I bought a book in Moscow in July, about Ilyushin airliners. I was surprised when I read that the first IL 18 had first flown in 1946 (before the IL 14). There is a photo of this plane (CCCP Л-1789), in flight ; this piston engined (ASh 73) airliner looked like a big IL 14.
The final version (with AI 20 engines) first flew only 11 years after. What happened between 1946 and 1957 ? Why was the first project abandonned ?

Aвиacтaр