amid Modern Automation

The Il-96-400M Russian aircraft is one of the few modern passenger planes to still require three crew members in the cockpit. This may seem like a relic from the past, given that most modern automation allows for two pilots to control an aircraft. However, according to 'Pervy Tekhnichesky', the difference lies not in technological backwardness, but rather in a different engineering philosophy.

The third crew member on board the Il-96 is primarily responsible for monitoring technical systems such as engines, power supply, hydraulics, fuel, and other units. This includes crucial tasks like managing the complex fuel system of a large four-engine airliner, which requires careful control to ensure proper distribution among tanks and balance with the aircraft's weight.

The Boeing 777, on the other hand, was originally designed for a two-person flight crew. The designers maximized automation and onboard computers, allowing pilots to focus on flight control and decision-making. This is not just due to the number of engines; it's also about how deeply systems are automated.

The Il-96 design itself doesn't exclude a two-person cockpit. In fact, a variant with two pilots was tested in the 1990s as part of the Il-96M project, which featured American Collins avionics. However, for commercial and reliability reasons, the familiar 'two pilots + flight engineer' scheme was retained.