TAPO (Tashkent)

 mechanical engineering, aerospace industry

Tashkent Aviation Production Association named after V. P. Chkalov or TAPO/TAPOiCh for short (Russian: Ташкентское авиационное производственное объединение имени В. П. Чкалова) is a leading high-technology company of Uzbekistan, which was originally moved from Russia to the rear of the Soviet Union, Uzbekistan in 1941 during the World War II.

Founded in 1932 in the city of Khimki, Moscow region as the 84 Repairing Factory of GVF (Civil Aviation Fleet), later - the Aviation Factory named after V. P. Chkalov,

Since March 25, 1971 has been mainly involved in production of Ilyushin Il-76, a 4-engined strategic airlifter, which is in a widespread use in eastern Europe, Asia and Africa.

Until the collapse of the Soviet Union it has produced over 900 cargo and military airplanes. This plant also manufactured the wings of the An-124, AN-225 and An-70 aircraft. It also produces the Il-114 [1] [2]

TAPOiCh has lacked financing and technical parts from Russian partners and since 1991 has produced only about 10 Il-76MF/TF airframes, none of which have been sold to date. The IL-76MF/TF series are the stretched IL-76. The few military and civilian Il-76 and Il-78 that were delivered to the Indian Air Force and to a few civilian customers in recent years were completed on a large stock of previously-built, but unsold airframes, but all were based on the short original airframes, not the stretched version, all of which are still at the Tashkent factory. The last two civilian IL-76MD-90s delivered to Volga-Dnepr[3] and Silk Way Airlines in 2006 and 2007 were fitted with new Perm 90 engines that meet ICAO Chapter IV standards, which are allowed to operate worldwide.

Since July 4, 2007 TAPOiCh was included into the United Aircraft Building Corporation[4], and as from 2010 to 2012 will start the production of 24 IL-76MF cargo planes for China, in the cooperation with JV AviaStar of Ulyanovsk, Russia.