| Ilya Muromets | |
|---|---|
 | |
| General information | |
| Type | Airliner, heavy bomber |
| National origin | Russian Empire |
| Manufacturer | Russo-Baltic Wagon Factory |
| Designer | |
| Primary user | Imperial Russian Air Service |
| Number built | 85+ |
| History | |
| Manufactured | 1913 to 1917 |
| Introduction date | 1914 |
| First flight | 1913 |
| Retired | 1922 |
| Developed from | Sikorsky Russky Vityaz |
The Sikorsky Ilya Muromets (Russian: Сикорский Илья Муромец) (versions S-22, S-23, S-24, S-25, S-26 and S-27) was a class of Russian pre-World War I large four-engine commercial airliners and military heavy bombers used during World War I by the Russian Empire.[1] The aircraft series was named after Ilya Muromets, a hero from Slavic mythology.[2] The series was based on the Russky Vityaz or Le Grand, the world's first four-engined aircraft, designed by Igor Sikorsky.[3] The Ilya Muromets aircraft as it appeared in 1913 was a revolutionary design, intended for commercial service with its spacious fuselage incorporating a passenger saloon and washroom on board. The Ilya Muromets was the world's first multi-engine aircraft in production and at least sixty were built.[4] During World War I, it became the first four-engine bomber to equip a dedicated strategic bombing unit.[5] This heavy bomber was unrivaled in the early stages of the war, as the Central Powers had no aircraft capable enough to rival it until much later.[6]