The unique Il-76 MDK arrived in the city of Zhukovskiy outside Moscow to participate in the MAKS 2015 aviation and space show.

At first glance this aircraft looks like a typical military transport plane but in fact it is a complete flying laboratory which outperforms its foreign competitors in technical capabilities.

The equipment aboard the plane is used to create artificial zero gravity conditions.

For this purpose the aircraft reaches an altitude of 6,000 meters, after which it takes another 3,000 meters at a very high speed.

At this point the pilots turn off the engines and let the aircraft free fall.

As a result artificial zero gravity conditions are created which last for about 22 to 28 seconds. When the plane gets back to 6,000 meters the pilots turn the engines back on.

The Il-76 MDK has a strengthened body which can withstand higher overloads.

It is also equipped with an improved fuel injection system. The advanced technical capabilities of the aircraft allow astronauts to even train for journeys to Mars.

