The aircraft is now produced in Russia. It was the first Russian aircraft to achieve Federal Aviation Administration certification, in 1998, for sales in the United States.Reviewers Dave Unwin and Marino Boric described the design in a 2015 review as "very robust, safe and comfortable. It was designed for everyday operation on poor runways and with the ability to cope with every variation of the harsh Russian climate." Variant Il-103M "At the 15th Interregional Cooperation Forum held in Petropavlovsk [the Republic of Kazakhstan], Russia and Kazakhstan signed a memorandum of understanding [MoU] on the manufacturing and market promotion of the Il-103M light utility aircraft. The sides are planning to establish a joint venture [JV] that will provide manufacturing, sales and after-sales support," the corporation said in a statement. "The establishing of the JV is scheduled for 2019, and the first serial aircraft will be delivered to the customer in 2022," said Ilyushin`s Director General Alexey Rogozin. The Il-103M is an upgraded variant of the Il-103 plane that was certified in Russia in February 1996. According to Ilyushin, the baseline aircraft is 8 m long and 3.135 m high and has a wingspan of 10.56 m. It is powered by a single IO-360ES prop engine with a power output of 210 hp, producing a cruise speed of 180-225 km/h and a range of up to 750 km. The Il-103 has a maximum take-off weight of 1,310 kg and a maximum payload of 350 kg. The Republic of Korea (ROK) is the biggest operator of the Il-103, with 23 aircraft being in service.
