Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
Su-35S in trials
[p.16]
Yak-130 ak-130
July 2012
Editor-in-Chief
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Editor
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Columnists
Alexander Velovich Artyom Korenyako
Special correspondents
Alexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov, Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev, Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva, Dmitry Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov, Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski, Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi Dear reader, You are holding another issue of the Take-off magazine, an addendum to Russian national aerospace monthly VZLET. This issue has been timed to Farnborough International Airshow 2012 that has always been highly regarded by aerospace companies from Russia and the CIS as a major international aerospace event. It is Farnborough where Russia 24 years ago, in 1988, unveiled its fourth-generation combat aircraft, the MiG-29 fighters, for the very first time. Four years afterwards, in 1992, it was Farnborough that hosted the debut of the Russian Generation 4+ fighters, the MiG-29M and Su-35. In 1996, it was Farnborough where the Su-37 super-manoeuvrable fighter won the hearts of the public with its unrivalled flight performance. This time, Farnborough participants and guests will see several brand-new aircraft from all over the world. Russian aircraft-makers also prepared for Farnboroughs debut their new products. Irkut will bring here its Yak-130 combat trainer for the first time. Recently Yak-130 was fielded with the Russian Air Force while in late 2011 the first export contract was successfully fulfilled. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company is going to present its SuperJet 100 regional airliner which started its operations last year with Russias flag carrier, Aeroflot, and Armenian Armavia airline. Sukhois SSJ100 featuring a bright example of growing international cooperation between Russian aerospace industry and leading Western companies. The next step of such cooperation could be implemented in development of Irkut MC-21 prospective medium and short haul airliner which could become a serious rival to Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320neo jets at domestic and international markets. A full-scale mockup of the MC-21s cockpit and passenger cabin will be among this Farnborough main attractions. As usual, Take-off is offering a digest of other key events in the Russian and CIS aerospace industry over the past several months. I hope that the issue will help you to get a better grasp of the Russian displays in Farnborough and be abreast of the latest developments in aerospace industry of our country. On behalf of Take-offs staff, I wish Farnborough 2012s participants and visitors interesting meetings, useful contacts and lucrative contracts as well as enjoying unforgettable flight demonstration of planes and helicopters from all over the world! Sincerely, Andrey Fomin, Editor-in-Chief, Take-off magazine
Translation
Yevgeny Ozhogin
Cover picture
Alexey Mikheyev
Publisher
Director General
Andrey Fomin
Marketing Director
George Smirnov
News items for In Brief columns are prepared by editorial staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press releases of production companies as well as by using information distributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti, RBC news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru, www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied with a note Commercial are published on a commercial basis. Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items. The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004
Aeromedia, 2012
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contents
MILITARY AVIATION
Third PAK FA entering flight tests in Moscow Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 RusAF to receive over 120 Su-34 bombers by 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 RusAF to get 30 Su-30SM fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MiG-29M2 makes its debut in Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 New upgraded Su-25SMs from Kubinka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 First Mi-35s for Russian Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mi-28N helicopters being fielded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 More Ka-52s for Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
July 2012
Yak-130 debuts at Farnborough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Su-35S in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tikhomirov radars: from Yak-130 to Tu-160 Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
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INDUSTRY
Ilyushin 476 gearing up for maiden flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SaM146s full-rate production certificated by EASA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Russian Helicopters: continued growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ka-62: maiden flight in a year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mi-38 to hit the market in 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Mi-171A2 preparing to pick up the baton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ka-226T deliveries to kick off in 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Ansat gearing up for getting back to global market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . UEC ramping up output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PD-14: technology demonstrator kicks off tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Upgraded D-18T to power new Ruslans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . PD-30: future Russian thirty-tonner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . TV3-117VMA-SBM1V now for Mi-8T as well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Salut continues to upgrade AL-31F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . RD-33: output on the rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 20 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27
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Phazotrons radars for MiGs, helicopters and more Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation General Designer Yuri Guskov . . . 28 Mi-26T2 is ready to take over leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
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COMMERCIAL AVIATION
Significant milestone of MC-21 programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Volga-Dnepr commissions its fifth Il-76TD-90VD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 New L-410s for Russian airlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
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trials of the AESA radar and other systems that has not been installed in the earlier prototypes. Now the second PAK FA prototype is involved in the flight tests too. Sergei Bogdan first flew it on 3 March 2011. A month later, the T-50-2 was brought to Zhukovsky and has been flying in the Moscow Region since mid-August. It has logged about 50 sorties. As far as the first flying prototype is concerned, it has been debugged since its being
unveiled at MAKS 2011 in August last year. By then, it had had about 75 sorties under its belt, starting from the very first one in Komsomolsk-onAmur on 29 January 2010 (the T-50-1 had flown in Zhukovsky since April 2010). The 100th test flight under the PAK FA test programme was conducted on 3 November 2011 by Sergei Bogdan flying the T-50-2. To date, the total number of the flights logged by the
three prototypes is around 130 and will keep on increasing owing to the third prototype having joined the trials. The fourth aircraft now in assembly by KnAAPO is expected to be flighttested in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in autumn. It will then join the first three in Zhukovsky after its ferry flight under its own power from the Russian Far East to the Moscow Region, if all goes to plan. As is known, in February, Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin, the then-commander of the Russian Air Force, told the RIA Novosti news agency in his interview that 14 PAK FA fighters were planned to be made and put into tests by 2015. The first four flying prototypes are to be joined by two more next year, after which KnAAPO will launch the manufacture of the low-rate initial production batch. The official PAK FA test phase is supposed to commence at the Air Force State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk with the official objective of handing early planes over to the customer. According to media reports, about 60 productionstandard PAK FA fighters are planned to be fielded since 2016 through 2020. Obviously, the deliveries will continue beyond 2020.
Victor Drushlyakov
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Victor Drushlyakov
later, on 22 December, they were followed by two more bombers (side numbers 05 and 10) that had been given a new camouflage pattern (dark grey top and blue bottom). All Su-34s will be painted like that from now on.
Three out of six aircraft, which arrived in Voronezh, are a modified version with the onboard auxiliary powerplant. In December 2011, the six new Su-34 were joined by four more aircraft of the type (serials 05, 06, 07 and 08) the first ones
made under the 2008 contract, which had been based at the airfield of the Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Lipetsk since December 2010. Thus, the first line squadron of Su-34 bombers has virtually been stood-up in Voronezh. This year, the air base is anticipated to receive another 10 bombers of the type, while the fulfilment of the five-year contract is slated for late 2013. On 1 March 2012, the Sukhoi company announced a new longterm contract for 92 Su-34s more for the Russian Air Force to be fulfilled by 2020. The deal is unprecedented in terms of volume and value. Construction and delivery of the bombers under the new deal are planned to commence in 20142015, as soon as Sukhoi has fulfilled the 2008 contract for 32 aircraft.
Dmitry Pichugin
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Sukhoi
its aircraft fleet. According to UAC President Mikhail Pogosyan, Russia unveiled the MiG-29M2 at KADEX 2012 exactly in this context. From our point of view, the MiG-29M2 is one of the best variants of developing the Kazakh Air Forces aircraft fleet, the UAC head believes. The aerobatic demonstrated by Mikoyans chief test pilot Mikhail Belyayev and the planes characteristics we will show to our colleagues in Kazakhstan
Marina Lystseva
create a good prospect for further promotion of the MiG-29M2 and consideration of the feasibility of cooperation in other spheres. During the show, Kazakh pilots had an opportunity to try the advanced aircraft and see how much it has changed compared with the baseline MiG-29. Kazakh Air Force First Deputy Commander Ulan Karbinov flew with Stanislav Gorbunov. He liked what he saw in flight that was not a pattern fight, rather a well-thought-out mission involving the accomplishment of a training task. Comparing the MiG-29M2 and MiG-29, Ulan Karbinov said; The difference is quite great and it concerns not only their flight capabilities. The MiG has turned into a truly multirole complex in the first place. Kazakh Air Defence Force commander-in-chief Lt.-Gen. Alexander Sorokin shares his opinion. After the sortie, he said: The MiG-29M2 is a good plane, a multirole one. It is an excellent aircraft operating in all modes against aerial and surface targets.
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Sergey Kuznetsov
Sergey Kuznetsov
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Vyacheslav Babayevsky
The deliveries continue this year. Mi-35Ms have been received by the air base in the town of
Budyonnovsk and by the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok.
Another Russian Army Aviation air base is to take delivery of Mi-35Ms in the near future.
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Erik RostovSpotter
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Alexey Mikheyev
Training Centre in Torzhok earlier this year (unfortunately, one of the latest aircraft was lost in a fatal air crash on 12 March 2012, with the probe failing to reveal any hardware fault). The Russian Helicopters management issued an official statement about having signed a longterm contract in August 2011 for
over 140 Ka-52 helicopters for the Russian Defence Ministry. The deal will keep Progress busy almost throughout the decade. More importantly, the Ka-52 has been selected as the baseline attack helicopter for the air groups to be deployed on the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships the Russian Navy is buying.
As far back as late November 2009, a navalised Ka-52 prototype passed tests designed to see if it was fit for deployment on deck of a Mistral. The tests took part during a Mistral-class ships port call to Russia. Kamov has launched development of a shipborne version of the helicopter, designated as Ka-52K.
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Alexey Mikheyev
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YAK-130
DEBUTS AT FARNBOROUGH
Andrey FOMIN
The debutant of the current air show in Farnborough is advanced Russian combat trainer Yak-130 unveiled by the Irkut corporation producing and promoting it. Last year was a milestone to the Yak-130 programme. In June 2011, deliveries of the first batch of 12 productionstandard aircraft to the Russian Air Force fulfilled, with 10 of the combat trainers fielded with the Borisoglebsk Air Force Training Centre. Early in December 2011, the government awarded a new order for 55 aircraft of the type, which are to be delivered to the Russian Defence Ministry by 2015. In addition, the Irkut corporation commenced export deliveries of Yak-130s to the foreign launch customer in late November, and all 16 aircraft had been delivered to Algeria by the end of December.
production-configuration aircraft conducted its maiden flight in Nizhny Novgorod on 30 April 2004. It was followed by the second one a year later, and by yet another one in March 2006. The fourth Yak-130 flying prototype flew in summer 2008. These aircraft were used for conducting the bulk of official tests during 2005 through 2009. Proceeding from the first phase of the official trials, during which the Yak-130
was tested as a trainer, the preliminary report paving the way for manufacture of the first planes for the Russian Air Force was approved in November 2007. In April 2009, the Yak-130 passed the combat trainer phase of its official trials, having flown with its basic payload, and it flew with its expanded weapons suite in December. In the wake of the tests, the then RusAF Commander Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin
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The first Yak-130 of Irkut production, assembled in 2009, is now being used for flight tests under aircraft upgrade programme
for a new major batch of Yak-130 combat trainers for the Air Force. Under the contract, Irkut will have delivered 55 Yak-130s to the Air Force until 2015. According to Irkuts news release, a total of 65 Yak-130s are to be bought under the 20112020 Governmental Armament Acquisition Programme. The finer points of the contract were agreed on during Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelins visit to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (a subsidiary of Irkut corp.) on 8 November 2011. Accompanied by Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov and Irkutsk Aviation Plant Director General Alexander Veprev, Gen. Zelin toured the unit assembly and final assembly halls of the plant and flighttest facility. On completion of his visit, Alexander Zelin said: There is no problem with the fulfilment of the governmental armamnet procurement programme here. We realise that in this country, there is simply no other company capable of making the Yak-130 as well as Irkut does. I am glad that the corporation has started exporting the product. I guess Irkut has opened up new vistas. Documents are being mulled
over, under which Irkut will become the sole manufacturer of Yak-130 for the Russian Defence Ministry. The signature of the contract with the Russian Air Force is a hallmark event to us. We have not delivered planes to our military for about 20 years, though the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has made hundreds of warplanes for foreign customers. Now, the historical record has been put straight, with the Russian Air Force ordering aircraft from us. I quite agree with the Gen. Zelin that the Irkut corporation is quite prepared to fulfil the governmental order placed said Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov. The first Yak-130s intended for the Russian Air Force are in final assembly at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant. They are expected to be shipped as soon as this year. Not long before landing the new lucrative order from the Russian Defence Ministry, Irkut had launched export deliveries of Yak-130s. The first three-ship batch was brought from Irkutsk to Algeria on 29 November 2011. The Rosoboronexport company signed the contract for 16 Irkut-made Yak-130s for
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Five Yak-130 combat trainers delivered to RuisAFs Borisoglebsk Training Centre in April 2011
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New Yak-130s in the final assembly hall of Irkutsk Avation Plant, July 2011
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Su-35S in trials
In the coming several years, the Russian Air Force shall field almost 50 cuttingedge Sukhoi Su-35S supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters in production by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO), a subsidiary of the Sukhoi company. Last year, the early production fighters of the type were handed over to the Russian Defence Ministry for their official tests. A preliminary report is due before year end on the first stage of the trials. It is to clear the fighters full-scale production and their operation by line units. The contract for 48 Su-35S fighters to be delivered to RusAF until 2015 was signed at the MAKS 2009 air show in August 2009. The first aircraft under the contract, the Su-35S-1, was flight-tested by Sukhoi design bureau test pilot Sergei Bogdan in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 3 May 2011 and flew three weeks later to the Russian Defence Ministrys State Flight Test Centre (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk for the official trials. According to Sukhois official news release, flights under the official test programme in Akhtubinsk commenced on 15 August 2011, in fact, using the Su-35-1 and Su-35-2 prototypes (built in an export version in 2008) that were joined by the first Russianised version, the Su-35S-1. The second aircraft ordered by the Defence Ministry, the Su-35S-2, took off on its maiden flight on 2 December 2011 with Sergei Bogdan at the controls and flew to Akhtubinsk this year, with the ferry flight from Komsomolsk-onAmur taking place on 2021 January. There are as many as four Su-35S fighters based in Akhtubinsk now (all of them are painted in a blue camouflage pattern and bear new RusAF insignia and side numbers 01, 02, 03 an 04). The first Su-35S assembled this year, the Su-35S-3, conducted its first flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 17 January 2012, flown by Sukhoi design bureau test pilot Taras Artsebarsky. In mid-February, following the factory and acceptance test flights and application of the blue camouflage pattern, side number 03 and GLITs emblem, it was redeployed to Akhtubinsk (its ferry flight from Komsomolskon-Amur to Akhtubinsk included two stopovers at the Belaya airfield near Irkutsk and Shagol airfield vic. Chelyabinsk and was performed by GLITs test pilot Col. Mansur Nizamov. The fourth Su-35S, now used under the official test programme, performed its maiden flight at KnAAPO on 19 February 2012 with Taras Artsebarsky at the controls. On the next day, Komsomolsk-on-Amur hosted a conference on Russian defence industry development, attended by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Rogozin, vice-premier supervising defence industry matters. While giving Vladimir Putin a tour of KnAAPO shops, UACs boss Mikhail Pogosyan told him that eight Su-35S were slated for production this year, according to the Interfax-AVN news agency. 2013 and 2014 each are supposed to see 12 aircraft of the type made, with the final 14 under the contract to be constructed in 2015. The deliveries of Su-35S
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fighters are likely to continue after 2015 as well. A new long-term contract is expected to be made, with its volume hardly to be less than that of the current contract. However, Su-35s deliveries to RusAF line units should be preceded by the completion of the official test programme, under which hundreds of test sorties are due to test the sophisticated avionics and weapons suites. According to Sukhois official statements, the Su-35 fighters features setting it radically apart from other aircraft of the Su-27 family are its drastically novel avionics suite based on a digital information management system and the cutting-edge Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis phased array radar boasting the unique target acquisition range (400 km) and enhanced multiple-target tracking and engagement capabilities (tracking 30 aerial targets and engaging eight of them or tracking four ground targets and attacking two of them). Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely told the Take-off that three Irbis prowww.take-off.ru
totypes have been undergoing flight tests for several years on board the first two Su-35 prototypes and Su-30MK2 flying testbed. The Su-35S fighters being built under the 2009 contract awarded by the Russian Defence Ministry are fitted with the full Irbis radar set series-produced by the Ryazan State Instrument-making Enterprise. Flight tests have proven all basic characteristics of the advanced phased array radar, and most of its operating modes have been tested in flight too. In particular, test sorties have proven the unique capabilities of the Irbis in terms of its ability to acquire aerial threats at a range of about 400 km. The avionics suite also includes an advanced infrared search-and-track (IRST) system from the Precision Instrument Systems scientific and production company, up-to-date navigation and communications systems, a sophisticated defence aids suite including incoming missile and laser illumination warning equipment in addition to the traditional
radar warning receiver (RWR) and electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems. The cockpit management system comprises two wideangle 15-inch multifunction colour liquid crystal displays and a wide-angle collimated head-up display. The fighter is powered by advanced NPO Saturn 117S engines featuring a thrust enhanced to 14,500 kgf in special mode and an extended service life. The 117S was developed by the NPO Saturn scientific and production association and produced in cooperation with UMPO JSC. The engine is equipped with a thrust vector control jet nozzle. Compared to other Su-27 versions, the Su-35s internal fuel capacity has increased by over 20%, the fighter has the mid-air refuelling capability and can haul large drop tanks. The Su-35s weapons suite is planned to comprise both in-service smart and dumb weapons and upgraded and in-development missiles in all classes, and smart bombs as well.
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TIKHOMIROV RADARS:
from Yak-130 to Tu-160
Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely
The V. Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design (TikhomirovNIIP) is launching flight tests of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar onboard the Sukhoi PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft. An AESA radar prototype has been installed this year in the third PAK FA prototype and has cleared a series of ground tests. At the same time, the institute is taking part in the government trials of Su-35S multirole fighters fitted with production-standard examples of the Irbis phased-array radar. Recently, the decision has been taken to use this radar as the basis for deriving a radar to upgrade Tupolev Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 missile carriers. The company is also devising a proposal pertaining to light phased-array radars designed for Yakovlev Yak-130 light combat trainer versions and unmanned aerial vehicles being developed by Russian companies. The institutes Director General Yuri Bely is speaking about these and other programmes in his interview with the Take-off magazine below.
Mr. Bely, how is the work on the AESA radar for the fifth-generation fighter going? Earlier this year, following tests and adjustment on Tikhomirov-NIIPs test benches, the third prototype AESA radar set was shipped to the Sukhoi company and installed on the third flying PAK FA prototype brought for trials from Komsomolskon-Amur to Zhukovsky in late 2011. It has completed the cycle of ground tests
Andrey Fomin
onboard the aircraft and has been turned on several times. The aircraft entered flight tests in Zhukovsky in June, and we will be facing the key phase flight tests of the AESA radar. At the same time, we have manufactured another the fourth AESA radar set. To date, we have almost completed its testing and alignment and soon will be ready to hand it over to the customer. It will be
shipped to Komsomolsk-on-Amur where it will be mounted on the fourth flying PAK FA prototype. We hope that as soon as the aircraft is ready, the full AESA radar set will have been able to kick off its flight trials prior to year-end. Now, manufacture of two more sets, designed for subsequent PAK FA prototypes, is under way. Timely delivery of more AESA radar sets to the customer is ensured through the institute having as many as two test rigs. One of them, the chief designers rig is being used for testing the AESA radar prototype to enhance its operating envelope as well as introduce advanced operating modes and improved software packages. The other one is being used for tuning more radar sets before mounting them on follow-on aircraft. Overall, we are satisfied with the results produced but realise full well that a lot remains to be done attaining the required reliability and reducing the prime cost of Istok company-supplied transmit-receive (T-R) modules in the first place. I would also like to note that TikhomirovNIIP has been appointed prime contractor for the development of an AESA radar for the FGFA fifth-generation Fighter Aircraft (PMI in Russian) being co-developed by Russia and India. The preliminary design of the aircraft is to be submitted for approval this summer. We have prepared the basic materials required for this purpose. How is your development of passive phased-array radars? We are running several programmes at once in this field. Firstly, it is the Bars phased-array radar for the Sukhoi
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The flight tests of Irbis prototypes have been underway on board the flying Su-30MK2 testbed and two Su-35 prototypes for several years. Last year, the Defence Ministry took delivery of the first two KnAAPO-built production-standard Su-35S fighters for the official state trials. Two more have joined them this year. All of them are fitted with production-standard Irbises, which production has been launched by Ryazan State Instrumentmaking Enterprise with support by Tikhomirov-NIIP. The radars basic characteristics have been proven by the flight tests, but there remain tactical application test flights with the use of various weapons. A preliminary report on the first stage of the state trials of the Irbis phased-array radarequipped Su-35S is due by the end of the year. This will allow the Su-35Ss operational evaluation by the Air Force. As is known, the government-awarded contract provides for manufacture of 48 Su-35S fighters for RusAF throughout 2015, with their deliveries to continue thereafter. That we have been recently tasked with using the Irbis to derive a phased-array radar for the Tupolev Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 long-range bombers is a recognition of its top-notch performance. This is going to be a new line of work to us, since we have not developed radars for long-range missilecarrying bombers yet. However, the experience we have gained in Irbis development makes us optimistic about our ability to fulfil the task. The first upgraded Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers fitted with our radars are slated for tests within two years at the most. What other new lines of work has Tikhomirov-NIIP been pursuing of late? The Irkut corporation has asked us recently for proposals for a light radar that could be used on board new versions of the Yak-130 combat trainer, which are being mulled over by the Yakovlev design bureau. As is known, production-standard Yak-130s have been delivered to RusAF since 2010, and their export began last year. At the same time with ramping up the production of the Yak-130 that is not equipped with radars, Irkut is pondering other roles for the aircraft, e.g. a light strike aircraft, a light attack aircraft, a light fighter, etc. It is these versions that are in need of a radar that must be light and small, but also handle numerous tasks, such as aerial and ground target seeking and acquisition, ground mapping, etc. Tikhomirov-NIIP is experienced in small phased-array radar development, e.g. early in the last decade, we developed the Osa compact passive phased-array radar for fitting the upgraded MiG-29UBT twin-seat
fighter as well as Yak-130, MiG-AT and other light combat trainers and warplanes. Unfortunately, this line of work stalled at the time, but the experience gained, coupled with introduction of advanced technologies and sophisticated software proven as part of our more advanced radars (e.g. the Irbis) will, undoubtedly, enable us fulfil the task quickly and effectively. The ball is in the customers court. If the customer is interested in our offers and the development of new Yak-130 versions continues, we are ready to provide them with up-to-date topnotch inexpensive phased-array radar. Another new sphere for our institute to explore may be development of light radars for unmanned aerial vehicles. As is known, the St. Petersburg-based Transas company and the Sokol design bureau in Kazan were selected as prime contractors for the light and medium UAVs last autumn based on the outcome of the tender held by the Defence Ministry. It looks like UAC will handle the development of the future heavy UAV. All of them have invited us to cooperate. We will be ready to submit our proposals as soon as the requirements to the radars for such UAVs have been determined and provided to us. Thus, the scope of the work being done by Tikhomirov-NIIP is increasing. While we used to make radars for fighters only (MiG-31, Su-27, Su-30 and its derivatives, Su-35, PAK FA) as far as airborne radars are concerned, now the number of carriers is growing. I believe that the application of Tikhomirov-NIIP radars will range all the way from the lightweight Yak-130 to the heavy Tu-160 in the near future.
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Andrey Fomin
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Il-76MD-90A is to be rolled out to Aviastars flight testing facility in July. The aircraft is expected to conduct its maiden flight in August 2012. At the same time, three more aircraft of a low-rate initial production batch entered construction by Aviastar under a contract with UAC Transport Aircraft in 2010. According to the plants Director General Sergei Dementyev, two of them are to be completed in 2013. The Russian Defence Ministry shall be the launch customer for the production-standard Il-76MD-90A
freighters. Early in June 2012, Russian Air Force Military Transport Aviation commander Lt.-Gen. Victor Kachalkin said 40 brand-new Il-76MD-90As were planned to be received by 2020. Potential buyers include the air branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, and further down the line, a number of commercial carriers operating Il-76TDs and interested in updating and beefing up their aircraft fleets might acquire the Il-76TD-90A commercial version. The baseline model is also supposed to be used for deriving the
Il-78MD-90 tanker plane and some special-purpose aircraft. At the same time, RusAF is intent on ordering an upgrade of the in-service Il-76MD freighters and Il-78M tankers. According to Lt.-Gen. Kachalkin, the transport aviation command is to take delivery of about 40 re-engined Il-76MDMs (an upgraded version of the earlier Il-76MD, which is powered by PS-90A-76 engines and equipped with a more advanced avionics suite). The Il-78M tanker planes version upgraded in the same manner may be designated as Il-78M2.
NPO Saturn
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UAC
industry | news
signed with the Russian Defence Ministry in 2011 for delivery of over 600 helicopters until 2020. Last year, the company continued the upgrade of the manufacturing facilities of its subsidiaries, investing in the upgrade 9.1 billion rubles a 65.5% increase over the previous year. This resulted in three centres of competence: one for magnesium casting production on the premises of Progress JSC, another for part machining on the premises of Kazan Helicopters (first stage) and
yet another for development and manufacture of helicopter units, powertrains and test benches on the premises of Reductor-PM JSC. In 2011, the investment in research and development showed a considerable increase too, having accounted for 4.6 billion rubles a 2.7-fold growth compared with 2010. The heaviest investment was made in the key advanced projects the Ka-226T, Mi-38, Ka-62, Mi-171A2 and Advanced High-Speed Helicopter (PSV).
Commenting on the results produced in 2011, Russian Helicopters Director General Dmitry Petrov said: The company continues its active development and demonstrated impressive growth dynamics. Last year, we consolidated leading positions in global helicopter industry. We delivered 262 aircraft to 19 countries, which enabled us to gain about 14% of the global market in monetary terms. In addition, we succeeded in increasing our firm orderbook twice, with it accounting for 859 helicopters and with its value exceeding 330 billion rubles as of late 2011. Our strategic goal is to continue strengthening our positions on the global market through honing our competitive edge and increasing our operating efficiency and to do our utmost to increase the shareholder value of the company. We are going to remain proactive in laying the groundwork for the future by means of intensive research and development in 2012. We will continue to refine our service and after-sales maintenance system, production facilities renovation and modernisation and will carry on improving our management system. The holding companys production 2012 plans stipulate a further increase in the helicopter output that may exceed 300 machines.
Andrey Fomin
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Piotr Butowski
industry | news
Introduction of Turbomeca Ardiden 3G engines with the 1,780-hp takeoff power (1,940 hp in the emergency power mode) has resulted in a cer-
tain modification to engine nacelles outline. The developer and supplier of the powertrain, including the main and tail rotor gearboxes, is Austrian company Zoerkler. Secondly, the cabins glazing has increased by far, with each of the side windows being emergency exit for safe egress of the aircraft in case of an emergency and overturning. For thus purpose, the comfortable passenger seats are set three abreast. Thirdly, the landing gear has become semi-retractable into fairings on the fuselage sides and under the tailboom. Russian company Transas handles the development and delivery of the
avionics suite for the Ka-62. The helicopter has the glass cockpit, in which the pilot is seated on the right. The Progress plant in the town of Arsenyev is now manufacturing parts and units to fit the early Ka-62 prototypes. The example intended for ground tests of the powerplant, powertrain and rotor system is expected to kick off its tests by year-end. The first flying prototype is slated for manufacture in spring 2013 and may fly for the first time as soon as May 2013. In all, the certification test programme provides for using four prototypes. The Ka-62s certification and productionising in Arsenyev are slated for 2015.
Andrey Fomin
A Russian Helicopters spokesman said at HeliRussia 2012 that the company is mulling over development of the search-and-rescue and convertible passenger/cargo
variants of the Mi-38 for Russian governmental agencies. In addition, the Mi-38 is competing in several international competitions for SAR helicopters.
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Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
industry | news
(OP-2) fitted with the complete avionics suite for operations in all weather is to commence late this year. Completion of the Mi-171A2 certification trials, issuance of an IAC Aircraft Registry type certificate (and then that of the European Aviation Safety Agency) and launch of pro-
duction by UUAP are slated for 2014. Deliveries to launch customer may begin the same year. Similar measures to upgrade the avionics suite, powerplant and rotor system are planned for gradual application to the Kazan Helicopters-made Mi-17V-5 as well.
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Alexey Mikheyev
Andrey Fomin
industry | news
Andrey Fomin
The Ansat light multipurpose helicopter powered by Canadianmade PW207K engines has been in full-rate production by Kazan Helicopters since 2004. The first six production-standard machines have been exported to South Korea, two have been delivered to the Russian Federal Security Service Aviation Department, a medevac version to the Kazan Air Detachment, a flying testbed to Radar MMS company and a patrol aircraft to Tatarstans police. The Ansat-U trainer version with twin controls and wheeled landing gear entered full-sale production, having passed its governmental tri-
als in November 2008. Its development had been ordered by the Russian Air Force. In spring 2010, the first three of them were shipped to the RusAF Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok, and five more went in autumn 2010 to the Syzran affiliate of the Air Force Military Training and Scientific Centre specialising in training helicopter pilots for RusAF. Last year, Kazan Helicopters delivered five more production-standard Ansat-Us delivered to the flying school in Syzran in January of this year. The instructor-pilots have learnt flying them, and cadets are
soon to start learning the ropes on them too. Six more aircraft of the type are due to Syzran this year. In its day, the Ansat was the worlds first light commercial helicopter featuring an advanced flyby-wire flight control system that turned out a certain hurdle in its promotion on the global market despite the machines advantages and type certificate issued by the Interstate Aviation Committee Aircraft Registry in 2004. The cause was the lack of certification standards for fly-by-wire light helicopters, and the lack persists. After the commercial operation of
85% of the assets of Russias aircraft engine industry. The consolidation of companies under the auspices of UEC was mostly wrapped up in 2010. At present, UEC manages eight Russian aircraft engine-making majors Aviadvigatel and the Perm Engine Company in Perm, NPO Saturn in Rybinsk, the Ufa Engine Industrial
Association (UMPO) in Ufa, Klimov in St. Petersburg, Chernyshev MME in Moscow, Kuznetsov in Samara and NPP Motor in Ufa. Mention should be made that most of these companies also develop and manufacture ground-based powerplants derived from aircraft engine technologies and repair aircraft engines.
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Alexey Mikheyev
industry | news
evant to the development of a new turbofan family had been launched in Perm within two years. The conceptual design approval (Gate II) took place in March 2010. Gate III, which provides the final decision on the engine configuration and preliminary design approval, was cleared in July 2011. In a little more than a year between Gates II and III, the core engine demonstrator was developed and put through the first stage of tests, the high-pressure compressor cleared the first stage of its trials, high-pressure turbine blades were made of advanced efficient-cooling materials and mounted on the core engine and demonstrator units were made of
high-strength composite parts in addition to the approval of the preliminary design. The bench tests of the PD-14s core demonstrator commenced in Perm in autumn 2010. Its first bench start took place on 26 November 2010. Concurrently, Aviadvigatel launched the manufacture and assembly of the engine technology demonstrator. The latters bench tests began in June. In 2014 the demonstrator is planned for kicking off the flight test phase using a Il-76LL flying testbed. The certification of the PD-14s baseline model is slated for 2014, which is to enable the engine to hit the market in 20152016 bang in the run-up to the emergence of the MC-21.
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Aviadvigatel
industry | news
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Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
industry | news
feasibility of re-engining the whole of the Su-27 aircraft fleet without extra modifications to the airframe or engine nacelles, Salut General Designer Gennady Skirdov said. Until year-end 2012, the special bench and endurance test programme is to be completed and the special flight test programme is to begin. The flight trials of the AL-31F-M2 are supposed to involve using a Su-27SM the Sukhoi company may provide or Gromov LIIs Su-27 flying testbed used for testing the AL-31F-M1. According to Salut Director General Vladislav Masalov, series deliveries of
upgraded engines may well begin in 2013. The AL-31F-M2 engine is an inexpensive option for re-engining the Su-27, Su-30 and Su-34 aircraft fleets in service with the Russian Air Force and for export, the Salut Director General said. To meet the requirements specification in a fuller manner, the Su-27SM and Su-34 need an enhanced-thrust reduced-fuel-burn engine. The AL-31F-M2 is just the thing, as representatives of the Sukhoi design bureau have agreed. To cap it all, replacing the AL-31F with it necessitates no modifications to the aircraft and can be performed in the field.
of the type there. The programme is about half-complete. Finally, the RD-93, a RD-33 derivative with the low-mounted accessory gearbox, is exported to China to fit FC-1 (JF-17) light single-engine fighters. The deal for 100 RD-93s with an option for 400 more was clinched in April 2005. The first 15 engines were assembled by Klimov, and Chernyshev has handled the rest of the deliveries since 2006. The contract is half-complete, and the
deliveries shall resume as soon as the customer submits its request. At the same time with the full-rate production in Moscow, Klimov JSC in St. Petersburg continues to refine the RD-33MK and RD-93. According to Klimov, the companys jet engine priorities are the development of the modified RD-93MA with the thrust enhanced to 9,300 kgf for a foreign customer and the development of the upgraded RD-33MKM with a thrust of 9,500 kgf for the MiG corporation.
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Andrey Fomin
Alexey Mikheyev
industry | interview
PHAZOTRONS RADARS
for MiGs, helicopters and more
Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation General Designer Yuri Guskov
The Phazotron-NIIR corporation is known throughout the world for its fire control radars designed for MiG fighters. The MiGs in service with the air forces of more than 30 countries are fitted with its radars. Zhuk-ME radar variants, which fit the advanced MiG-29SMT, MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/ M2 and IAFs upgraded MiG-29UPG fighters, are in full-rate production. Tests of the Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) AESA radar designed for the MiG-35 and for upgrade of in-service MiG-29 versions are underway. Recently, Phazotron-NIIR has placed heavier emphasis on heliborne radars as part of its production programme. Corporation has completed the trials and launched full-scale production of the FH01 radar systems designed to equip the RusAFs Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopters and launched its deliveries of late. In addition, the FHA radar intended for upgrade of the Navys Ka-27 helicopters is in trials. In the run-up to the Farnborough air show, Take-off met with Phazotron-NIIR General Designer Yuri Guskov and asked him to speak about the companys key airborne radar development programmes.
Mr. Guskov, what airborne radar programmes are the Phazotron-NIIR corporations priorities now? First off, mention should be made that Phazotron-NIIR completed 2011, having achieved a record of its own in the volume of sales. This was mostly achieved through delivery of cutting-edge FH01 radars designed for Kamov Ka-52 helicopters in service with the Russian Air Force. In addition, work was performed in support of the upgrade of the Ka-27 helicopters. Overall, about 70% of our 2011 deliveries fell on helicopter applications,
Piotr Butowski
and the heliborne radar-related workload will remain stable. The rest is the work on radars designed for MiG fighters. Let us begin with Phazotron-NIIRs traditional sphere, radars for MiGs. Phazotron-NIIR continues the deliveries of several versions of the upgraded Zhuk-ME slot-array radar: FGM-129s for the Indian Navy-ordered MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters and FGM-229s to fit the Indian Air Forces MiG-29UPG fighters (the first upgraded aircraft are nearing the end of their tests in Russia at present). In addition,
two sets of the radar of the type were delivered for the first two MiG-29M/M2 fighter prototypes, with one of the aircraft successfully demonstrated at the KADEX 2012 international air show in Kazakhstan in May. We shall continue the Zhuk-ME radar deliveries under the orders of both the Indians and the Russian Defence Ministry. The MiG corporation is known to have landed in February 2012 an order for 24 carrierborne MiG-29K/KUB fighters intended for the Russian Navys air arm. We are to deliver the first batch of radars as soon as this year. Concurrently, we are refining the radar of the type and associated software further. Does the company continue to develop an AESA radar? It does. We are going to launch a new phase of the programme in the near future the flight tests of the full-scale Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) radar on the MiG-29. As you know, the development of the Zhuks version fitted with the AESA was launched by Phazotron-NIIR in the mid-2000s. A demo variant of the radar the FGA-29 with a 500-mm AESA was made and put through some of the bench tests in 2006. Early in 2007, it was mounted on the MiG-35 demonstrator (side number 154) and displayed at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore. In April 2010, the radar as part of the MiG-35D (side number 967) was involved in the flight trials conducted by both RusAF and IAF pilots, including live firing tests at missile ranges, and was praised high enough. We have developed a Zhuk-AE version featuring an increased-diameter 688-mm
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AESA the FGA-35 for use on productionstandard fighters. The number of the AESAs T-R modules has grown by almost 50% to slight more than a thousand. The radars performance will improve considerably with an insignificant weight increase. The improvement is planned for demonstration during the flight tests using the MiG-29SMT (side number 777) prototype, the tests scheduled for late summer. Based on the outcome of the trials, RusAF will make up its mind which version of the MiG fighters will be bought by the Defence Ministry in the later 2010s MiG-35 equipped with the AESA radar or MiG-29M/M2 with the less expensive Zhuk-ME slot-array radar. I am certain that we will be able to highlight the far more advanced capabilities of the AESA radar, for such radars own the future. You have said that the mainstay of PhazotronNIIRs production programme is helicopter radars, the one designed for the Ka-52 in the first place. Would you tell us about these efforts? Phazotron-NIIR kicked off the development of a radar system to fit Kamov Ka-52 helicopter as far back as the mid-90s. We completed the preliminary design in 1996. However, the times were tough then, and defence-related programmes were given virtually no funding. Against the backdrop like that, Kamovs and Phazotron-NIIRs directors general decided jointly to launch the development of the radars export version designated as Arbalet. In 1997, we developed Arbalet radar and started flighttesting it on board a Ka-52 prototype, which had lasted until 2002. Normal financing of the governments combat gear acquisition resumed in 2002, which allowed the resumption of the work on the baseline model of the system, which version is designated as FH01 now. We have performed all of the trials, including bench, acceptance, interdepartmental, flight and, finally, official state tests. At first, we used the hardware that had been involved in the development since the later 1990s, but then switched over to a new example borrowed from the backlog prepared for full-rate production. The system completed its official trials early in 2011, thus enabling us to launch series deliveries. Last year, we shipped the first production-standard radars to the Progress helicopter plant in Arsenyev, and all of the Ka-52s supplied by the plant to the RusAFs Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok in 2011 are equipped with these radars. This year, we are to provide the Arsenyev-based plant a new batch of heliborne radar systems to fit all new production-standard Ka-52s. What new capabilities are offered by beefing up the Ka-52s avionics suite with a radar? What functions does the radar handle and how does it expands the machines operating envelope? First off, the Ka-52s crew gets the highresolution terrain-mapping capability and the
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Alexey Mikheyev
ability to select moving ground targets and track them effectively in look-down mode. This makes it much easier for them to get their bearings in poor visibility conditions and enables them to designate the targets acquired for the integral optronic systems and relevant weapons. Compared to optronic systems, the radar features a far wider scan zone and is effective in fog and dust, round the clock, including the ungodliest pitch-dark hours. It should be admitted, however, that the target acquisition range of the radar diminishes sharply in heavy precipitation, but this is a peculiarity of the Ka-band with the 8-mm wavelength. It is worth adding that the heliborne radar easily spots ground obstacles jeopardising flight safety, e.g. transmission towers and even the cables running between them. In addition, it makes possible to detect low-flying aircraft. What other heliborne radar programmes are being run by Phazotron-NIIR? The second major helicopter-related programme is the development of the FHA helicopter-mounted radar (Kopyo-A) to equip Kamov Ka-27 antisubmarine warfare helicopter family. As is known, the Russian Navy is to begin to buy helicopters of the type as soon as next year. The upgraded Ka-27 will get a sophisticated search-and-track system comprising a whole range of systems, e.g. the radar, radio-frequency sonobuoy subsystem, magnetic anomaly detector and other gear. Under the Ka-27 upgrade programme, Phazotron-NIIR is both the developer of the advanced radar and the integrator of the search-and-track system. The Kopyo-A radar has undergone a series of rig tests and will be flight-tested in the near future. We are going to complete the flight trials of the FHA radar on board the Ka-27 by year-end so that we can launch series deliveries next year. We have got the same radar planned for installation on board an advanced search-and-rescue helicopter to
be derived from the Ka-27 or Ka-32. We have already been tasked to do so. Thus, Phazotron-NIIR is a manufacturer of radars designed for various helicopter types in service with both the Air Force and Navy. Russian combat trainer Yak-130 makes it sdebut at the current Farnborough air show. It lacks a radar so far, but versions, to which a radar may come in handy, are known to have been mulled over. Are you prepared to offer something for fitting them? Indeed, current Yak-130 combat trainers delivered to the Russian Air Force and exported carry no radar yet. However, the aircrafts developer is considering options of its further refining, particularly, as a light strike aircraft that features a high degree of exportability, according to expert opinion. Beefing up the Yak-130s capabilities and tactical effectiveness is to be achieved through fitting the plane with an infrared search-and-track fire control system and an integral radar. The latter will provide the day/night combat capability using the whole of the weapons suite against aerial and ground threats in fair and adverse weather. The Phazotron-NIIR corporation offers the FK130 small-size slot-array radar designed for new versions of the Yak-130. The radars development builds on the lessons learnt from developing and manufacturing the Kopyo radar carried now by IAFs upgraded MiG-21bis UPG (Bison) fighters (Phazotron-NIIR once delivered 125 sets of Kopyo radar to India). The Kopyo-M radar has been derived from it to fit the upgraded Su-39 attack aircraft, to boot. The key target of development of the FK130 radar tailored to the Yak-130 aircraft family is to minimise its weight (80 kg) and dimensions while retaining the top-notch characteristics in air-to-air and air-to-surface modes. Certainly, the radar equipping the Yak-130 versions will jazz up their appeal on the market.
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industry | upgrade
Mi-26T2
is ready to take over leadership
Russia has retained its competence in production of the heavy-lift helicopters of the Mi-26 family, featuring the worlds best lifting capacity. Designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and being in full-rate production by Rostvertol JSC (both are the subsidiaries of Russian Helicopters company), helicopters of the Mi-26 family provide excellent capability to their military and civil owners in many countries. In recent years three newly-built Mi-26TC helicopters were delivered to Chinese customers that have been using them actively on fire fighting, disaster relief and special transport operations. Recently, the Russian Defence Ministry has resumed acquisition of newly-built Mi-26s too. According to the Russian press, it has given the Russian Helicopters holding company a long-term contract for more than 10 aircraft of the type. First Mi-26s, produced under the contract, were delivered in October last year, while the next few helicopters were completed by Rostvertol last December and are operated in the Urals. According to the Russian Defence Ministry website, about five more Mi-26s will enter the Air Forces inventory in 2012. In the future, the company is to supplement the production of the present-day Mi-26, Mi-26T and Mi-26TC with the Mi-26T2 upgrade powered by modified engines and equipped with a sophisticated avionics suite allowing, among other things, a crew reduction down to two pilots. A Mi-26T2 prototype was made in Rostov in 2010 and is undergoing its flight tests. Russian heavy-lift Mi-26, which first flew on 14 December 1977, revolutionised rotorcraft building in its day by setting new heavylift helicopter standards. It was able to carry up to 80 troops in combat gear or 60 casualties on stretchers, or cargo weighing up to 20 t in its cargo cabin or on the external sling. Its foreign rivals have been unable to beat it at this yet. A graphic proof of the superiority of the Russian machine over its US competition is the widely known facts of history of the combat operations in Afghanistan, when the Mi-26s services had to be resorted to so as US Chinooks downed in mountainous areas can be recovered. Visiting the 5th HeliRussia International Helicopter Industry Exhibition, Vicepremier of the Russian government, Dmitry Rogozin, gave a high assessment of domestic developments and remembered the delight with which he showed NATOs representatives photos with the Russian Mi-26 helicopter evacuating an US CH-47 helicopter in Afghanistan. However, to remain on the cutting edge of technological progress and meet the requirements of potential customer in a better manner, Russia kicked off heavy upgrade of the Mi-26 six years ago. The upgraded helicopter was designated as Mi-26T2. Its key features will include the round-the-clock operation capability, advanced digital avionics allowing a crew reduction down to two pilots, and uprated engines. The BREO-26 avionics suite of the Mi-26T2 upgrade is wrapped around the NPK-90-2 flight navigation system comwww.take-off.ru
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Alexey Mikheyev
Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV
prising a digital display system, control consoles, a digital computer, a satellite navigation system and a digital flight control system. In addition, the Mi-26T2s avionics suite includes a day/night gyrostabilised surveillance optronic system, an up-to-date communications suite and an integral test system. Optional gear includes night-vision goggles. According to expert estimates, the BREO-26 avionics suite will boost the Mi-26T2s reliability, flight safety, stability, controllability and hovering precision, the latter being especially important when using the external sling (for example, during building and assembly jobs, cargo operations and fire-fighting missions). Owing to its advanced avionics suite, the Mi-26T2 can fly round the clock in any weather and above sea surface. Another advantage of the machine is a reduction in mission planning time and in-flight workload on the crew owing, among other things, to automatic onboard systems health monitoring. The Mi-26T2 carries outsize cargo and vehicle weighing a total of 20 t both in its cargo cabin and on the external sling. Its military variant hauls 82 troops while its casevac version 60 casualties. The machine also can handle construction and erection work of various degrees of complexity, fire fighting, quick fuel delivery with on-theground refuelling of vehicles, etc. Certainly, the upgraded Mi-26T2 heavylift helicopter has bright vistas not only in Russia, but also on the international market where interest in rotary-wing heavylifters remains keen. The Russian-made Mi-26T2 will retain its edge over its foreign competition in terms of a number of basic characteristics, in the first place, maximum carrying capacity and heavily-laden range.
For this reason, analysts foresee interest in the Mi-26T2 advanced heavy-lift helicopter on the part of countries from all over the world, including European NATO members whose defence need in an advanced heavy-lift helicopter will never be met even by upgraded US CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K Super Stallion. According to NATO officials, they are unable to carry all of the materiel in service with the militaries of the NATO members. With its carrying capacity of 20 t, the Mi-26T2 remains unchallenged, given that the normal lifting capacity of the upgraded CH-47F being fielded with the US Army and several other armies is up to 11 t and that of the CH-53K designed mostly for the US Marine Corps stands at around 16 t. There is a lot of work for the future Mi-26T2 in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well, of them being traditional Russian aircraft markets. This indicates a niche for the advanced Russian all-weather day/night heavy-lift helicopter meeting the most stringent requirements. The Mi-26T2 bids in the tender issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence for 15 advanced heavy-lift helicopters. The potential customer is rather pleased with its assessment, and experts deem the Mi-26T2s chances for winning in the Indian tender as high. We demonstrated the helicopter to the potential customer and it exceeded almost all the requirements, including operations in mountainous regions, told the General Designer of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant Alexey Samusenko. Indian pilots, admitted to the flight tests, highly prized the upgraded helicopter, especially its new avionics. The Russian Defence Ministry and Ministry for Emergencies can order Mi-26T2s too.
take-off july 2012
militaryphotos.net
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Andrey Fomin
industry | engines
Now, engines of the PS-90A family power 82 long-haul aircraft operated by 11 Russian and five foreign carriers. Throughout its operation, the PS-90A has been repeatedly improved in terms of design, and its manufacturing technology has been refined, which has stepped up its reliability and service life. In all, 370 PS-90A engines have been made in Perm in the four basic versions, the PS-90A, PS-90A1, PS-90A2 and PS-90A-76, used on Ilyushin Il-96-300, Il-96-400T, Tupolev Tu-204, Tu-214, Ilyushin Il-76TD-90, Il-76MF and other planes. The PS-90A-76, a PS-90A version, cleared another important hurdle early in April 2012 by having logged more than 9,000 flight hours as part of the Il-76TD-90 of Azeri air company Silk Way Airlines without having been detached for repairs. The PS-90A76 was certificated in 2003 and has been in full-rate production by the Perm Engine Company since 2004. It has been selected as the main engine to power the upgraded Il-76MD-90A (476) airlifter, which first flight is slated for this summer. The fifth new Il-76TD-90VD aircraft fitted with engines of the type was delivered to the Volga-Dnepr air company in May 2012. In addition, a programme is in the pipeline on re-engining in-service RusAF Il-76MD airlifters and Il-78M tanker planes with PS-90A-76s. The Russian Emergencies Ministry and a number of commercial operators are mulling over the re-engining of their Il-76TDs with PS-90A-76s and acquisition of advanced Il-76TD-90As (476) powered by engines of the type. The PS-90A is the main product made by our plant. Its core serves the basis for several versions of aircraft engines and gas turbine plants used by oil and gas producers and power generation companies, Perm Engine Company Managing Director Alexei Mikhalyov says. We attach great importance to ramping up its production and honing its manufacturing technology. Our priority is landing the governmental order for over 500 PS-90A-76s to be made during 20122020 on order from the United Aircraft Corporation to fit the future Il-76MD-90A transport. This would allow keeping the company busy and ensuring the Perm Engine Companys necessary development pace and re-equipment during the productionising of the PD-14 fifthgeneration engine, Proof of the high quality of PS-90A engines is the fact that it powers all advanced Russian aircraft operated by the Presidential aircraft unit, the Rossiya special air detachment, including the Presidential aircraft itself. At present, Rossiya flies 16 airliners powered by PS-90As five Il-96-300s, two
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George SMIRNOV
PS-90A
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industry | engines
Tu-204-300s and nine Tu-214s in various versions. From December 2011 to April 2012, the Presidential air detachment received five airliners equipped with PS-90A engines two Tu-204-300s, two Tu-214s and an Il-96-300. Another Tu-214 is due to Rossiyas aircraft fleet before year-end. Overall, the Perm Engine Company manufactured 13 PS-90A last year in response to an order by the President Support Office, with the deliveries to continue this year. In 2012, the Perm Engine Company ought to fulfil the order for seven specialpurpose PS-90A engines, which was placed by the President Support Office, says Alexei Mikhalyov. It is very important to us that aircraft powered by our engines are trusted by top national leaders. We continue to pursue a very stringent quality management policy so that our engines continue to meet the most stringent requirements. In all, the Perm Engine Company made and delivered 23 engines of the PS-90A family in 2011. Four of them were PS-90A1s mounted on the fourth Il-96-400T cargo plane designed for the Polyot air company, while two were in the PS-90A2 variant and were mounted on the second Tu-204SM that entered the certification trials in 2011. The 2012 plan makes provision for the Perm Engine Company to manufacture 22 engines of the PS-90A family. Overall, upwards of 370 PS-90A engines in all versions have been built in Perm. 270 of them are operated in Russia, Azerbaijan, India, Jordan, Cuba and the North Korea. In the near future, the Perm-based engine maker is to focus on promoting another version of the engine on the market the commonised PS-90A3u derived from the PS-90A with the use of latest turbine design solutions embodied in the PS-90A2 variant. It is designed to replace the PS-90A on board the Tu-204, Tu-214, Il-96 and Il-76 aircraft, as it features a much longer service life and a far better reliability.
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The principal design difference of the PS-90A3u and PS-90A2 from the baseline PS-90A will be an improved highpressure turbine designed specifically for the high cycle life of its parts. According to Aviadvigatel JSC, the use of up-to-date technologies turbine first- and secondstage monocrystal blades made of the ZhS-36MONO alloy, ceramic blade heatinsulation coatings, EP471NP granulated alloy for turbine blades and modified turbine design will double the high-pressure turbines service life. The developer believes that throughout the service life, the engines time in repairs and overhaul will drop from 50 months to 22 months, while the maintenance labour-intensity reduction, achieved by means of an increased periodicity and a maintenance volume reduction, will slash the maintenance costs by 30%. The Perm Engine Company is interested in upgrading the whole of the PS-90A engine fleet now in service. Carriers will get
more reliable hardware featuring a lower operating cost, and the commonalisation of the Perm Engine Companys products will enable the manufacturer to cut the prime cost of production and overhaul. Suggestions to order PS-90A3u engines instead of the earlier PS-90A variants or upgrade the latter to PS-90A3u standard during overhaul have been made by the Perm Engine Company to all air carriers operating these engines. Memoranda of understanding on using the PS-90A3u have been signed by the plant, on the one hand, and the Cubana airline, Ilyushin Finance leasing company and Aviastar-Tu air carrier. A proposal is being worked out for the Russian Defence Ministry to transform the anticipated major order for the PS-90A-76 to power the Il-76MD-90A into an order for the PS-90A3u-76. The Perm Engine Company has launched the productionising of the commonised PS-90A3u.
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Alexey Mikheyev
gramme aimed at re-equipment the Russian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in connection with the clinching of the deal for 24 MiG-29K/KUB fighters ordered by the Russian Navy. Following the Air Force, the Navys air arm will get upto-date warplanes rivalling the best foreign designs. MiG Corp. Director General Sergei Korotkov said the government-awarded order resulted from the long-term efforts to develop advanced MiG fighters and launch their mass production. The MiG-29K and its future derivatives will ensure a stable workload on the production facilities of the corporation in the medium term, the MiG Corp. boss concluded.
Mention should be made that the Russian Defence Ministry was expected to have ordered the MiG-29K as far as two years ago, and then they believed the order would have been awarded in 2011. The main cause of the contract signature dragging its feet is said to have been the disagreements over the price of the fighter: the price offered by the military made the fighter unprofitable, the manufacturer said. Only late in January of this year did First Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Sukhorukov told the media that the disagreements had finally been settled and the contract would be signed in the near future, mentioning that 28 fighters were to be bought. The final version of the contract stipulated 24.
The first MiG-29K/KUBs are believed to be able to start flying as part of the Admiral Kuznetsovs CAG in 2014 and will oust her Su-33 deck-based fighters gradually. The Su-33 production by KnAAPO was put on the backburner following the completion of 26 production-standard aircraft on 1996. Ten Su-33s took part in the Admiral Kuznetsovs two-month-long combat training cruise to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, which was wrapped up in mid-February 2012. Actually, they are virtually everything that remains airworthy of the aircraft of the type. Although KnAAPO continues Su-33 overhaul and life extension, the assigned life of the carrierborne fighters is shorter than that of the land-based versions due to the conditions of their employment, and the last of the Su-33s are expected to be decommissioned by the middle of the decade. Another important factor is that the Su-33s weapons suite includes air-to-air missiles and dumb air-to-surface weapons only, while that of the MiG-29K/KUB comprises a wide range of guided weapons in all classes and the twos avionics suite is more advanced. In late September 2009, a prototype and a production-standard model of the MiG-29K/KUB were tested for being fit for basing on ski-jump ramp-equipped aircraft carriers, with a series of test flights performed off the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea.
Pavel Noddlov
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Sergey Lysenko
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Russian Helicopters
helicargo.com.br
Erik RostovSpotter
with the Indian Air Force in a ceremony at Palam air base on the outskirts of New Delhi on 17 February 2012. By then, the customer had received as many as 20 new Mi-17V-5s. According to Kazan Helicopters Director General Vadim Ligai speaking with the media in April, the deliveries under the contract are to be wrapped up by the middle of next year, and he might well have an offer for the Indians they consider the feasibility of ordering 59 Mi-17V-5s more for IAF and 12 for the Indian Ministry of Interior. The contract for 32 Ulan-Udemanufactured Mi-171Es to be made for China was signed in December 2009. Deliveries kicked off in autumn 2010 and were completed last year, and a new major deal for more of the same was clinched with the PRC late in 2011. Egypt placed an order with Kazan Helicopters for 24 Mi-17V-5 in 2009. The first machines were built in 2010, and the deliveries are, probably, to be fulfilled this year. A considerable contribution to the production programme of both plants keeps on to be made by US orders for Mi-171Es designed for Iraq and
Mi-17V-5s for Afghanistan. US company ARINC ordered 22 Mi-171Es for Iraq from the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in December 2007. Prior to delivery to Iraq, the machines were fitted with extra gear in the UAE. The first eight helicopters were commissioned for service in autumn 2010 and the last ones of the second batch made up of 14 aircraft followed suit in the summer of 2011. Kazan Helicopters snagged the US DoDs order for 21 Mi-17V-5s in May 2011. The first nine choppers were headed for Afghanistan late in 2011 and the rest 12 are slated for delivery during this year. Other export deliveries by Kazan Helicopters last year included the shipment of Mi-17-1Vs to Azerbaijan and Poland as well as Mi-17V-5s to Thailand, Indonesia and South Sudan. The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant supplied Peru with six Mi-171Sh helicopters and Ecuador with two Mi-171Es. In addition, Azerbaijans International Handling Company took delivery of four Mi-171s in February of last year. New customers for Ulan-Udemade helicopters have been Brazil and Argentina. The former ordered two Brazil-certificated commercial Mi-171A1s in December 2010, with the helicopters planned for use in the Amazon basin in support of the government-owned Petrobras oil and gas company. December of last year saw a pair of Mi-171Es crop up in Argentina as well. The Argentinean Defence Ministry and Russias Rosoboronexport made the deal in August 2010. The machines were supposed to be operated on transport and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in the Antarctic.
Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
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UUAZ
and small-size equipment, it requires only minor modifications of the object during installation, occupies no separate suspension point on the aircraft; it is much more reliable than other existing ECM systems, besides, it does not require any special ground support means, being exceptionally easy to operate. When the enemy radar weapon control means operate in the scanning (target search) mode, the system creates masking interference in the channels of range and angular data. As a result, numerous false target marks appear on the enemy displays making it difficult to identify the true target amidst the false ones. In the tracking mode, the equipment destroys the front of the incident electromagnetic wave and compels the tracking systems to change into the mode of tracking the maneuvering decoy target, providing hidden driven withdrawal of goniometric tracking systems which leads to
appearance of considerable sign-alternating errors in the targeting circuit of missiles. However, no signs of the jamming impact can be observed on the displays of weapon control radar means, so guided missiles can be launched on maneuvering decoy target without any hindrance. The missile follows considerable false angular control commands, thus quickly loses its speed which leads to decrease of flight range, growth of current miss and, as a consequence, to nonkilling the target. Besides, the equipment has a mode of compulsory loss of automatic tracking by the enemys weapon control radars at any stage of attack. SATELLITE equipment, being a unique product with no analogues worldwide, allows performing a combat mission without distracting the pilots attention for initiation of jamming to irradiating radar stations. The equipment is continuously active, it does not interfere the operation of own radar means of weapon control. The equipment may be installed both on military and civil aircraft. JSC 558 ARP earned well-deserved authority among the airmen all over the world owing to accumulated experience of the plant, unique qualification of the personnel, advanced equipment of industrial facilities, high quality of services, accurate and timely execution of orders. 558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC Bldg. 7, 50 let VLKSM, Baranovichi, Brest region, 225320, Republic of Belarus Tel.: +375 (163) 42-99-54 Fax: +375 (163) 42-91-64 E-mail: box@558arp.by http://www.558arp.by
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commercial
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Volga-Dnepr
www.ifc-leasing.com
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2012. Its arrival to Krasnoyarsks Yemelyanovo airport took place on 18 June. Two more aircraft (c/n 2813 and 2814, temporary reg. OK-ODJ and OK-ODS) are due in Krasnoyarsk in July. They were undergoing their acceptance trials in Kunovice, with their departure slated for 24 June. KrasAvias new L-410s are supposed to enter operation in August or September upon completion of the conversion of the flying and ground crews and issuance of the operators certificate. The planes will fly services from the city of Krasnoyarsk throughout the Krasnoyarsk Territory and, possibly, to neighbouring regions. Following a long break, the deliveries of new L-410s to Russia resumed in 2009, with two newly-built L-410UVP-E20s were commissioned by Russian carrier UTair-Express into its aircraft fleet. The PetropavlovskKamchatsky Air Company took delivery of three L-410UVP-E20s in 2010. In addition, three new aircraft of the
type were received by the civil aviation flying school in Sasovo in 2009 through 2011 and seven planes were received by the Russian Defence Ministry since 2011, including three in February and March of this year. LET has run production of the L-410 since 1971. Over 1,100 aircraft have been made to date, of which in excess of 400 remain in service worldwide, according to the manufacturer. During the 1970s and 1980s, the average output rate exceeded 50 units per annum, but the political change in Eastern Europe on the verge of the 1990s and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, a major customer for the type, resulted in a sharp decline in demand. As a consequence, two to five aircraft would leave the assembly shop in Kunovice in the 90s and none during 2000 and 2003 through 2005 whatsoever. The situation began to improve in the later 2000s. Privately-owned Czech company PAMCO bought LET
in September 2005, and Russias Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC) acquired 51% of its stock in June 2008. UMMCs assuming control of the Kunovice-based aircraft plant has borne fruit. The output and deliveries of the companys main product, the L-410UVP-E20 aircraft, picked up in 2009, with the plane being certificated in 2005 by EASA and the aviation authorities of the Czech Republic, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Cuba, the Philippines and Chile and cleared for operation in a number of African, Asian and Latin American nations. The growth of the output of new L-410s in Kunovice kicked off in the late 2000s. While the company built four aircraft in 2007 and 2008, it churned out as many as seven in 2009. Of the eight L-410UVP-E20s manufactured in 2010, three were headed to Russia and two were procured by Brazilian company NOAR, with the Slovak Air Force, Bulgarian airline Heli Air Services and French Guyanas Air Guyane Express buying one aircraft each. The manufacturer wrapped up 2011 by having delivered 12 new L-410UVP-E20s, of which eight had been made for Russian operators, one for a Kazakh customer, two for Air Guyane Express and one for the Djibouti Air Force. Aircraft Industries is intent on ramping up the L-410 production. According to the manufacturer, 13 aircraft are slated for delivery this year, 16 in 2013 and 20 in 2014, and the annual output rate is to reach 24 aircraft starting from 2015.
Petr Klunduk
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Alexey Boyarin
United Engine Corporation Bldg. 141, 29 Vereyskaya str., Moscow, 121357, Russia Tel./fax: +7 (495) 232-91-63 www.uk-odk.ru
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During the first year of operation, efforts were made to set up and streamline an after-sales support system. Over the past six months alone, the introduction of the operations monitoring system has minimised the number of issues emerging during aircraft handover, allowed a threefold reduction in the number of deficiencies of the maintenance documentation, ensured the spares delivery time reduction down to 48 hours and halved the troubleshooting time. Close attention also has been paid to training the airlines aircrews and maintainers, earmarked for the SSJ100, at the Aviation personnel Training Centre in Zhukovsky. The training has been under way since April 2011. 45 crews (90 pilots, including 48 ones lacking
a previous experience in flying glass cockpit aircraft), 24 instructor-flight attendants and 142 engineering specialists have been trained by late May of this year. 11 crews more are being given training now. A full-flight simulator is to be delivered to Aeroflots Aviation Personnel Training Centre in October 2012. UACs production plans provide for manufacture and delivery 24 SSJ100s in 2012, including the early aircraft under export contracts for Indonesian, Mexican and Laotian carriers (the aircraft has been certificated by EASA on 3 February 2012). Aeroflot took delivery of its eighth SSJ100 (reg. RA-89006, c/n 95014) in May. The aircraft was handed over officially on 17 May 2012 and performed its first commercial
Sergey Sergeyev
Victor ANDREYEV
The first production SSJ100 flies with Armavia since April 2011
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Yuri Kabernik
Andrey Fomin
UAC
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MC-21
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AIRLINERS
FOR RUSSIAN REGIONS
A major Russian aircraft leasing company, Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC) with a wealth of regional aircraft deliveries (it is this company that fulfilled the contract for six Antonov An-148-100B regional jets for the Rossiya airline and is fulfilling the one for five An-148-100E airliners for Angara carrier), has researched the Russian regional passenger traffic market of late. The research has shown that, actually, 11 carriers handle regional passenger air transport in the European part of the country, 35 out of the 36 runways in the airports used have the concrete surface, and typical distances covered range from 200 km to 800 km. According to IFC experts, given the lack of viable proposals by Russian aircraft manufacturers in terms of up-to-date turboprop airliners, ATR and Bombardier Q400 turboprops seem to be the best choice for operational conditions like that. The things are different beyond the Urals. There, regional air transport is the preserve of 18 carriers at the most, almost half (43%) of the airports have unpaved runways and typical operating distances measure 4003,000 km. The ATR-72 may be not enough for a market like that while the Q400, Antonov An-140 (being not in mass production now) as well as jet-powered An-148 are the best options. Overall, Ilyushin Finance estimates the Russias regional aircraft market capacity at about 200 aircraft throughout 2030. of three An-148-100E jets to the Angara air carrier operating out of Irkutsk. The preliminary agreement on Angaras financial lease of 10 An-148-100Es (five firm orders and five options) was signed in Irkutsk on 10 November 2011 by Ilyushin Finance, Angara and the Eastland managing company (a tourist holding company and Angaras major stockholder) in pursuance of the orders by the Russian President and Prime Minister on development of regional and commuter airlines and on urgent regional aircraft fleet modernisation measures. The first plane under the contract, RA-61713, first flew in Voronezh on 22 March 2012 and has recently been painted in the new livery of Angara. The second aircraft (RA-61714) is to start its flight tests prior to mid-summer. Angaras third An-148 could be the delivery-ready RA-61711 that has not been claimed by Polyot yet. The three airliners are planned for service entry this summer as soon as all financial issues pertinent to the deal have been tackled. Angara expects to receive two more An-148-100Es under the current five-aircraft contract in 2013. The deliveries to Polyot and Angara are the only current commercial contracts on VASO-built An-148s. At the same time, the
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Leasing to Polyot carrier in 2011. The Polyotawarded contract provides for delivery of 10 aircraft, but has been put on the back burner due to financial disagreements between the airline and lessor. In this connection, the third An-148-100E intended for the carrier (RA-61711 that was flown out as far back as October 2011 and painted in the customers corporate livery) remains at the plant so far. On 26 March 2012, Ilyushin Finance and VASO made a contract for this years delivery
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Mikhail SUNTSOV
English flightdeck) stored at the plant. They were previously designed for the Myanmarese Defence Ministry. UAC is in talks with potential foreign buyers who might acquire the aircraft. One of them, which had side number 61707 during the trials, conducted its maiden flight as far back as 22 November 2010, and the other (side number 61712) first flew a year later, on 21 November 2011. In addition to assembly of aircraft, VASO supplies Antonov with An-148 and An-158 assembly sets for aircraft construction in Kiev under the VASO-Antonov cooperation agreement. According to VASOs 2011 annual report, four assembly sets were shipped to Kiev in 2011, including the F3 fuselage tail section with the empennage, composite parts and components, etc. However, new aircraft are still manufactured by the Antonov plant on a caseby-case basis. Only two production-standard aircraft have entered operation c/n
planned for construction in Kiev in 2012. In November 2011, Antonov General Designer Dmitry Kiva said that they planned to manufacture 24 An-148 and An-158 aircraft a year in Kiev by 2015. Probably, the plans has had to be adjusted yet due to the current production financing capabilities. As is known, the launch order for the An-158 was snagged at the Farnborough 2010 air show two years ago, when Russian leasing company Ilyushin Finance ordered 10 aircraft of the type. The 10 options for An-158s morphed into 10 firm orders during last years Le Bourget air show. Under the contract signed by Antonovs head Dmitry Kiva and Ilyushin Finances Director General Alexander Rubtsov, the delivery will take place during 2012 through 2014. The final recipient of the Ilyushin Finance-ordered planes has not been named yet. Alexander Rubtsov has only specified that the aircraft would be delivered to the Latin American market in the first place.
The first An-148-100E in Angara airline livery which first flew in Voronezh on 22 March 2012
plant has several contracts for manufacture of An-148 aircraft ordered by the government. In all probability, they will heavily influence the future of the An-148s production in Voronezh. There are four aircraft in the assembly hall now under these contracts: two An-148-100EMs for the Russian Emergencies Ministrys air arm and two An-148-100EAs for the Rossiya special air detachment (the latter two ordered by the Administrative Support Office of the Russian President). All of them are to enter their trials this autumn and be commissioned before year-end. Contracts are being devised on more An-148s for governmental agencies, including the Russian Defence Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, etc. In addition, there are two An-148-100Es in an export version (with the so-called
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01-09 (UR-NTC) in 2010 and c/n 01-10 (UR-NTD) in 2011. They are now flying with Ukraine International Airlines. Commercial operation of the An-148 in Ukraine began three years ago, on 2 June 2009, when the Aerosvit airline started passenger services using the An-148-100B c/n 01-01 (UR-NTA) in cooperation with Antonov Airlines. Since last autumn, the aircraft has flown under the flag of Ukraine International Airlines too. Before late last year, Antonov had planned to make the third production-standard An-148-100B (c/n 03-08) and then the lead production-standard An-158 (c/n 201-01), but, in all probability, their delivery was postponed for this year. In all, four production-standard An-148s and two An-158s are
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Alexey Filatov
The only An-140-100 assembled by Aviakor plant in 2011. Now Aviakor has orders for An-140s from Russian Defence Ministry only
2005). The two only Il-114, which had been in commercial operation with Russias Vyborg carrier, RA-91014 and RA-91015 made in 19931994, have not flown since 2010 and been mothballed. Under these conditions, Russian carriers, needing a replacement to their An-24s that are being discarded from service, have no option other than to turn to foreign-made turboprop aircraft. However, the situation is not so simple. In the wake of the much-publicised instructions by the national leadership, which followed last years series of high-profile fatal incidents, the government issued Resolution 1212 in December 2011, providing for subsidizing leasing payments for aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 55 seats, powered by engines of any type, and up to 72 seats, powered by turboprop engines. Actually, a one-time subsidy allows one to make the advance payment for leasing a plane. A good measure, no doubt, but it also should be taken into account that high customs duty persist for aircraft seating 50110 passengers (including turboprop planes that the Russian aircraft industry does not manufacture for commercial operators), which fact will negate a sizeable portion of subsidies. Obviously, the customs duty for turboprop aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 72 passengers (just as ATR-72 and Q400 have) should be cancelled to encourage carriers to update their aircraft fleets. The issue has to be tackled within the framework of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, to boot.
There has been a disjointed approach used so far: the Premiers instructions have been fulfilled pro forma, but the effect is low, says Ilyushin Finance Director General Alexander Rubtsov. What is needed is a comprehensive programme on aircraft fleet renovation and airline subsidies. It is necessary also to consider the expenditure on airport re-equipment and certification, personnel training and ATC system modernisation. Another fundamental problem is encouragement of operational leasing, which requires modifications to the law governing leasing and application of governmental subsidies to operational leasing as well. In spite of Ilyushin Finances having dealt mostly with financial leasing of aircraft, the company realises full well that small regional carriers, which lack the financial resources available to major airlines, are more interested in operational leasing. Operational leasing agreements are signed for a shorter term (five years, as a rule), which is less expensive for a carrier, on the one hand, for it does not have to buy the aircraft after the expiration of the financial leasing agreement, and allows renovation of its aircraft fleet more often, on the other. However, promotion of operational leasing, which is turning into a sine qua non for the encouragement of regional air transport, call not only for improvements to the legislation but also for Russian leasing companies to develop new competencies, particularly, willingness to shoulder all risks pertinent to aircraft supplied.
Popularity of foreign-made regional turboprops like this Bombardier Q400 with Russian airlines who need to replace their aging An-24s (seen in the background) will depend on improvements to the legislation and operational leasing procedures
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