Ilyushin IL-18 Deutsche Lufthansa DM-STA (1:200)

Ilyushin IL-18 Deutsche Lufthansa DM-STA (1:200)

The Ilyushin IL-18, registered as DM-STA, officially entered service on 28 March 1960 as the first of 16 aircraft of this type delivered to the German Democratic Republic. Operated by Deutsche Lufthansa (East), the aircraft featured a blue livery with the iconic crane logo. This Soviet-built four-engine turboprop served as a vital long-range workhorse for the GDR, flying regional routes within the Eastern Bloc such as Sofia and Moscow, as well as long-haul destinations including Havana and Beijing. Following legal disputes with West Germany’s Lufthansa, the East German Deutsche Lufthansa was dissolved in 1963. Interflug, originally established for charter operations, became the sole national carrier, inheriting all assets, staff, and routes. DM-STA, later re-registered as DDR-STA, continued to serve until 1988. After retirement, the aircraft was stored at Leipzig-Halle Airport. Once part of the Aeropark exhibition, it was later relocated due to airpor