LZ-ILD VEB-14P (Ilyushin
IL-14)
(c/n 14803039)
80 or so Ilyushin IL-14s were licence-built by the East German VVB
Flygzeugbau from 1956
to
1959. This TABSO example was seen at Vienna's
Schweschat Airport in 1962 by Ralf
Manteufel. Prior
to 1946 there had been virtually no airline experience in Bulgaria.
TABSO
(a Bulgarian acronym for Bulgarian Air Transport) was formed in 1947
with several French
built JU-52s, which were then followed by a modest fleet of LI-2s
(Russian built DC-3s).
In 1972 the airline
became known ad Balkan Bulgarian Airlines. LZ-ILD was
withdrawn
from use in 1973.