Ilyushin IL-38

Known by NATO as May, the IL-38 is an anti-submarine maritime-patrol development of the IL-18 airliner. It has a lengthened fuselage fitted with an undernose radome, a MAD tail 'sting', other specialised electronic equipment and a weapon-carrying capability.

The IL-38 is a standard shore-based maritime-patrol aircraft of the Soviet Naval Air Force, operating widely over the Atlantic and Mediterranean. More recently U-38s of the Soviet Navy have operated over the Indian Ocean from an airfield in the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

In 1975 the Indian Navy ordered an initial batch of four U-38s, delivery of which began in 1977.

Michael J.H.Taylor "Jane's Encyclopedia of Aviation", 1989

The maritime reconnaissance/ASW IL-38 'May' was developed from the IL-18 airliner. This differs from the standard IL-18 by having a lengthened fuselage, MAD (magnetic anomaly detection) tail 'sting', weapon-carrying capability, and the wing located much further forward on the fuselage to offset the change in centre of gravity resulting from the introduction of more equipment and stores. About 60 are believed to be in use by the Soviet naval air force and one squadron in India.

D.Donald "The Encyclopedia of World Aircraft", 1997