to21

november 2011 • Special edition for Dubai Airshow 2011

SSJ100 half-year in operation [p.42]

Mi-34C1 & Mi-382 enter trials [p.12]

Ka-52

production grows up [p.16]

T-50: what we learnt of it at MAKS 2011 [p.24, 30, 32]

November 2011 Editor-in-Chief Andrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov

Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin

Columnists Alexander Velovich Artyom Korenyako George Smirnov

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

Design and pre-press Grigory Butrin

Translation Yevgeny Ozhogin

Cover picture Alexey Mikheyev

Publisher

Director General Andrey Fomin

Deputy Director General Nadezhda Kashirina

Marketing Director George Smirnov

Business Development Director Mikhail Fomin

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, 2011

P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia Tel. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19 Fax +7 (495) 644-17-33 E-mail: info@take-off.ru http://www.take-off.ru

Dear reader, You are holding the latest issue of Take-off magazine, special Englishlanguage supplement to VZLET Russia’s national aerospace magazine, dedicated this time to the Dubai Airshow that has been among the major respectable international aerospace exhibitions. Russian participants’ interest in it grows up as the Middle East and North Africa region becomes one of the leaders in Russian-made aircraft procurement and establishing international aerospace cooperation.

Earlier this year two brand-new Ilyushin Il-76MF transport planes were delivered to Jordan while Irkut corporation goes on with Sukhoi Su-30MKI(A) deliveries to Algeria and is to start handing over Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainers to this country. Russian-made transport and combat helicopters traditionally have a high popularity in the region. Today Russian Helicopters holding company consolidating major Russia’s rotor-wing aircraft developers and manufacturers offers its new products – both military and commercial ones. In this issue you can find information about some recent Russian Helicopters programmes, including new-generation Mil Mi-38 medium transport machine, Mi-34C1 multipurpose light helicopter as well as Kamov Ka-52 and Mil Mi-28N combat helicopters which deliveries to Russian Air Force are growing fast.

Just about two months before this Dubai Airshow, the town of Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region saw the completion of the 10th International Aviation and Space Salon MAKS 2011 – the aviationrelated event of the year in Russia. According to numerous MAKS 2011 exhibitors and visitors, the show became far more impressive, with the number of exhibitors growing noticeably, number of foreign delegations increasing and infrastructure of the show improving. The status of MAKS as a business event and a place to conduct scientific fora and conferences has been bolstered.

Sukhoi T-50 being the Russia’s PAK FA fifth generation fighter prototype became the main star of the show. That’s why here in this issue we tell our readers what we learnt of the new fighter, its avionics and weapons at MAKS 2011.

As usually we also focus our attention on the main events in Russian aerospace industry of recent months, with preference given to those of them that could be of special interest to the current and potential users of Russian aircraft in the Middle East and North Africa.

I wish you fruitful work at the Dubai Airshow, useful contacts and lucrative contracts!

Sincerely, Andrey Fomin, Editor-in-Chief, Take-off magazine

contents

INDUSTRY Two Tu-204SMs already in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 MC-21 development on schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Ilyushin 476 first flying prototype nearing completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6

November 2011

Another Be-200 delivered to Russian Emergencies Ministry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Who will bank on the Little Trotter? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mi-34C1 has taken to the sky!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 MiG unveils 3D simulator. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

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MIL helicopters: From light to versatile ones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 "Alligators" homeland Report from Arsenyev. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

12 16

Motor Sich at Dubai airshow . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

MILITARY AVIATION T-50: What we learnt of it at MAKS 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Yuri Bely: “PAK FA’s AESA radar development is right on schedule” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Forging arms for T-50 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

24 RusAF Training Centre got 10 Yak-130s . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 Russian-made An-140s earmarked for military use? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

30

Tu-214ON: Open Skies without secrets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 RusAF to receive supermanoeuvrable fighters of Su-30MKI family. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37 Six more Mi-28Ns delivered to RusAF. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Rostvertol resumes Mi-26 deliveries to Russian Defence Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

32

Polyot and UIA launch An-148 services . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40 Another Il-114-100 kicks off commercial operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

Sukhoi Superjet 100: Half a year in operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES Jordan takes delivery of two Il-76MFs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 Algerian pilots learning Yak-130 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

42

Construction of new MiG-29K batch kicks off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 Russian helicopters for Mistral . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48

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industry | news

The second flying prototype of the upgraded Tupolev Tu-204SM medium-haul airliner conducted its first flight from the factory airfield of the Aviastar-SP corporation in Ulyanovsk on 3 August 2011.

The prototype was given number 64151. It spent 52 min. in flight, controlled by the crew made up of pilot Alexander Zhuravlyov (honoured test pilot of Russia), co-pilot Victor Minashkin (Tupolev chief pilot and honoured test pilot of Russia), flight engineer V. Salatov and programme test engineer N. Fanurin.

The flight was a success, with all systems functioning well and the plane’s stability and controllability praised by the crew.

In mid-August, the aircraft was ferried to Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, and used as a static display in the MAKS 2011 air show. There, one could see the interior of the cabin and flightdeck of the upgraded airliner.

Aviastar having constructed the second flying prototype allows speeding up the Tu-204SM certification tests kicked off by the first flying prototype (No.

Alexey Mikheyev

Two Tu-204SMs already in trials

64150) in April. As is known, it first flew in Ulyanovsk on 29 December 2010 and was ferried to Tupolev’s Zhukovsky Flight Test and Development Facility at Gromov LII’s airfield. Aviastar is manufacturing the third Tu-204SM (No. 64152) now. The certification tests are to be wrapped up in 2012, when deliveries of the first production aircraft may be launched.

The Tu-204SM differs from the production Tu-204 and Tu-214 in improved flight and operating characteristics, with the operating experience of its predecessors taken into account during its devel-

opment. The Tu-204SM’s features include the advanced PS-90A2 engines from Aviadvigatel JSC in Perm, developed in cooperation with Pratt&Whitney and productionised by the Perm Engine Company, and an advanced avionics suite that has allowed a crew reduction down to two members. Close attention is paid during the Tu-204SM’s development to the introduction of an after-sales maintenance system meeting international standards.

The aircraft with the 108-tonne maximum takeoff weight takes 215 passengers in the single-class lay-

out out to 4,800 km or 166 in the two-class layout to a distance of 6,100 km. The design life of the Tu-204SM is 60,000 flying hours, 45,000 flights or 25 years in service.

At present, UAC and Tupolev are in talks with potential launch customers for the Tu-204SM, particularly, VIM-Avia and some other Russian carriers. In addition, Tupolev late in September reported the signature of the memorandum of understanding with Syrian carrier Syrianair on delivery of three Tu-204SMs starting from 2013 and then setting up a maintenance centre for aircraft of the type on the premises of Syrianair.

MC-21 development on schedule During MAKS 2011, one of the central places in UAC’s pavilion was allocated to the MC-21 short-tomedium-range airliner under development by the Irkut corporation. The future airliner’s full-scale flight-deck and cabin mockup known from the air shows in Farnborough and Le Bourget was shown in Russia for the first time. Nearby, one could see a fullscale mockup of the Pratt&Whitney PW1400G geared turbofan engine that had come up on top in the tender for a powerplant to power the MC-21.

One also could see for the first time a full-scale prototype of the ‘black’ wing of the MC-21 that had been undergoing static trials in TsAGI since May this year.

The composite wing is a feature of the new airliner. The prototype torque box shown at MAKS 2011 measured 10.2 m in length and 2.9 m in width and had been

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developed by Russian company Aerokompozit in cooperation with the SCAC and made jointly by Aerokompozit and Austrian company Fischer Advanced Composite Components (FACC). Plans provide for launching production of the composite wing for the MC-21 and then for other planes in Ulyanovsk in 2014, with production of wing high-lift devices and other composite elements in Kazan.

The Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, an affiliate of the Irkut corporation, is going to handle MC-21 fuselage production and final assembly. During MAKS 2011, Irkut and German company D rr Systems made a deal for a complete manufacturing line for assembly of MC-21s with the use of up-to-date digital technologies. Under the contract, D rr Systems will develop, manufacture and assemble sophis-

ticated MC-21 assembly systems at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, including software-controlled positioning and laser measuring systems. The equipment will be used for assembly of not only future productionstandard MC-21s but all of its prototypes as well. This will expedite the productionising and certification process.

According to Irkut, the MC-21 development programme is on schedule, with the maiden flight of a prototype slated for late 2014 and completion of the certification tests and commencement of deliveries for 2016.

The MC-21 orderbook totals 220 aircraft, including options.

During MAKS 2011, the Russian Technologies State Corporation, represented by its leasing company subsidiary Aviakapital Servis LLC, and Irkut clinched a deal for 50

airliners of the type (including 35 MC-21-300s and 15 MC-21-200s) from 2017 to 2022 with a total list price of USD 3.8 billion plus 35 options. Under the contract, the MC-21s can be fitted with two types of the engines – the Russian-made PD-14 or Pratt&Whitney PW1400G – on the customer’s own volition. The aircraft will get at the disposal of the Aeroflot group’s Russian carriers controlled by Russian Technologies State Corporation.

Other MC-21 customers include Malaysian investment company Crecom Burj (a contract for 25 MC-21-300s and 25 MC-21-200s was awarded in July 2010), Ilyushin Finance Co. leasign company (a contract for 28 airliners with 22 options), VEB-Leasing (a contract for 15 aircraft plus 15 options) and Nordwind air carrier (a contract for three planes with two options).

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Aircraft family with expanded operational capabilities and a new level of economic efďŹ ciency 12–15% operational cost reduction in comparison with existing analogues.

Innovative design solutions for airframe.

Optimal fuselage cross-section to increase the comfort level or to reduce the turnaround time.

Cooperation with the world leading suppliers of systems and equipment.

Matching future environmental requirements.

Expanded operational capabilities.

www.irkut.com

industry | news

Take-off's archive

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2011 in August. The mockup displayed is a stand for testing and debugging avionics and airborne equipment and for training test pilots in flying the upgraded plane.

Assembly of the fuselage sections of the first two Il-76TD-90As began in Aviastar’s assembly shop in 2009. A year later, manufacture of new-design wing panels commenced there. To speed up the construction, some of the airframe’s assemblies for the first two planes (empennage and wingtips) have been ordered from TAPC in Tashkent. The prototype of the upgraded Il-76 is expected to fly for the first time in Ulyanovsk early in 2012.

Aviastar plans to launch production of the upgraded aircraft once the prototypes have completed their test programme. Manufacture of parts

Yuri Ponomarev

The Aviastar-SP close corporation in Ulyanovsk is to complete and roll out the first flying prototype of the Il-76TD-90A (Project 476) transport aircraft before year-end. The flying prototype’s (c/n 01-02) airframe joining and general assembly was over in August, after which installation of aircraft systems began. At the same time, the plant was making an example for endurance tests (c/n 01-01), and its fuselage central section with the wing centre section and wing panels was sent to Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, in late September for testing by TsAGI. The upgraded Il-76 productionising programme is under way at Aviastar-SP under the governmental resolution dated 20 December 2006.

The feature setting Aircraft 476 radically apart from the Il-76 previously built in Tashkent is to be a redesigned wing with wing panels that are singlepiece throughout their wingspan. The wing panels lack the middle spar in the wing box and with the stringer set riveted to the wing panels. The designers expect the solutions to slash the structural weight by far. The planes to be made in Ulyanovsk will be powered

by PS-90A-76 engines as some of the last versions of the Tashkent-made Il-76 are. Ulyanovsk-manufactured transports will carry an up-to-date avionics suite that will show information on six 6x8-inch multifunction displays (MFD). All technical documentation relevant to the plane is issued in the digital form.

The ‘all-glass’ flight-deck of the upgraded Il-76 was unveiled at MAKS

Take-off's archive

Ilyushin 476 first flying prototype nearing completion

for the first three production planes started as far back as July of last year.

The plant is going to make three production aircraft a year at first, with the subsequent output rate to grow up to seven planes per annum.

Not only the Il-76MD-90A airlifter and Il-76TD-90A commercial transport versions are planned to be made in Ulyanovsk under the Ilyushin 476 programme, but a number of special variants as well. For instance, Ilyushin 476 is to be used as the platform for a new tanker plane intended to replace the Il-78 and Il-78M built in Tashkent previously. A model of the future AEW&C aircraft based on the Ilyushin 476 airframe was shown during the International Air Transport Forum in Ulyanovsk in April this year, with the aircraft featuring a redesigned wing, PS-90A-76 engines and other design features of future Aviastar-made Il-76s.

The plane has all of the accoutrements of the A-50 AEW&C aircraft and its latest versions and upgrades, e.g. a radar

in the spine-mounted rotodome, other extra antenna systems and equipment, cooling air intakes set in various parts of the airframe, metal fuselage nose section instead of the characteristic Il-76 airlifter’s navigator’s ‘glass bubble’, in-flight refuelling system, etc.

That the advanced AEW&C system will be based on the Ulyanovskupgraded Il-76 was told to the media in August by Russian Air Force chief Col.-Gen. Alexandr Zelin: “There is full backing by the chief of the General staff, there is financial support. The aircraft is to be developed by 2016, and the platform itself is to be ready about 2013–14”.

The Russian Defence Ministry is expected to be the launch customer for the Ulyanovsk-made Ilyushin 476, after which domestic and foreign commercial operators may apply too. Aviastar Director General Sergei Dementyev estimates the overall volume of the 476 programme throughout 2020 at about a hundred aircraft.

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Beriev

Another Be-200 delivered to Russian Emergencies Ministry

4 October 2011 saw a new Beriev Be-200ChS amphibian named Pyotr Streletsky (registered as RF-31121, c/n 301) take off from the TaganrogYuzhny airfield for its maiden flight.

The aircraft is built for the Russian Emergencies Ministry. The crew of

Beriev test pilots Yevgeny Yurasov (commander) and Nikolai Kuleshov (co-pilot) flew the amphibian.

According to the pilot, all systems operated normally on a three-hour flight, with the crew pronouncing the stability and controllability of

the version higher than those of the earlier ones were.

Due to the shifting of Be-200 amphibian production from the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant (an affiliate of the Irkut corporation) to Taganrog, the Irkutsk-built

Be-200ChS (c/n 301) was handed over to the Beriev company in mid-2010 for finalising the production cycle at Beriev’s manufacturing facilities. The new-series amphibian embodies the solutions prompted by the critique stemming from the opeval by the Russian Emergencies Ministry and the validation process as part of the EU certification.

The new Be-200ChS performed successful takeoffs, splashdowns and water scoops out in the Azov and Black seas on 7 and 9 October.

In all, six sorties were flown between 4 and 9 October 2011, and a total of 20 h 12 min were logged, including over 20 water scoops and drops. The handover ceremony to Russian Emergencies Ministry took place on 21 October, with the aircraft departing to its new station, the Emergencies Ministry Siberian Regional Centre in Krasnoyarsk.

The MAKS 2011 air show held in Zhukovsky in August was where a new light twin-engined turboprop plane dubbed Rysachok (Russian for Little Trotter) made its debut.

The aircraft was developed by the Technoavia scientific and design company in Moscow and made by the TsKB-Progress rocket and spacecraft centre in Samara under the contract on an advanced trainer aircraft for civilian flying schools, signed with the Russian Ministry of Transport in June 2007. As many as two flying prototypes of the Rysachok are undergoing tests at the Gromov Flight Test Institute (Gromov LII).

Prototype c/n 00-01 took to the air on its maiden flight from the Bezymyanka airfield in Samara on 3 December last year. The debugging and factory test phase in Samara was completed six months later, after which the plane was handed over to the developer, Technoavia, for certification tests at Gromov LII. The first Rysachok (side number 777) was ferried from Samara to Gromov LII’s airfield in Zhukovsky on 3 June.

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Also in June, TsKB-Progress assembled the second flying prototype (c/n 00-03). Following its initial flight tests in Samara and its painting by the Ulyanovsk-based company Spektr-avia, the aircraft with side number 778 came to Gromov LII’s airfield on 23 July. Both prototypes were shown during MAKS 2011, with the first one performing demo flights almost every day and the second one shown as static display.

Following the completion of the certification trials that will involve another flying prototype (c/n 00-05), the decision to launch the Rysachok’s production at TsKB-Progress’s facilities may be taken. A total of five prototypes are to be built under the current contract with the Russian Ministry of Transport. The static tests prototype (c/n 00-02) was the first to be made in 2010. It has been undergoing structural tests in TsAGI, with aircraft c/n 00-04 to be used for endurance tests.

The current contract stipulates the manufacture of at least 30 production aircraft for Russian civilian flying schools, the Ulyanovsk Higher

Alexey Mikheyev

Who will bank on the Little Trotter?

Aviation School of Civil Aviation in the first place. However, that the order will be placed is no longer for sure, because the Federal Air Transport Agency complains of the development slipping behind schedule and of the economic terms of the possible deal and subsequent operation. It is an open secret that the flying school in Ulyanovsk has had Austrian-made Diamond DA42 twin-diesel planes bought, with the Diamond DA42’s fuel consumption being even less than that of the main ‘flying desk’ of Russian airline pilots – the Yak-18T single-pistonengine primary trainer.

In addition to its primary purpose, the Rysachok powered by two M-601F turboprops rated at 750 hp each can carry 10 passengers or 1,570 kg of cargo on commuter lines, or 15 parachutists, or six casualties on stretchers, accompanied by a medic. It also can conduct patrol, search and rescue (SAR) and air surveillance operations, etc.

It will be clear pretty soon whether the plane will be needed in any of these capacities or the programme, which is rather attractive, albeit loosing the support of the Ministry of Transport, will have to be discontinued.

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Mi-34C1

FLYING ON THE EDGE Challenging the skies Mi-34C1, with its speed and high manoeuvrability, makes you feel like a fighter jet pilot.

Small but vigorous, this helicopter is just perfect for sports and regular flights.

Eco-friendly, perfect fit for acting on the edge of the rotorcraft possibilities. more at www.rus-helicopters.ru

E X P E R I E N C E & I N N O VAT I O N

29 bld. 141, Vereyskaya st., Moscow,121357, Russian Federation Tel: +7 (495) 627-5545 • +7 (495) 981-6395 E-mail: info@rus-helicopters.com

industry | news

Mi-34C1 has taken to the sky!

Arsenyev in a more powerful engine, the nine-cylinder piston M9FV with forced air cooling and a takeoff power of 365 hp; introduction of hydraulic actuators to the helicopter control system; modified nose section, and a number of other features aimed at enhancing its efficiency, reliability and service life. At the customer’s request, the traditional ‘steam-gauge’ instruments can be replaced with the ‘all-glass’ cockpit, with all data shown on colour multifunction LCDs. The Mi-34C1 can be used for training of military and commercial pilots,

for sports and for handling a wide range of tasks inherent in all light helicopters. It seats three passengers and a pilot or carries 400 kg of cargo and flies at a maximum speed of 220 km/h (cruising speed of 180 km/h) to a distance of 450 km (910 km with additional tanks) with a maximum takeoff weight of 1,450 kg.

The completion of the trials and issuance of the type certificate supplement are slated for late this year. Then, the Mi-34C1 will enter production at the Progress joint stock company (Russian Helicopters

subsidiary). Deliveries are to commence in September 2012. The UTair company has already ordered 10 machines for its training centre.

Keen interest in the Mi-34C1 also has been displayed in Europe, where the new aircraft is far less expensive than its Western rivals are, but is similar or even better in terms of performance. Russian Helicopters also expect deliveries to Russian Air Force fluing schools. “We count on a market of 1,000 helicopters in various versions”, Mil Designer General Alexei Samusenko stressed.

don the spectacles and the double flat image on the screen goes 3D. Owing to this, there is the complete illusion of real flight, and even a rookie pilot can easily guess the range to and the size of the objects he sees.

The advanced 3D simulator from the MiG corporation comprises the cabin imitating the combat station of the pilot of the up-to-date fighter of the MiG-29 type with real aircraft, engine and basic system controls, a projection system with a display, and digital computers with relevant software, controlling the operation of the simulator. A graphic example of the implementation of 3D effects in MiG’s advanced simulator is the imitation of mid-air refuelling, during which the contact between the virtual image of a tanker plane’s refuelling drogue and the real refuelling probe fit-

ting the 3D simulator cabin is rendered.

The advantages offered by the 3D simulator’s 3D surrounding environment imagery has been appreciated by not only MiG’s test pilots, but pilots from other Russian aircraft developers and the Air Force. Foreign pilots sat in MiG’s 3D simulator when it was unveiled in Zhukovsky during MAKS 2011 in August this year. Many of them gave it raving reports, for there are no systems in Russia, Europe and the United States to rival the simulator.

The Dubai air show’s exhibitors and visitors can size up the strengths of MiG’s unique product by themselves, because the 3D simulator is open to experts and the public, and everybody who sat in its cabin and tried to practice in-flight refuelling will catch himself at wanting to stick an arm out of the cockpit and touch the virtual refuelling probe.

Alexey Mikheyev

Not long before the MAKS 2011 air show this summer, the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant (a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company) completed two prototypes of the upgraded Mi-34C1 light helicopter – the OP-1 (side number 343) trainer version for Russian Air Force flying schools and the OP-2 (side number 342) for commercial operators. The prototype of the commercial version of the Mi-34C1 made its first hover on the premises of Mil in Tomilino, Moscow Region, early in August.

Honoured Test Pilot Sergei Barkov took it for its maiden mission on a circuit flight on 4 August and practiced a demonstration set of manoeuvres for display during MAKS 2011.

During the show in Zhukovsky, the black-painted Mi-34C1 (OP-2) was shown at the Russian Helicopters display area and flew demo flights virtually every day, while the military version prototype, the OP-1, wearing the new grey paintjob of the Russian Air Force, could be seen at static display near Oboronprom’s pavilion.

The upgraded machine differs from the Mi-34C built by Progress in

MiG unveils 3D simulator At this Dubai air show, the MiG corporation has unveiled its latest product – the unique 3D simulator allowing simulated piloting of upto-date fighters of the MiG-29 type throughout their flight envelope with 3D visualisation.

There are many simulators of advanced warplanes, used for training of aircrews. As a rule, they have a projection system, whose projectors generate lookup and lookdown imagery on a flat or spherical display. The current display visualisation techniques simulate the surrounding environment but lack the 3D visual effect.

This hampers the pilot’s accurate ranging of the objects seen and estimation of their dimensions, which is very important for fulfilling several specific piloting tasks, e.g. formation flying, mid-air refuelling and traditional landing approach.

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Imitation of remote objects in the surrounding environment is ensured by collimator visual systems. Owing to the system of projectors, prisms and mirrors, such simulators generate lookup and lookdown imagery going to infinity. The shortcomings of collimator visual system simulators are their being cumbersome, lack of the 3D visual effect, limited field of view and ability to see the surrounding environment from the pilot’s station only.

The MiG corporation has developed a drastically novel type of advanced fighter simulator, which lacks these shortcomings and allows a high degree of accuracy in simulating the 3D surrounding environment the pilot sees from the cockpit. The simulator is based on the concept of generating 3D lookup and lookdown imagery with the use of special spectacles similar to those used in 3D cinemas. Just

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United Engine Corporation Bldg. 141, 29 Vereyskaya str., Moscow, 121357, Russia Tel./fax: +7 (495) 232-91-63 www.uk-odk.ru

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | interview

MIL HELICOPTERS FROM LIGHT TO VERSATILE ONES Russian international air show MAKS 2011 became a venue of numerous helicopter debuts, e.g. the Russian Helicopters holding company unveiled several helicopter types in the form of full-scale examples, with experts noting the Mil Mi-38 medium helicopter’s version powered by Russian engines TV7-117V and the upgraded Mi-34C1 light helicopter from the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant. Take-off’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov asked Mil Designer General Alexei Samusenko for comment on these and other programmes.

A top priority among Russian helicopter development programmes is that of the Mi-38 multirole helicopter. We saw its new version, the Mi-382, at MAKS 2011. What has been done under the programme and when will the market be able to get its production-standard variant?

The Mi-38 development programme is important not only to our company, but also to Russia as a whole. Moreover, I am certain that the Mi-38 will be in demand on the global market as well.

The programme has been given high priority and support by the government. Having met some of potential buyers, we have seen their positive response. Representatives of air carriers have familiarised themselves with a ‘live’ machine and the advanced technical solutions embodied in it to make it easier for flying and ground crews to operate it. Mention also should be made that according to our estimates, the innovation introduced as part of the programme can influence the advanced helicopter’s flight hour cost heavily. This is a considerable

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competitive factor under the current economic conditions.

The Mi-38 is in trials now. It is the second prototype, the OP-2, that virtually reflects the configuration sought. We plan that the OP-2 will have completed the factory flight tests in 2011, and we will launch the certification check trials. At the same time, the OP-1 powered by TV7-117Vs (it was designated as Mi-382) is going to complete the developmental tests and, in 2012, will begin its certification trials. In addition, the Kazan Helicopters is completing the construction of the third prototype (OP-3) powered by Russian engines and fitted with a Russian avionics suite; the OP-4, the fourth prototype, will follow it during 2012–13 to become the standard for Mi-38 production.

Overall, we plan to complete the whole of flight test programme during 2012–13 and switch to full-scale production of the helicopter in 2014.

What might be the Mi-38’s flight hour cost as planned by Mil? How superior of the in-service Mi-8 and Mi-17 will the advanced

helicopter have to be to prompt keen interest of potential buyers?

The issue of flight hour cost is not as simple as it may seem on the face of it. The flight hour cost is generated mostly by the cost of the remuneration of flying and ground crews and the cost of fuel. The influence of the share of the aircraft maintenance cost on the flight hour cost is insignificant.

As for the second part of your question, the Mi-38 should be similar to the Mi-8 in terms of flight hour cost, which will prompt potential customers opt for the Mi-38, considering the strengths of the advanced helicopter.

Strictly speaking, the Mi-38’s service entry with operators may result in a drastic change in their approach to operation.

While present-day Mi-8s have to have their main rotor blades replaced every seven to eight years, this will have to be done far less www.take-off.ru

industry | interview will, possibly, have no service life limits, but will be operated on condition instead.

In addition, we have equipped it with the Aerosila TA-14 auxiliary power unit (APU), which allowed easier engine start-up and enhanced the quality of ground maintenance. The reason is that the APU will feed power to the heating or air conditioning system and cargo handling equipment on the ground when ambient temperature is too high or too low. The need for an APU like that has been proven by practice; hence, operators require it, especially in case of operations from austere helipads.

The helicopter also has been furnished with the third auxiliary hydraulic system enhancing the ease of cargo handling in terms of ground clearance alteration and variation of the ramp position for rolling hardware on and off. Thus, the onboard cargo handling mechanisation system got a generation system of its own and can operate round the clock without excessive noise and emissions.

Special mention should be made of the advanced flight navigation system from the Transas company, which we have mounted on the Mi-38. The system is state-of-the-art in terms of automation of helicopter navigation, flight and route modes. The flight navigation system makes it much easier for the pilot to fly, especially in limited weather minimum, in atmospheric precipitations and stiff wind.

In addition, Transas has been vested with developing a Mi-38 simulator. Probably, it is the first time in this country when a simulator is being developed at the same time with the development of a helicopter.

The simulator we plan to offer to potential customers will imitate the cockpit and agility of the helicopter, responding to the controls and simulating surrounding environment.

Transas and we are looking into the feasibility of developing of a separate Mi-38 simulator centre.

What is the prospect for the Mi-8/17 family?

The Mi-8/17 family has undergone several modernisations, but we believe that its upgradeability has not been exhausted yet and, which is more, they are still in demand throughout the world. Therefore, we are running the so-called reverse upgrade of the family, i.e. use some of the solutions featured by the advanced Mi-38 in older machines.

In the near future, most modifications can be applied to the main rotor that we are going to ‘borrow’ from the Mi-38. We expect it to enable the Mi-38 to fly faster and higher and ensure a new approach to the service life of the rotor system, though no substantial modernisation of the airframe is planned.

The Russian Helicopters holding company is running a heavy upgrade programme for the helicopters of the family, with the upgraded machine dubbed Mi-171A2. The Mi-171A1 version, which holds an up-todate airworthiness certificate and international recognition, is to be upgraded. A key objective of the upgrade is to retain the current slice of the market in the niche and enhance the machine’s safety. The latest model will have a main rotor with allcomposite blades, with the tail rotor to be made of composites too. The main and tail rotors are to feature advanced aerodynamic configurations based on the latest scientific advances and TsAGI’s wealth of experience.

All the above will facilitate long-term calendar-time operation a considerable increase in service life. At the modelling stage, we managed to produce a speed of 280 km/h with power and control margins remaining. The advanced aircraft also will feature extended range – 800 km in Andrey Fomin

often, if all goes to plan. Under the Mi-38 programme, a new service life policy is being implemented along with introduction of other up-to-date engineering and technological solutions.

Will the twin-powerplant Mi-38 concept persist and how can this influence its demand

by Russian and foreign customers?

The Mi-38 programme is double-track, using a Pratt& Whitney Canada engine and the Russian-made Klimov TV7-117V. This is the philosophy of the programme.

In the outcome, the Mi-38 will have two variants of powerplant. We believe this can influence the price of the production machine and cause the interest of foreign operators, on the one hand, and woo Russian customers (both civilian and uniformed one), on the other. I would like to stress that Russian uniformed services have been keen on the Mi-38 due to their need in aircraft like that. Foreign companies have shown interest too.

The advanced helicopter is among the best in terms of carrying capacity. Unlike the Mi-8, it hauls 6 t of internal cargo, rather than 4 t, and up to 7 t slung under belly. In addition, the Mi-38 features low vibration and reduced noise and can be flown by a reduced crew of two.

What other features, do you think, will attract potential customers?

I believe the Mi-38 is a 21st-century helicopter, because we have succeeded in implementing cutting-edge design solutions in it, including up-to-date electronics and materials. By the way, composites make up over 30% of the total volume of materials used in the machine. Such key structural elements as the main and tail rotor blades and fuselage parts are made of composites.

We plan that the helicopter will have an extended service life. We assume the Mi-38

Mi-38 fist flying prototype re-engined

by Klimov TV7-117V turboshafts got Mi-382 designation

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Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

industry | interview

Mi-34C1 prototype entered flight tests in early August 2011

the baseline configuration. The upgraded helicopter also is to carry a flight navigation system handling the same functions its counterpart on the Mi-38 does.

During MAKS 2011, we demonstrated the upgraded Mi-17-1V, for which development we paid out of pocket. It is fitted with the IBKV-17 flight navigation system from Transas. Once the machine’s test programme had been complete, we offered the aircraft to the Russian Defence Ministry and foreign customers.

Not long ago, Russian Vice-Premier Sergei Ivanov said 800 light helicopters would be needed throughout 2020 to renovate the civil aviation aircraft fleet. Light helicopters have been in special demand abroad of late owing to their ability to shoulder some of the functions handled by medium helicopters at

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far lower unit and operating costs. In this connection, could you tell us of the work Mil is doing in the light helicopter field and what has been emphasised in this segment of the Russian helicopter industry?

Right, light helicopters are an important thing Mil has been dealing with for quite a while. Today, the Mi-34 is our priority in this class, it was developed from the outset to ensure basic training of helicopter pilots and participation of Russian helicopter sports teams in competitions.

The development of the Mi-34 was launched as far back as the Soviet times with the use of the specifications requirement from the Soviet Defence Ministry. The machine cleared its official trials milestone in 1986, its compliance with the specifications requirement was confirmed and a

report recommending its full-scale production was issued.

Actually, the helicopter proved to be a success, with a takeoff weight of 1,450 kg. Its design enabled its crew to pull of aerobatics more inherent in fixed-wing aircraft than in helicopters, e.g. the loop and roll.

On the other hand, the Mi-34, which later found itself in a different country under different economic conditions in fact, could not always rival some of the foreign helicopters in the class, e.g. those from Robinson or Schweitzer. Given request from civilian customers, however, we have had the helicopter certificated and we have dubbed it Mi-34C. The next phase of the Mi-34 programme kicked off several years ago. As part of working out an advanced helicopter family by Russian Helicopters holding, we took due account of the high demand of up-to-date light helicopters, and the Mi-34 then got its second wind, in fact. The latest helicopter has been designated as Mi-34C1. It has retained all of the advantages of the baseline sports version, but has gained commercial traits that are so important to operators. In particular, we have managed to extended its range out to 450 km, its engine has been replaced with a more powerful one, the degree of comfort has grown and the appearance of the machine has improved, i.e. we have implemented what normally stems from successful sales of any advanced aircraft.

This summer, we made two prototypes dubbed OP-1 and OP-2 – a trainer variant for Russian Defence Ministry flight schools and a commercial version respectively. Early in August, the OP-2 conducted its maiden flight on the premises of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant in Tomilino, Moscow Region. The advanced machine was demonstrated as part of MAKS 2011’s flight programme, evoking keen interest on the part of civilian and military potential customers. To date, tentative agreement has been achieved or orders for dozens of machines have been awarded by a number of Russian and foreign helicopter users, particularly, the UTair company. Foreign customers have shown interest in the Mi-34C1 too. We expect the Mi-34C1 to meet the requirements of most exacting consumers.

The Mi-34C1 certification programme is slated for completion by year-end 2011.

This will allow the machine to enter fullscale production at the Progress plant in Arsenyev and kick off its deliveries in 2012.

In our opinion, the Mi-34C1 will be in high demand as an initial training helicopter.

Now, it will be more comfortable to both the instructor-pilot and the rookie.

What are the features of the latest Mi-34 version? www.take-off.ru

Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

industry | interview Mi-34C1 second flying prototype (OP-2) in commercial version

terms of components. It has provided the hydraulic actuators it has developed and made. Now, the machine will surpass the popular Robinson R44 in terms of performance, in particular, the Mi-34C1 will have a higher static ceiling.

The helicopter seats three passengers and a pilot or 400 kg of cargo. With the 1,450-kg maximal takeoff weight, it flies at a maximum speed of 220 km/h out to 450 km (as far as 910 km on extra tanks). Special mention should be made that the traditional ‘steam-gauge’ type instruments can be replaced at the customer’s request with the

Andrey Fomin

The Mi-34C1 features a modified configuration, the upgraded M9FV engine and improved flight performance, as well as an advanced control system. As is known, the simplicity and cost of the first version of the Mi-34 were maximised; in particular, its control system was mechanical and required that the pilot should make a lot of physical effort in certain operating modes.

The helicopter has been furnished with the hydraulic system, so even a woman will be able to control it without too much effort.

We have used foreign-made components.

The Goodrich company is our partner in

Mi-34C1 first flying prototype (OP-1) in a trainer version for Russian Air Force

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‘glass cockpit’, where all data are shown on colour multifunction liquid-crystal displays.

We have scrutinised the major foreignbuilt helicopters in the class, introduced modifications and got a well-designed machine with high design flight and operating characteristics that, hopefully, will be fully proven during the trials. Throw a rather attractive price in for good measure.

Could you give us more detail on the Mi-34C1’s advantages over the R44? As is known, full-fledged competition requires the best or comparable economic efficiency and flight hour cost in addition to top-rate flight performance and streamlined maintenance.

Probably, UTair has preferred the Mi-34C1 to the R44 for a reason, hasn’t it?

Under the Mi-34 modernisation specifications requirement, we needed a considerable service life extension – we intend to achieve a helicopter service life of 15,000 flight hours and the 5,000-flight-hour service life of the assemblies as well as ensure a 1,000–1,500-h increase in the time between overhauls at first and then extend it even further up to 1,700 flight hours. It will be a helicopter on a par with Western analogues or even better in terms of service life.

As far as the Mi-34C1’s service life and flight hour cost are concerned, the machine will be rather competitive. To my mind, its flight hour cost will be at least 1.5 times lower than that of its foreign rivals. Therefore, we are optimistic about the future of our machine – both in Russia and abroad. take-off november 2011

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"ALLIGATORS" HOMELAND Alexey Mikheyev

Report from Arsenyev

Early September marked the 75th anniversary of the Arsenyev-based Progress aircraft company named after N.I. Sazykin, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company. Over three quarters of the century, the company has made almost 9,500 Yakovlev trainer and aerobatic planes, built Antonov’s light transports and sports gliders and, for the past half a century, missiles for the Soviet and Russian Navy. However, helicopters have become the best-known product of the plant. The famous Mi-24 had been in production here for two decades before it was succeeded by Kamov machines – first the Ka-50 and then the Ka-52.

Serious changes began at the plant after it had become a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters holding: a radical production facility modernisation kicked off, governmental orders for Ka-52 construction have been awarded and work on resuming the production of the upgraded Mi-34C1 and productionising the Ka-62 new-generation multirole medium helicopter is underway. Owing to the kind invitation by Russian Helicopters, the Take-off magazine editor has been to the company and seen how advanced technologies and cutting-edge manufacturing equipment are being phased in and how Progress’s current product, the Ka-52 combat helicopter, is assembled.

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www.take-off.ru

industry | report Historical features

Andrey FOMIN www.take-off.ru

The helicopter epoch of the Progress plant in Arsenyev, which had made light planes for three decades by then and naval missiles for a decade, commenced in the late 1960s, when the decision was taken to make the plant the Soviet aircraft industry’s prime contractor for the thenadvanced Mil Mi-24 attack helicopters production. Since then, helicopters have been the mainstay of the company’s products. The first production-configuration Mi-24A was rolled out in 1970, and the plant switched to making the modified Mi-24V in the mid-‘70s. Mi-24P gunships were in production in Arsenyev in 1981–89, with the last version in production being the Mi-24VP mounting a 23-mm automatic cannon. In all, the two decades of making Mi-24-family choppers in Arsenyev accounted for 2,443 machines built.

On the verge of the ’90, a decision was taken that the Mi-24 would be succeeded by the advanced Kamov Ka-50. By then, the Kamov company had made five V-80 prototypes that were at various stages of testing. The first Arsenyev-assembled Ka-50 entered the trials in 1991. A year before that, the Soviet government’s Military Industrial Commission had resolved that Progress would manufacture a 12-ship lowrate initial production (LRIP) batch of Ka-50s. However, only eight had been made by 1996, after which the financing of their construction was terminated despite the presidential decree on the Ka-50’s service entry, dated 25 August 1995. The Arsenyev plant managed to assemble its ninth production-standard Ka-50 only in 2000, after which the funding had been cut again for long six years.

The same goes for another helicopter, which production Progress launched in the early ‘90s, the lightweight sports Mi-34.

The first production Mi-34 was built in Arsenyev in 1993, but only 13 machines had been built, of which five were exported.

The late ‘90s and earlier 2000s were, probably, the hardest time to the company since its inception (it was transformed into a joint stock company in 1993 and named Arsenyev-based Progress aircraft company named after N.I. Sazykin). The Ka-50 and Mi-34 backlog sit idle, and the company had to slash its workforce heavily, with only the production of Moskit naval missiles for export and overhaul of the in-service Mi-24s enabling the manufacturer to make the ends meet.

The dire straits, in which Arsenyev’s major company was in the middle of the new century, caught the eye of Russian law-

makers, who made the government resume the Ka-50 production programme and have the backlog completed. Another new Ka-50 completed its maiden flight in Arsenyev in August 2006. Late in the year, another machine was flown out, with two more aircraft completed afterwards. After that, the Ka-50 production by Progress ended, in fact, with the final three Ka-50 singleseaters delivered in 2009 and then different helicopters entering production in line with a governmental order for the first time since ‘90s. It is the Ka-52 that the new stage of the company’s life is attributed to, with the company experiencing a drastic output increase following its joining the Russian Helicopters holding company in 2008.

New times The Oboronprom corporation’s establishing its Russian Helicopters subsidiary in 2006 launched a consolidation of the Russian helicopter industry and its reaching a new stage of evolution. During 2008–10, Russian Helicopters became the managing company for all key Russian helicopter developers and manufacturers, including Progress, made up its mind on its future product line and started ramping up the helicopter output and deliveries.

Progress was tasked with launching production of the Ka-52 combat helicopter and resuming production of the lightweight Mi-34 in upgraded Mi-34C1 version as well as productionising the new-generation Ka-62 medium multirole helicopter. In addition, Russian Helicopters not only launched a proactive campaign of negotiations with the government and potential commercial customers about rotorcraft promotion and new orders, but began to invest heavily in renovating the production facilities, buying cutting-edge manufacturing equipment and building advanced helicopters as well. Thus, the things looked up following almost a decade and a half of Progress’s stagnation, and new helicopters started rolling out of the shops at an everincreasing rate in 2008.

Aircraft production by Progress plant Aircraft type Years of production UT-2 1941–1948 Yak-18 1948–1955 Yak -18U 1955–1957 Yak -18A 1957–1961 Yak-18P 1961–1962 Yak-18PM 1970–1972 Yak-50 1973–1986 Yak-55 1986–1991 Yak-55M 1991–1994 Yak-54 since 2008 An-14 1965–1970 Mi-24 (A, V, P, VP) 1970–1990 Mi-34 since 1993 Ka-50 1991–2009 Ka-52 since 2008 * Production is going on

Output rate 3,818 3,063 940 927 125 25 314 108 110 5* 330 2,443 13* 12 20*

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A Ka-52 of the 6th production batch under assembly

Andrey Fomin

Since Kamov built its Ka-52 prototype as far back as 1996 and the helicopter’s design had been upgraded several times since then, several prototypes more were required in support of completing the official test programme and honing all advanced avionics. Making them was how Progress began to work under the programme. In 2008, Progress used the remaining Ka-50 backlog to make the second and third Ka-52 prototypes (serials 062 and 063) handed over to Kamov for trials.

By late 2009, the plant had made the first production batch of three helicopters (side numbers 51, 52 and 53) that entered the official test programme too. Under the late 2009 governmentawarded order, Progress was manufacturing more production-standard machines without 20th production Ka-52 is to roll out later this year

waiting for the tests’ completion. According to the media, the order stipulated the delivery of 36 production-configuration Ka-52s. However, that was only the beginning…

In December 2010, four production Ka-52s were brought to the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre (CCTC) in Torzhok for opeval, with the machines given serials 92, 93, 94 and 95.

In May of this year, the first eight-ship production-configuration Ka-52 batch was delivered to the Army Aviation air base in Chernigovka in the Russian Far East, near the manufacturing plant.

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Thus, Progress has built and delivered 15 production Ka-52s over less than three years. As of early September, the assembly shop contained nine more machines of the fourth, fifth and sixth production batches at different degrees of completion, with three more aircraft having been handed over to the flight test facility by then. One of them flew under the demonstration flight programme on 3 September on the occasion of the company’s 75th anniversary.

Attending the company’s anniversary celebration at the time, Oboronprom Director General Andrey Reus and Russian

Helicopters holding Director General Dmitry Petrov officially announced to the media the signature of a new long-term contract for “over 140 Ka-52s” for the Russian Defence Ministry throughout 2020.

According to Dmitry Petrov, the contract was signed on 31 August, e.g. right in the run-up to the 75th anniversary of Progress, having become the best anniversary present to the team of the plant.

It is important that the Russian Navy, too, plans to order helicopters of the type in the near future. As is known, the Ka-52K shipborne multirole combat helicopter is www.take-off.ru

Andrey Fomin

industry | report

the near future. However, the manufacturer will not limit itself to making the Ka-52 alone. Next year is supposed to see the kickoff of production of the upgraded Mi-34C1 light helicopter. Initially, the manufacture of the early production-standard Mi-34C1s will have to rely on the Mi-34C backlog preserved, with five airframes of the third and fourth production batches sitting in the assembly shop now. The Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant launched the flight tests of the Mi-34C1 prototypes in August. The type certificate supplement is expected to be obtained by early 2012, which may be followed by the first deliveries next year. The UTair company has ordered 10 aircraft, and a preliminary agreement has been reached with a French company to promote the Mi-34C1 on the West European market. In addition, possible deliveries to the Russian Defence Ministry for use as a primary training light helicopter look rather promising too.

Another high-profile programme for Progress to run is development and production of the Ka-62 medium multirole helicopter designed to carry 14 passengers or 2,000–2,700 kg of cargo. Kamov is finishing the design, working out the design documentation and handing it over to the manufacturing plant. According to Russian Helicopters Director General Dmitry Petrov, the first Ka-62 prototype can be built in Arsenyev as soon as 2012. Probably, he meant the airframe of the prototype.

Turbomeca is expected to deliver its first several Ardiden engines by late 2012 under the contract signed this spring. The Ka-62 prototype will be able to take to the air in 2013 after it has been assembled and fitted with the powerplant and avionics. The same year, Progress is to make two more flying prototypes and a static-test one. The certification trials are set to be completed in 2015, with deliveries of production Ka-62s

Andrey Reus, Oboronprom Director General, and Dmitry Petrov, Russian Helicopters Director General, announced the signature of a new long-term contract for “over 140 Ka-52s” for the Russian Defence Ministry

anticipated to begin in 2016. From the outset, the helicopter has been developed to meet stringent EASA requirements, which is to ensure its success on the Russian and global markets owing to its performance being similar to that of its foreign rivals and its price being less expensive. According to Dmitry Petrov, the Ka-62 is to be cheaper than its AgustaWestland and Eurocopter competitors by about a quarter. In addition, the 2020 Governmental Armament Programme stipulates delivery of a militarised Ka-62 version to the Russian Defence Ministry.

Modernisation and output increase In 2007, the Oboronprom corporation approved a Progress JSC comprehensive development plan providing for renovation of its production facilities and establishment of foundry and machining competence centres by the company. During 2009–10, an advanced foundry facility wrapped around cutting-edge equipment from Italian company IMF was commissioned in Arsenyev. All of the company’s foundry facilities have been pooled in a Andrey Fomin

to become the main strike capability of the air groups to be deployed on Mistral-class amphibious assault ships. Kamov is developing a shipborne variant of the machine to be furnished with folding main rotor blades and folding wings as well as a number of other modifications. Progress Managing Director Yuri Denisenko told the media that the Ka-52K was planned to enter fullrate production in 2014. In addition, proactive efforts are being made in cooperation with the Rosoboronexport company to promote the Ka-52A export version on the global market. Several countries showed keen interest in buying such a helicopter several years ago.

Orders for the Ka-52 will have a considerable influence on the workload of Progress in

Andrey Fomin

industry | report

Remaining production backlog of Mi-34C airframes will be used for manufacturing of the new Mi-34C1 helicopters initial batch

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Alexey Mikheyev

industry | report

Yuri Denisenko, Progress company Managing Director, told media that the plant will be ready to start production of the Ka-52K ship-borne helicopters in 2014

single spacious shop housing Russia’s only Italian-made integrated mechanised manufacturing to make aluminium, magnesium and cast iron/steel moulds and casts. The advanced technology allows enhanced precision casts, improvements in their characteristics and manufacture of moulds for magnesium, aluminium, steel and cast iron

with the use of the same equipment. With the introduction of an advanced foundry, Progress will make cases for helicopter main and accessory gearboxes for both the Ka-52 and other machines made by the subsidiaries of Russian Helicopters holding.

Since 2009, the machining facility has been upgraded heavily too. It has been beefed up with a software-controlled machining shop using the latest lathes and five-coordinate turn-mill machining centres from Germany’s DMG and Japan’s MAZAK as well as lathes from CTX. This has boosted the precision of machining of odd-shaped parts and the labour productivity. Sophisticated instrumentation systems acquired by the company are used for quality assurance.

The upgrade of Progress’s foundry and machining facilities has been a cause of its output rate increase under contracts made of late. According to the annual report published at the company’s website, the marketable output revenue grew fivefoldplus between 2007 and 2010. An almost

twofold increase over last year’s showings is expected this year, with the revenue to account for 14.2 billion rubles, of which about 67% are to fall on Ka-52 helicopters and 27% on naval missiles.

The output rate growth has resulted in more jobs created, which number has increased by 1.5 times over the past five years – from 3,700 in 2007 to 5,500 in 2011.

The company hires 300–500 personnel annually. According to Progress Managing Director Yuri Denisenko, the workforce exceeds 6,000 personnel, of whom a third are young people aged up to 35. The average age of workers has diminished from 48 to 43 years in the last four years.

The recently-landed lucrative governmental order for Ka-52s and upcoming productionising of the Mi-34C1 to be followed by the Ka-62 indicates that Progress’s output rate will keep on increasing and the company, which used to build a hundred Mi-24s a year during the ‘70s and ‘80s, will reclaim the status of a major helicopter maker in the country.

Alexey Mikheyev

New Ka-52s under assembly at the Progress company

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www.take-off.ru

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | report

17th production Ka-52 took part at the airshow dedicated to the Progress company 75th anniversary on 3 September 2011

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industry | company

Vyacheslav BOGUSLAYEV Chairman of the Board, MOTOR SICH JSC

other passenger and transport airplanes powered by engines of D-436 family. It ensures starting of propulsion engines and supply of compressed air and electric power to on-board systems of airplane when propulsion engines are not operating.

High effectiveness of utilization of AI-450-МS auxiliary gas turbine unit is achieved due to low specific fuel consumption resulted from high parameters of thermo-dynamic cycle, high efficiency of components and selection of a scheme with air bleed from service compressor, as well as due to low operational expenses.

Nowadays, small aircraft are in big demand in the world, and for that reason MOTOR SICH JSC aside from participating in the works of building up small-size turbo-shaft engines of AI-450 family with 450 to 600 hp capacity carried out by IVCHENKO-PROGRESS SE, carries out itself R&D work related to similar family of MS-500V engines of 600 to 1,000 hp capacity class.

Now, the efforts of these two enterprises are concentrated on AI-450М version intended

MOTOR SICH AT DUBAI AIRSHOW MOTOR SICH JSC is a multi-profile science intensive company dedicated to engineering, production, testing, support in operation and repair of up-to-date airplane and helicopter engines for various purposes. Aircraft powered by aeroengines manufactured by MOTOR SICH JSC are operated in more than 120 countries of the world.

Many of the engines became world leaders in their class. So, AI-25TL engine lifts to the sky the L-39 trainer from Czech Republic which is operated in 41countries. Turboshaft engines of TV3-117 family ensure flights in 63 countries of virtually all middle capacity helicopters made in Russia. D-18 engine is designed for Ruslan and Mriya transport airplanes, and D-136 engine, the most powerful in the world, for Мi-26 helicopters.

Today, production of D-436-148 engine for new regional airplanes of An-148 family is one of the priorities of MOTOR SICH JSC activity. This engine complies with modern requirements of ICAO to pollutant emissions and ensures noise level of Аn-148 airplanes below established standards. АI-450-MS two-shaft auxiliary gas turbine unit is created at MOTOR SICH JSC for various versions of An-148 and

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An-158

for replacement of GTD-350 engines in Mi-2 helicopters manufactured earlier.

Turboshaft engines of МS-500V family are intended to be installed in helicopters for various purposes with take-off weight of 3.5 to 6 tons. At present time, MOTOR SICH JSC carries out test bench finalizing of gas-dynamic parameters and finishing work for single-shaft gas generators and full-size engines. In the course of developing MS-500V, such design solutions were used that allow future creation of its turboprop and turbofan versions, as well as auxiliary engines.

AI-222 family engines are capable to provide maximum thrust from 2,200 to 3,000 kgf, and up to 5,000 kgf with afterburner installed. Batch production of AI-222-25 engine with maximum thrust of 2,500 kgf has begun for Yak-130 combat trainers that already started to arrive to Air Force pilot training centers in Russia and Algeria.

AI-222К-25 (without afterburner) and AI-222К-25F (with afterburner) versions are designed for L-15 twin-engined combat trainer built up by Hongdu Aviation Industrial (Group) Corporation from China. AI-222К-25F became the first afterburner engine designed and manufactured in Ukraine. Now it is in the process of flight testing in L-15 LIFT (Lead-In Fighter Trainer) airplane. It is possible that in future this engine will be installed in combat versions of Yak-130 aircraft.

On 23rd of June, 2011, at MOTOR SICH JSC facilities, the first starting of MS-14 turboprop engine of 1,500 hp capacity class was performed. It is intended to be used as replacement engine for An-2 airplane and also can be installed in other aircraft of similar class.

TV3-117VMA-SBM1 turboprop, the pre-decessor of MS-14, is installed in An-140 pas-senger regional airplanes which perform regular ar flights in Ukrainian and foreign airlines. Its ts operation in severe conditions of Yakutia is especially intensive.

D-436-148

commercial

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п р о м ы iшn лd еu нs нt rо yс т | ь c |o mи pт оa nг иy In year 2007, MOTOR SICH JSC received certificate for TV3-117VMA-SBM1V – a new helicopter engine designed by the company. This engine was built up bearing in mind the purpose of enhancement of helicopters flight performance and their combat effectiveness, especially when operated in high mountain areas of hot climate countries. By its characteristics, it meets contemporary technical requirements. It has total service life of 12,000 hours or 12,000 cycles and time till first overhaul of 4,000 hours or 4,000 cycles.

Engine power conditions are appropriately adapted to operational conditions of various types of helicopters. Its automatic control system allows to set up one of the following take-off power ratings: 2,500, 2,400, 2,200 or 2,000 hp and ensures keeping it flat to higher ambient air temperature and flight altitude, if compared with existing versions of TV3-117V family engines including VK-2500 installed in Mil's and Kamov's helicopters.

In order to increase safety of flight with one engine inoperative, 2.5-min power rating equal to 2,800 hp and 30-min power rating equal to take-off power were introduced. The possibility was also confirmed to use two variations of continuous power rating equal to 2,800 hp with one engine inoperative during 60 minutes.

Installation of TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines in helicopter allows to increase its climbing capacity and practical ceiling altitude, as well as to maintain high flight performance characteristics of helicopters with dust protection and exhaust shield devices installed.

In the course of flight testing, Mi-24 helicopter powered by TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines demonstrated record climbing capacity: it climbed the altitude of 5 km in 9 minutes only, while Mi-8MTV helicopter powered by TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines reached the record altitude of 8.1 km.

AI-222-25

Official bench tests of TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine according to program approved by Russian Air Force Commander-in-Chief and agreed with Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and Kamov JSC were successfully completed in June this year at the Russian Ministry of Defence aircraft repair plant in Gatchina.

The work is in progress to upgrade the engine as a result of implementation of new technical solutions. First of all, they deal with engine Automatic Control System which will be replaced with a digital system (FADEC) built up

by STAR JSC (Perm). Utilization of this ACS shall result in further enhancement of engine and helicopter performance.

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V series 4 and 4Е versions (with air and electrical starting systems) are intended to be used as replacement

Ka-52

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V

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commercial

Yak-130 engines for Mi-8T helicopters produced earlier with TV2-117 engines in order to enhance their flight performance, particularly when they are operated in hot climate conditions and high mountain take-off platforms. They inherited the best design solutions aimed to ensure higher parameters and life time which were worked through in TV3-117VMA-SBM1V base engine. This allowed to set total life time of 15,000 hours/ cycles and introduce 2.5-min and 30-min emergency power ratings for operation with one engine inoperative.

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take-off november 2011

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Alexey Mikheyev

military aviation | debut

T-50

WHAT WE LEARNT OF IT AT MAKS 2011

No doubt, the spice of the MAKS 2011 air show in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, in August was the long-awaited unveiling of prototypes of the Future Tactical Fighter (Russian acronym – PAK FA) – Russian fifth-generation fighter T-50 the Sukhoi company is developing in cooperation with its engine, aircraft material, avionics, airborne systems and weapons subcontractors. The PAK FA made its debut on the second day of the show, when both flying T-50 prototypes were demonstrated in flight to Russian Premier Vladimir Putin. They flew as a pair, after which the Sukhoi design bureau’s test pilot Sergey Bogdan flew aerobatics on the T-50-1. On the following days of MAKS 2011, the second T-50 prototype, the T-50-2, was used in the flight demonstration programme. It would first lead a Sukhoi aircraft ‘troika’ with a Su-34 and a Su-35 as its wingmen and then perform solo aerobatics.

Although no characteristics of the plane have been published officially, many interesting things related to the PAK FA programme to a certain degree could be seen in the pavilions of MAKS 2011. So, what did we learn about the Russian fifthgeneration fighter during the air show?

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Andrey FOMIN

Aircraft Actually, no surprises concerning the T-50’s design were expected from its debut demonstration at MAKS 2011. The customer did not allow static display of the fighter, and its takeoffs and landings even had to be performed at a distance from the crowd. To this end, every day, early in the morning, the tarpaulin-clad prototypes would be towed from the Sukhoi flight test facility’s apron to a spot in a taxiway near the end of the runway and be towed back at night. Takeoffs would be performed far away from the crowd too, with the run commencing from about the middle of the runway, which length, thankfully, exceeds 5,400 m.

By the way, given today’s advances in photographic gear, this did not prevent numerous reporters and aviation spotters from taking many quality pictures of the fighter from all aspects possible both on takeoff and www.take-off.ru

military aviation | debut

PAK FA’s second flying prototype airlifted from Komsomolsk-on-Amur in early April is flying in Zhukovsky since 10 August 2011

landing, on the one hand, and during its flypasts and aerobatics. Again, the T-50’s demonstration did not serve any surprise as its design and layout features had been known in advance owing to the official pictures published by Sukhoi since the maiden flight of the T-50-1 on 29 January 2010 and to numerous photos on the Internet, which were taken during the demonstrations to Russian and Indian national and military leaders in 2010–11.

A rather large T-50 model was on display for the first time at Sukhoi’s stand in the UAC pavilion, but it was impossible to see in it anything capable of adding to what had been known from the pictures.

A full-scale exhibit on display at the stand of the ORPE Tekhnologiya company – ‘a composite fuselage midsection panel’. As is known, a sizeable part of the T-50’s structure is made of composites, including the www.take-off.ru

large-size load-bearing panels, and this is a feature of the plane, setting it apart from the previous-generation Russian fighters.

According to Sukhoi, both PAK FA flying prototypes had logged 84 sorties by the beginning of MAKS 2011. Following another demonstration to an Indian delegation on 14 June, the T-50-1 was being given scheduled improvements, in the course of which it was fitted, inter alia, with the antispin chute in a special container housed by the tip of the central tail boom. This may be an indication of the plane’s preparedness for operating envelope expansion tests, including flying at high alpha. With the improvements introduced, the plane was flown out on 4 August. The aircraft flew several missions more as part of preparations for the show, pulled off aerobatics with certain g-load and speed limitations after the flypast with the T-50-2 and then was not demonstrated at the show any longer.

The second flying prototype that first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 3 March this year was airlifted by an An-124 to Sukhoi’s flight test facility in Zhukovsky on 3 April, but it had been flown out here only a week before the show, on 10 August.

For four months, it had been subjected to the debugging and improvement programme too. The T-50-2 (side number 52, or 052), is similar to the first prototype, including in terms of the paintjob. It differs only in minor details. For instance, it carries several sensors of the integrated electro-optical system instead of the mockups equipping the T-50-1, and the design of the movable section of the cockpit canopy has been modified. During the two-ship flypast at the official opening of MAKS 2011 on the afternoon of 17 August, the T-50-2 was flown by Sukhoi’s test pilot Roman Kondratyev, with the programme take-off november 2011

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military aviation | debut

Yuri Stepanov

Two PAK FA prototypes complete their formation demo flight

Andrey Fomin

K-36D-5 ejection seat with a dummy pilot in PPK-7 g-suit and ZSh-10 helmet

chief test pilot, Hero of Russia Sergey Bogdan, flying on the remaining days.

On the final day of the show, the T-50-2 experienced a right engine surge while taking off in difficult weather conditions. The surge was caused by FADEC malfunction with a large flame exiting the nozzle. Sergei Bogdan had to abort the takeoff. Having deployed the drag chute and applied the brakes in an emergency manner, he stopped the plane before the end of the runway and taxied in to the apron. The incident seen

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by thousands of onlookers and filmed by TV cameras on 21 August made quite a stir among the public. The aircraft and engine developers, however, assured that it was no drama, rather a routine thing in the trials of a prototype and that the plane would return to flight in the near future. Indeed, the T-50-2 flew under the flight test programme with a swing in September.

KnAAPO is to complete the assembly of the third flying prototype and launch its testing this summer. The T-50-3 is planned to be fitted with the main forward looking AESA radar and a complete integrated electro-optical system as well as other advanced avionics system making it more like the future production-standard aircraft. The fourth flying prototype and assemblies for subsequent aircraft are being manufactured too.

Engine The so-called first-stage engine to equip the PAK FA is in the preliminary trials now, Yevgeny Marchukov, General Designer, Lyulka Scientific and Technical Centre (Moscow affiliate of NPO Saturn Scientific and Production Association), said at MAKS 2011. “The preliminary stage includes bench and flight tests. It is the most labour-intensive period in terms of both time and money. Some of the elements of what has been implemented in the advanced

first-stage engine had built upon the solutions developed for the 117S engine to fit the Su-35 fighter, particularly, the designing techniques and technologies of processing most sophisticated structural elements. A cutting-edge automatic control system has been developed for the engine and it has been based on Russian-made componentry for the first time. The system’s architecture and control algorithm are Russian too”, Yevgeny Marchukov said, adding that “more than 20 engines” were built to date.

“The engine’s performance has been proven beyond any doubt through bench tests. Its flying performance will have been evaluated by year-end, and we should be ready to launch the official test programme by 2013”, he specified.

The engine itself, known as 117, was not shown at MAKS 2011. The same time, United Engine Corp.’s exposition at Oboronprom’s pavilion sported the known 117S afterburning turbofan powering the Su-35 and Su-35S fighters now. First-stage engines will not only power all T-50 prototypes and LRIP aircraft, but, probably, the early production planes as well. In the future, the fighter is going to be fitted with the so-called second-stage engine now under development by NPO Saturn as part of the United Engine Corporation.

“The work has begun. We will fulfil it on schedule”, Oboronprom Director General www.take-off.ru

Yevgeny Yerokhin

military aviation | debut

T-50-1 got an antispin chute in its fuselage tail section during scheduled improvements held since mid-June through early August 2011 for operation envelope expansion tests

Andrey Reus said in this connection during MAKS 2011.

Ejection seat During the air show, many interesting things could be seen at the stand of the Zvezda Scientific and Production Association named after Guy Severin. There, the new K-36D-5 ejection seat for the fifth-generation fighter was unveiled, as was the pilot’s equipment comprising the PPK-7 g-suit, ZSh-10 helmet and KM-36M oxygen mask.

The K-36D-5 ejection seat is a next spiral of the evolution of the K-36D-3.5

ejection seat fitting the advanced versions of the MiG-29 and Su-27 (Su-30) fighters. According to Zvezda, it differs from the baseline model in the extended pilot weight and operating temperature brackets, enhanced minimal ejection altitude characteristics and reduced maintenance time.

It was reported that, combined with the pilot’s protective gear, the K-36D-5 ejection seat enables the aircrew to withstand manoeuvring g-load from -4 g to +9g, longitudinal g-load from -6g to +6g and lateral g-load from -4g to +4g. Safe ejection is ensured for the 0–20,000-m altitude

bracket and 0–1,300-km/h IAS bracket, including the 0–0 mode, with an ambient temperature from -60 to +74 deg. C and pilot’s weight of 55–125 kg.

Avionics and weapons A key element of the PAK FA’s multirole integrated radar system – the forwardlooking X-band active electronically scanned array with more than 1,500 transmit-receive (T-R) modules – was unveiled by its developer, Tikhomirov-NIIP, at the previous air show, MAKS 2009, as the first experimental example. This time around, Tikhomirov-NIIP

Ivan Kirillov

Russian ‘troika’ comprising T-50-2 as a leader and Sukhoi Su-34 and Su-35 as wingmen

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Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

military aviation | debut

Tikhomirov-NIIP X-band AESA and one of its multichannel T-R modules (upper left)

ules of the integrated optronic system displayed at MAKS 2011 as Product 101KS. According to the materials disseminated during the show, the T-50’s optronic system will comprise the 101KS-V IRST for aerial target acquisition, identification, pinpointing and tracking, the 101KS-U aerial and ground situation awareness subsystem, the 101KS-O optronic defensive aids suite and the 101KS-N podded IRST Andrey Fomin

into a single computer system by means of high-performance optical interfaces”. Other novelties from GRPZ at MAKS 2011 were the 4283E AESA two-band digital IFF interrogator and 4280MSE multifunction integrated IFF responder.

A surprise sensation at the airshow was made by the Urals Optical and Mechanical Plant (UOMZ), which demonstrated the basic mod-

Andrey Fomin

demonstrated the second AESA prototype embodying a number of improvements stemming from the lab bench tests. The array is an ellipse measuring about 0.9x0.7 m. In addition to the AESA, the developer displayed during MAKS 2011 a full-scale multichannel T-R module the AESA is made up of and an L-band AESA to be housed in the wing leading edge.

According to Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely, the third AESA example, which has passed its bench tests, will have been delivered to Sukhoi and mounted on the third T-50 flying prototype this year. More AESAs are being manufactured (for more detail on the AESA radar for the PAK FA, see Yuri Bely’s interview in this issue).

Tikhomirov-NIIP’s old-time partner, State Ryazan Instrument Plant (GRPZ), demonstrated at the airshow the units of the N-036EVS computer system supporting the operation of the AESA radar and designed “to receive and process high-capacity analoguedigital signals and control and automate complex processes in real time”. The N-036EVS computer system comprises two high-performance digital computers “based on the united switching computing environment and united

Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

Top: 101KS-V air-to-air IRST station (left) and 101KS-N podded air-to-ground optronic system (right) Bottom: 101KS-U missile launch detection system (left) and 101KS-O optronic defensive suite (right)

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www.take-off.ru

military aviation | debut T-50-1 and T-50-2 in formation flight at the opening ceremony of MAKS 2011 airshow, 17 August 2011

Sergey Lysenko

for ground target acquisition, identification, pinpointing and tracking.

UOMZ Director General Sergei Maksin said at MAKS 2011 that the PAK FA’s optronic system comprising a panoply of sensors “will ensure total control of the situation around the aircraft in all optical wavebands”, with some of the sensors being “unique from the point of view of both their performance and application philosophy”. The complete system is supposed to fit the third T-50 flying prototype.

The 101KS-V IRST will be installed in the PAK FA at the place customary to Russian fighters Su-27 and MiG-29 – the ball-type fairing in front of the cockpit. The ball housing the 101KS-O DAS subsystem, which is likely designed to interfere with heat-seekers, will be set on top the fuselage aft the cockpit. The 101KS-U subsystem, designed for “providing the aircrew with information on the situation in the air and on the ground”, is likely a set of UV sensors alerting the crew to missile launches. Finally, the aircraft can be equipped with a pod housing the 101KS-N IRST to deal with ground targets.

Another advanced system to come in handy to the PAK FA was demonstrated at MAKS 2011 by the NPP Polyot company based in Nizhny Novgorod. It was the “S-111-N airborne communications system” mated with the “Aist-50 airborne integrated antennafeeder system”. It was specified at Polyot’s stand that the system ensured “a considerable increase in the functional-technical, operating and economic showings” over the production-standard TKS-2M system equipping Sukhoi planes at present. The S-111-N

ensures “multichannel data exchange via highcapacity enhanced frequency band channels” and implementation of the “reprogrammable radio” concept, flexible comms gear architecture software/hardware rearrangement and quick adaptation to simultaneous operation in different comms systems and networks.

Tidbits of information on the weapons suite of the future PAK FA were avail-

able at the stand of the Tactical Missiles Corporation, which showcased, inter alia, internal carriage missiles with the export designations Kh-38MLE and Kh-58UShKE and the advanced KAB-250 smart bomb as well (for detail on latest weapons from Tactical Missiles Corp., which could make their way to the fighter’s weapons suite, see further in the issue).

Alexey Mikheyev

T-50-2 rolls after another demo flight at MAKS 2011. On 3 November 2011 it performed the 100th PAK FA’s test flight

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Andrey Fomin

military aviation | interview

YURI BELY

“PAK FA’s AESA radar development is right on schedule” The PAK FA future tactical fighter, which prototypes made their debut at the MAKS 2011 air show, will feature, inter alia, a highly automated multifunctional integrated active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar system under development by the Tikhomirov Scientific Research Institute of Instrument Design (TikhomirovNIIP). To date, Tikhomirov-NIIP has made several X-band AESA prototypes and L-band experimental AESA examples and performed a considerable volume of tests, with the AESA radar soon to be mounted on the fighter. Tikhomirov-NIIP’s X-band AESA prototype, L-band example and their transmit/receive (T-R) modules could be seen at the company’s booth at MAKS 2011. We spoke with TikhomirovNIIP Director General Yuri Bely about the state of the AESA programme and other topical matters.

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Mr. Bely, let us start with the main innovative programme of Tikhomirov-NIIP, the AESA radar for the fifth-generation fighter. What is the status of the programme?

What did you achieve?

PAK FA’s AESA radar system development is right on schedule approved by the prime contractor for the plane, the Sukhoi company. Under the schedule, two prototypes are being rig-tested, with one more being ready for installation on a PAK FA prototype. This, third, AESA radar prototype will be handed over to Sukhoi, and it will begin to work on board the third flying PAK FA aircraft. Manufacture of more radars is under way, e.g. the fourth set is being assembled to fit another PAK FA prototype and the fifth one’s manufacture has begun.

The first AESA radar has logged two years on our test rig, most of its issues have been ironed out and its software is being refined now. The second AESA complete set has been placed on a test rig earlier this year and will soon be handed over to Sukhoi as part of the PAK FA avionics suite for rig testing. The third example has completed its rig tests and now is ready for mounting on a plane. The fourth set is to be made before year-end.

Our institute performs the assembly, adjustment and rig testing of the AESA radars so far, and at the same time, its productionising is underway at the State Ryazan Instrument Plant (GRPZ) that is setting up new manufacturing lines and buying advanced equipment and has erected a special shop to this end. The plant also has taken part in the manufacture of the AESA radar since its early examples had been made; in particular, it has been making the distribution system, waveguide www.take-off.ru

military aviation | interview

Tikhomirov-NIIP

Tikhomirov-NIIP X-band AESA first prototype during rig-tests

www.take-off.ru

L-band AESA in fighter’s wing leading edge mock-up

Andrey Fomin

runs, T-R module cases, etc. We have been handing radar part manufacture off to the plant gradually; thus, the plant will productionise the AESA radar in full. We will be able to launch its production as soon as next year.

What problems do you encounter in AESA development?

Since the AESA radar is a drastically novel product not only to us at TikhomirovNIIP, but to the whole of Russian industry as well, it is no secret that there are problems, mostly due to electronic componentry, specifically due to the productionising of T-R modules under way at the Istok scientific and production association and to ensuring their reliability. Hence, many things have to be done over and reconsidered. As far as characteristics are concerned, we are satisfied now with the T-R modules supplied to us, but their reliability is yet to be enhanced. The cause of the current situation is the slippage of Istok’s production facilities renovation programme, due to which some work is still done using obsolete equipment with lower precision.

The financing is in a stop-and-go manner; hence, Istok is experiencing problems with its production facilities renovation and, therefore, with the reliability of the early T-R modules they made. Nevertheless, I would like to stress again that we have been settling all issues with success no matter what and the programme has been on schedule.

The AESA radar development is gradual, given the scale of the job to be done. First, priority is given to the forward-looking AESA and its integration with the electronic countermeasures (ECM), IFF and other avionics. In parallel, other units and systems are being developed, and the radar system is beefed up as they are developed.

In the end, we will get a full-fledged multifunctional integrated radio-electronic system of the fifth-generation aircraft.

While working on the AESA, you do not neglect passive phased-array radars either, do you?

Certainly, we have developed the unique phased-array radar, the Irbis-E, with an airborne target acquisition range of 400 km. Three prototypes of the radar have been undergoing their flight trials on two Su-35 prototypes and a Su-30MK2 flying testbed for several years now. This year, the first production Su-35S fighter built by KnAAPO Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association under the Russian Defence Ministry-awarded contract has entered its trials. It carries a full production-standard Irbis set made

by GRPZ plant at its production line.

Tikhomirov-NIIP staff has been proactive in supporting the radar’s flight tests, its productionising by GRPZ and settling all issues cropping up in the process. Mention should be made that the radar has a good prospect not only on board the Su-35. We have received inquiries as to the feasibility of using Irbis-E derivatives on board ships and as part of ground-based radar systems.

We have not neglected the Irbis’s predeces-

sor, the Bars phased-array radar, which is in mass production and exported extensively as part of the Su-30MKI fighters and its versions to India, Malaysia and Algeria. As is known, the Russian Defence Ministry, too, has recently decided to buy a batch of aircraft like that, designated as Su-30SM, in the near future. We have got a contract with the Sukhoi company for development of a Bars version to fit these fighters. We also are taking part in the programme on upgrade of the Indian Air Force Su-30MKIs. Provision has been made for enhancing the performance of the Bars radar and its current phased array and, possibly, fitting the radar with an AESA further down the road. However, we believe that such an upgrade of the Bars should be conditioned on the programme for development of an AESA radar for the Fifth-Generation Fighter Aircraft (FGFA) being co-developed by Russia and India, so that our experience in developing the AESA can be used in subsequent upgrade of in-service Su-30MKI fighters.

Do you continue to upgrade other airborne radars you developed?

We certainly do. We are further honing our first phased-array radar, the Zaslon, used on the MiG-31 interceptor. The upgraded MiG-31BM has kicked off the second phase of its official trials recently. Advanced operating modes are being implemented into its Zaslon radar, to which new long- and medium-range missiles are being adapted as well. The MiG-31’s tactical capabilities will grow by far owing to the ongoing upgrade.

In addition, Su-27SM(3) fighters have been fielded with Russian Air Force combat units this year. We have upgraded their N001 fire control radar again, with advanced operating modes introduced and modified medium-range missile application ensured. The work is going on. take-off november 2011

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FORGING ARMS FOR T-50 Yevgeny YEROKHIN Photos by the author

The organisers of the Tactical Missiles Corp.’s exposition at the MAKS 2011 air show in Zhukovsky last August altered their approach to demonstrating their advances to a more pragmatic one. During the news conference in the course of the show, Tactical Missiles Corp.’s Director General Boris Obnosov noted that the company’s exposition displayed only the new weapon systems that were in the final stages of the official trials or had passed them this year. All of the displays are to be manufactured both in the export version and in the configuration designed for the Russian Air Force, with some of them being prototypes of the weapons to fit the star of the air show – the Future Tactical Fighter, or the Sukhoi T-50 fifth-generation fighter.

Designed for Gen 5 and more “Series orders have already been placed for many of the items of weapons we show.

We are manufacturing pilot batches, and the production will go full-scale starting from 2013 or 2014”, Boris Obnosov said during MAKS 2011. “This year, we are to complete the official trials of four or five devices.

Next year and 2014 will be very tough too, because we will have to integrate the whole range of weapons under development with the fifth-generation aircraft”.

Asked which of the weapons on display were almost complete for the fifth-generation fighter, the corporation’s leader said internal carriage weapons needed to be considered first in that context. According to Boris Obnosov, the RVV-MD and RVV-SD air-to-air missiles displayed at the show this time are designed for external carriage so far, but are, essentially, prototypes that will have spawned refined versions by 2014 to fit the PAK FA. They will become the backbone of its weapons suite in the dogfight and medium-range air-to-air missile classes.

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The Raduga Kh-58UShKE antiradiation missile displayed at MAKS 2011 is designed for both internal and external carriage. Its weight is 650 kg and its range measures 76–245 km when launched externally. It differs from the venerable Kh-58E in a shorter length, a pop-up wing, shorter-span vanes and a single wideband passive radar homer acquiring all known air defence radar bands.

A big TV screen at Tactical Missiles Corp.’s stand at MAKS 2011 displayed an animation clip showing how four missiles of the type would be housed by the inner bay of the fifthgeneration fighter. According to Mr. Obnosov, the official tests of the Kh-58UShKE are to be wrapped up next year.

Another missile to be used as part of the fifth-generation fighter’s weapons suit and fit its internal bays is the Tactical Missiles Corp.’s parent company’s Kh-38ME newgeneration modular multipurpose air-tosurface missile weighing up to 520 kg with a reach of up to 40 km. It is designed to wipe out a wide spectrum of armoured, hardened and exposed ground single or multiple tar-

gets and waterborne targets in the littorals.

During the previous MAKS 2009 show in Zhukovsky, where the Kh-38ME missile family made its debut, it was reported that the missiles of the family could carry various guidance packages – a semiactive laser homer on the Kh-38MLE, an active radar homer on the Kh-38MAE, a thermalimaging heat-seeker on the Kh-38MTE and a satnav-guided one on the Kh-38MKE cluster-type missile. The Kh-38MLE laser beam rider was displayed at MAKS 2011.

According to Boris Obnosov, its development is on schedule and is expected to be completed in a couple of years.

A spice of the show was the 250-kg KAB-250 smart bomb from the Region company. Owing to its compact dimensions, it can be not only mounted on the PAK FA’s external weapons stations, but carried internally as well. “The KAB-250 is an internalcarriage weapon designed for the PAK FA but capable of being used by other planes as well”. Only the basic dimensional parameters of the advanced 250-kg bomb were offered at www.take-off.ru

military aviation | weapons KAB-250

the show, e.g. a length of 3.2 m, a diameter of 255 mm and a wingspan of 550 m. “It is too early to go into detail on the KAB-250”, Mr. Obnosov said. The type of guidance used has not been unveiled yet either. When speaking about using GPS and GLONASS receivers for cuing smart bombs to their targets, however, the Tactical Missiles Director General said, “There are 500-kg bombs like that, namely the KAB-500S-E, and the satnav capability has been provided for virtually all next-generation bombs in the 1,500, 500 and 250-kg class”. Thus, the KAB-250 will presumably carry a combined guidance package comprising the satnav system and one of the homing heads.

Other advanced and upgraded air-tosurface missiles from the Tactical Missiles Corporation, which export versions were displayed at MAKS 2011 could be also carried by PAK FA, albeit externally. For instance, they include the Kh-31PD highvelocity antiradiation missile and heavily upgraded Kh-31AD and Kh-35UE antiship missiles. All of them are made by Tactical Missiles Corp.’s parent company.

The Kh-31AD supersonic antiship missile, for which development the company is paying out of pocket, is in the final stages of development. It features an extended range, enhanced ECM immunity and a cutting-edge active radar homing head. Its test programme is expected to be wrapped up in 2013 or 2014.

The Kh-35UE’s official trials are slated for completion as soon as the end of this year. Boris Obnosov noted that the Kh-35UE development was no cakewalk because the missile, albeit a dead-ringer for the Kh-35E baseline model outwardly, is equipped with an advanced short-burn turbojet engine, a sophisticated homer and a satnav system in addition to the inertial navigation system, which has improved the weapon’s basic characteristics much. For instance, its maximal range has doubled from 130 km to 260 km, with an insignifiwww.take-off.ru

cant increase in its air-launched version’s launch weight from 520 to 550 kg. The Kh-35UE is a versatile weapon for use, among other things, by the upgraded Uran and Bal shipborne and coastal defence missile systems. It also has been adapted for use by virtually all tactical warplanes and naval helicopters.

Also displayed at MAKS 2011 were the latest members of the Kh-59ME subsonic missile family under development by the Raduga design bureau – the Kh-59MK

with the active radar homing head to kill a wide range of radio-contrast targets, Kh-59M2E with TV-command guidance and Kh-59MK2 with a combined guidance system. Depending on the version, their launch weight varies from 900 kg to 960 kg and their max range is up to 285 km (115–140 km for the Kh-59M2E).

According to Boris Obnosov, the launch of the Kh-59MK’s production is slated for early next year. The missile of the type is designed for application by the Sukhoi

Kh-38MLE

Kh-58UShKE

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military aviation | weapons RVV-BD long-range air-to-air missile

Su-30, Su-34 and Su-35 aircraft in the first place.

Longest-range air-to-air missile No doubt, the star of the air-launched weapon segment of the air show in Zhukovsky was the RVV-BD long-range air-to-air missile unveiled by the Tactical Missiles Corporation.

That the Vympel design bureau is developing the missile has been known for a while. As far back as his news conference during the MAKS 2009 air show, Boris Obnosov confirmed that Vympel was developing a long-range weapon in addition to the RVV-SD medium- and RVVMD short-range missiles. Last year, paperwork for an export version, designated as RVV-BD, was finalised, which cleared it for display at MAKS 2011.

A tender is known to have been issued for development of an advanced long-range air-to-air missile. In addition to the Vympel design bureau (a subsidiary of Tactical Missiles Corp.), the Yekaterinburg-based Novator design bureau joined the competition. Its full-sale mockups of a long-range missile, dubbed AAM tentatively, could be seen suspended under wing on the Su-35 prototype and laid out on the apron in front of it during MAKS 2007. “There was stiff RVV-BD long-range missile main data Length, m Diameter, m Wing span, m Tail span, m Launch weight, kg Warhead weight, kg Max forward-looking range, km Target designation angles, deg.

G-load on manoeuvring targets, g Target altitude, km

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4.06 0.38 0.72 1.02 up to 510 60 up to 200 ±60 8 0.015-25

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competition”, Boris Obnosov reminisces about the competition during MAKS 2011.

“I hold products from Novator in high esteem”. But it looks like the tender ended not in favour of Novator’s weapon.

According to Mr. Obnosov, Tactical Missiles Corp’s work on the long-range missile is on schedule, a production-standard version has been selected, and its tests are to be finalised before year-end. The missile has been productionised for the past two year.

“This is a formidable weapon with nothing to rival it either in country or abroad. It flies with a swing and hits its targets”, added the Director General proudly.

According to the official information disseminated during the air show, the new missile’s performance is far more advanced over that of the well-known long-range R-33E. It is not easy to compare the RVV-BD and R-33E, however. It is clear at first sight that they are utterly different. Presumably, the RVV-BD is likely to be a derivative of the long-range missile prototype Vympel developed in 1980– 1990s to equip latest versions of the MiG-31 interceptor (for instance, at MAKS 1997, six missiles like that were seen on the underbelly hardpoints of the MiG-31M No. 057 at the static display ground).

Mention should be made that the lateral dimensions of the MAKS 2011-displayed RVV-BD are unlikely to allow its internal carriage by the PAK FA. The missile’s pamphlet disseminated during the show indicated that only the external AKU-410-1 and AKU-620 ejectors were to be used to attach it to and launch it.

Judging by the example displayed at the show, only the vanes of the RVV-BD were foldable for conformal carriage, but the

wing remained fixed, to boot. Also, specifying the weapons designed for internal carriage, Boris Obnosov did not mention the RVV-BD. Most probably, the RVV-BD is an export version of the advanced longrange missile being developed under the programme of MiG-31 interceptor upgrade in service with the Russian Air Force (an upgraded MiG-31BM was shown at a static display during MAKS 2011). Nonetheless, the lessons learnt from the programme are certainly to be relevant to the development of a long-range missile for internal carriage on the fifth-generation fighter.

The RVV-BD is taken to the target area by the inertial guidance system with radio-frequency updates and subsequent active terminal radar homing. According to adverts circulated, the RVV-BD will be able to destroy various air threats (fighters, attack aircraft, bombers, airlifters, helicopters, cruise missiles) from any aspect at long range round the clock despite heavy ECM, including multiple-channel launch-andleave capability.

Owing to the missile’s top-notch aerodynamics and high-performance bi-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor, its range may well be several hundred kilometres. Speaking at MAKS 2011, Boris Obnosov said the RVV-BD’s export version would have a range of up to 200 km. “To date, no missile in the class can boast a range like that”, Mr. Obnosov concluded.

The missile can eliminate threats jinking hard at 8 g at an altitude of 15–25,000 m.

The RVV-BD’s launch weight stands at 510 kg. The weapon packs a 60-kg HE/ fragmentation warhead with proximity and impact fuses. www.take-off.ru

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RusAF Training Centre got 10 Yak-130s Novgorod flew from the factory airfield to the Air Force Training Centre in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh Region.

The first five Yak-130s (serials 21 through 25) arrived in Borisoglebsk

on 6 April this year. Two more aircraft (90 and 91) came in from Lipetsk in mid-June. Along with two other planes (92 and 93), they had been delivered to the RusAF State Aviation Personnel Training and Operational

Alexey Mikheyev

The government order for 12 newgeneration Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainers for the Russian Air Force was fulfilled this summer, when the last three aircraft of the batch built by the Sokol aircraft plant in Nizhny

Evaluation Centre during February through April last year.

The final three Yak-130s under the first contract signed with the Russian Defence Ministry were assembled by Sokol this spring. With their factory acceptance tests completed the planes issued serials 26 through 28 were ferried to Borisoglebsk on 30 June.

Borisoglebsk is home to the training air regiment giving basic and advanced flight training to future pilots of attack and bomber aircraft – the cadets of the Krasnodar flight school. The instructor-pilots of the Borisoglebsk training centre have mastered Yak-130s, and the first cadets are to begin their training on them in the near future.

Russian-made An-140s earmarked for military use?

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the Russian government issued Resolution on the signature of the Protocol by the Government of the Russian Federation and the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine on cooperation in aircraft development, production, delivery and operation. The protocol lists, inter alia, several new An-140 versions, e.g. the An-140-110 and An-140-200 airliners, An-140C-100, An-140T-100 and An-140T-210 freighters and An-140MP patrol aircraft.

The An-140T-100 freighter with a lifting capacity of 6 t is an in-production An-140-100 derivative with the cargo tail ramp. Antonov offers the An-140T-210 with a greater lifting capacity, which is a derivative of the in-development 68-seat An-140-210 stretch. Since

the Defence Ministry’s advanced light airlifter acquisitions are stipulated by the 2020 Governmental Armament Acquisition Programme, it is possible that planes to be acquired may be latest ramp-equipped An-140 versions under development by Antonov, given the rejection of the Il-112V and the An-140-100 airliner order landed by Aviakor recently.

In addition, Aviakor and Radar MMS, a major Russian developer and integrator of special airborne radioelectronic gear, made an agreement during MAKS 2011 to look into the feasibility of fitting Radar MMS systems to the An-140. Probably, they are going to develop the An-140MP maritime patrol aircraft mentioned in the 6 May 2011 governmental resolution.

It also was reported during MAKS 2011 that the Samara-built An-140 was promising enough in terms of export as well. During the show, Aviakor and Rosoboronexport agreed to cooperate, with their agreement providing for the feasibility of the An-140 becoming part of Rosoboronexport’s export programme. “The agreement signed indicates keen interest of the major Russian combat gear supplier in Aviakor’s business processes and plane”, Aviakor Director General Sergei Gusev said. “Now, Aviakor has got an order for an An-140 batch for the Russian Defence Ministry. The cooperation with Rosoboronexport will enable us to offer our main product to defence ministries of other nations”.

Alexey Mikheyev

The static displays of the MAKS 2011 air show, which took place in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region in August, featured the new An-140-100 turboprop sporting an unusual darkgray paintjob. The aircraft with side number 41254 is the first An-140 made by the Aviakor plant in Samara on order of the Russian Defence Ministry. It performed its maiden flight on 6 August of this year and arrived in Zhukovsky a week later for the airshow.

Aviakor has built only three production An-140s delivered to the Yakutiya air carrier during 2006–09.

The full-fledged productionising of the An-140 in Samara is attributed to a contract signed by Aviakor and the Russian Defence Ministry recently. Having ordered its first An-140 (c/n 002) shown at MAKS 2011, the Russian Defence Ministry in May ordered nine more planes to be delivered within three years.

All of them will be in the standard 52-seat passenger layout and oust the obsolete An-24s and An-26s used for top brass carriage.

The An-140 also may see new vistas opening up owing to lastyear’s refusal of the Russian Defence Ministry to keep on funding the Ilyushin Il-112V light airlifter development programme. On 6 May,

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all of the surveillance equipment cleared by the agreement, namely four airborne photo cameras, three TV cameras, a synthetic aperture radar and an infrared linear scanner”. The mission equipment

is housed behind special fuselage hatches and fairings, with operator and observer workstations in the cabin.

At MAKS 2011, the Tu-214ON (serial RA-64519) was both shown

Mikhail Zherdev

Mikhail Zherdev

Marina Lystseva

The Tu-214ON specialised airborne surveillance aircraft developed under the Open Skies programme was a spice of the MAKS 2011 air show.

It took to the skies for the first time from the airfield of the Kazan Aircraft Production Association (KAPO) on 1 June of this year and is undergoing tests. The plane was developed by Tupolev and built by KAPO on order of the Vega corporation, the prime contractor under the Open Skies programme. Once its trials have been complete, it will be delivered to the Russian Defence Ministry.

On its inspection flights under the Open Skies international agreement, Russia has used two types of aircraft, the Tu-154M-LK-1 and An-30B. To enhance the effectiveness of missions, Tupolev was contracted to develop a dedicated derivative of the Tu-214 airliner, fitted with the up-to-date multifunction air surveillance system from Vega. According to the system’s developer, the Tu-214ON “is the first plane among those of the 34 signatories to carry

Alexey Mikheyev

Tu-214ON: Open Skies without secrets

as a static display and demonstrated in flight, and the media were given an opportunity to familiarise with its airborne surveillance system equipment and the operator workstations.

The Russian Defence Ministry is going to order in the near future from Irkut Corp. a batch of Su-30SM twoseat supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters derived from the Su-30MKI aircraft exported by the company.

Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov told the media that a contract was in the pipeline for 28 aircraft for the Russian Air Force with 12 options that could be fielded with the air arm of the Russian Navy. The order is to be placed next year, but the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is already making two first Su-30SMs intended to enter the test programme in the configuration approved by RusAF. According to Alexander Veprev, Director General, Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, the two Su-30SM prorotypes will be able to launch their trials before year-end.

The production and delivery of Su-30MKI family fighters is Irkut’s most successful programme in the past decade. Since 2000, more than 170 production-configuration

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Andrey Fomin

RusAF to receive supermanoeuvrable fighters of Su-30MKI family

warplanes of the type have been delivered, including knockdown kits for licence production in India.

The Su-30MKI orderbook has swelled up to 292 aircraft and expected to hike up to 374, once the anticipated new order for 42 extra Su-30MKIs has been awarded

by India and the Russian Defence Ministry has placed its order for 40 Su-30SMs.

To date, Irkut has fulfilled the contracts for 90 Su-30MKIs for India (the first deal was made in 1996, with two more in 2007), 28 Su-30MKI(A) for Algeria under the 2006 contract and 18 Su-30MKMs for Malaysia under the 2003 contract. Deliveries of Su-30MKI knockdown kits to India carry on under the contract for 140 fighters, and a new batch of Su-30MKI(A) aircraft is being prepared for shipping to

Algeria under the second contract for 16 aircraft, which was signed in 2010.

The manufacturing plant’s Director General Alexander Veprev told the media that the company had made 38 Sukhoi aircraft and knockdown kits of the type last year.

Taking into account the orderbook, the Su-30MKI production will have continued in Irkutsk until the second half of this decade at the least.

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and 46, have the Mi-28N’s traditional camouflage paintjob of various shades of green, with the remaining four (47 through 50) having the new gray paintjob of RusAF. The Mi-28N entered service with RusAF by a presidential decree dated 15 October 2009. Last year, the first RusAF air squadron stationed in Budyonnovsk was converted to the Mi-28N (Rostvertol had built 16 helicopters for it, of which 10 were delivered in 2009), and deliveries started to another RusAF unit stationed in Korenovsk (according to the Russian media, the first eight Mi-28Ns were shipped there in

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Another six-ship batch of Mil Mi-28N advanced attack helicopters was delivered to RusAF in an official ceremony at the airfield of the Rostvertol joint stock company, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company, on 8 October 2011.

The machines were headed for the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in the town of Torzhok.

It has been the second RusAF Mi-28N delivery this year. The first batch of four Mi-28Ns has been shipped to Torzhok this summer and given yellow side numbers 09, 10, 11 and 12.

The first two machines of the new batch, with yellow side numbers 45

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Six more Mi-28Ns delivered to RusAF

October through December 2010).

The Budyonnovsk-based aircraft feature blue serials from 01 through 17 and the Korenovsk-stationed ones red serials from 01 through 08. In September this year, six Mi-28Ns from both units were involved in large-scale combined exercise Union Shield 2011 at the Ashuluk training range in the Astrakhan Region.

To date, Rostvertol has delivered as many as almost 40 productionstandard Mi-28Ns. Recently, Russian Helicopters holding and Russian Defence Ministry have signed a new long-term contract for more helicopters of the type for the period

throughout the decade. Meeting the media this spring, Rostvertol Director General Boris Slyusar said the company would have productionised the Mi-28NM upgraded version by 2015. Probably, the derivative will mount the long-awaited radar, cutting-edge defensive aids suite and advanced weapons. The Mi-28UB fitted with twin sets of controls is being prepared for construction too.

In addition, RusAF has ordered more than two dozen Mi-35M attack helicopters that have been built only for export until recently. The first Mi-35Ms earmarked for RusAF are already in trials at Rostvertol.

Rostvertol resumes Mi-26 deliveries to Russian Defence Ministry

Rostvertol

start taking deliveries of a new version based on the Mi-26T2 heavily upgraded helicopter now under trials. The advanced version will feature a cuttingedge flight navigation system allowing a reduction in crew members, a glass cockpit, round-the clock operation equipment, modified engines and a number of other improvements. The Mi-26T2 is taking part in the tender issued by the Indian Air Force for 15 heavy-lift helicopters.

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According to the Russian media, the Defence Ministry and the Russian Helicopters holding company have made a long-term deal for 15 Mi-26 heavylifters. This spring, Rostvertol was assembling the first four machines under the contract. The lead helicopter was rolled out and started its tests in May. The brand-new Mi-26s differ from those previously supplied to RusAF in slightly upgraded avionics. Further down the line, combat units are to

Rostvertol

Two brand-new Mil Mi-26 heavylift helicopters made this year under a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry departed the airfield of Rostvertol JSC on 25 October. These are the first machines of the type fielded with the Russian Air Force recently, with the previous Mi-26 having been shipped to the customer over a decade ago. Having been given side numbers 05 and 06 and RusAF’s new gray paintjob, the machines will be operated in the Eastern Military District.

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to launch tourist services to Egypt, Spain, Italy, the UAE, Israel, etc”.

Under the contract signed by Polyot, Sberbank-Leasing and VASO plant last year, the carrier shall lease 10 An-148-100Es. They shall be in the 68-seat layout (8 seats in the business class and 60 in the economy class) but will be able to be converted quickly to the 75-seat single-class layout. Unlike the six

Vyacheslav Smigunov

9 September saw the first operational flight of the An-148-100E (RA-61709) of the Polyot airline, the second Russian user of the advanced regional airliners made in Voronezh.

The 1 h 40 min flight with 56 passengers on board was conducted from Voronezh to St. Petersburg. The aircraft came back to Chertovitskoye airport in Voronezh on the return flight on the same day.

An hour-long An-148-100E service was also launched to Moscow’s Domodedovo airport on 29 September. By then, the carrier’s airliner fleet had been beefed up with another aircraft of the type, RA-61710. As its own crews are trained and the maintenance system is set up in its home airport, Polyot is going to expand its operational network and intensify the operations.

Polyot Director General Anatoly Karpov said: “The characteristics of the An-148-100E will enable the company to connect the regions in central Russia with the regional centres in the Urals and Siberia and

Alexey Borisov

Polyot and UIA launch An-148 services

An-148-100Bs made in Voronezh, the Polyot-intended planes feature an extended range.

The first An-148-100E (c/n 41-04, RA-61709) first flew in Voronezh in early June of this year and was delivered to Polyot on 20 July 2011. The second aircraft (c/n 41-06, RA-61710) flew for the first time on 6 July and its acceptance report was signed on 31 August 2011. In September, VASO completed another Polyot-destined plane (c/n 41-07, its registration number will be RA-61711) that performed its first flight on 4 October. According to Anatoly Karpov, the company is going to have it on services before year-end and receive the fourth aircraft from VASO in the first quarter of 2012.

Meanwhile, a new An-148 operator appeared in Ukraine as well. On

3 August, Antonov handed over a new production An-148-100B built earlier this year in Kiev to the new customer, Ukraine International Airlines (UIA). The carrier’s aircraft fleet, which has been made up of Boeing planes only (according to UIA’s official website, it comprises 19 Boeing 737s in various versions), was extended by the second production-standard An-148 built in Kiev (reg. UR-NTD, c/n 01-10). It first flew in Kiev on 13 January 2011.

In September, UIA received another An-148 (reg. UR-NTA, c/n 01-01) that had been flown by the Aerosvit airline from June 2009 to August 2011. Aerosvit also operated the first production An-148 made in Kiev (c/n 01-09, reg. UR-NTC) since May 2010 till September 2011. This plane is seemed to start its operations with UIA too.

Another Il-114-100 kicks off commercial operation

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for six aircraft with upgraded avionics suite.

TAPC rolled it out and moved it to the in-house flight test facility on 6 June, with the plane performing its maiden flight on 8 July of this year. The first four Il-114-100s made under the 2007 contract entered service during 2008–10, while the very first aircraft of the type (c/n 02-02) was made in Tashkent as far back as 1999 and has flown on Uzbekistan Airways routes since 2003. The Il-114-100s operate on domestic

operations and on services to other CIS countries.

The six and last Il-114-100 (c/n 02-09) under 2007 contract

is expected to fly next year. The prospect of future Il-114 production by TAPC remains uncertain despite the backlog the plant has.

Andrew Dyubin

On 26 August 2011, in the runup to the 20th anniversary of the independence of the Republic of Uzbekistan, Tashkent hosted the ceremony of acceptance by flag carrier Uzbekistan Airways of another Ilyushin Il-114-100 regional turboprop (c/n 02-08) built by the Tashkent Aircraft Production Corp. (TAPC) named after Valery Chkalov. Assigned registration number UK-91108, it became the sixth Il-114-100 in the aircraft fleet of the Uzbek flag carrier and the fifth one under the 2007 contract

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CIVIL

FIA O Vzelt.indd 1

DEFENCE

SPACE

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SECURITY

FUTURES

29/07/2011 16:02

Marina Lystseva

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Anton LAVROV, Andrei FOMIN

SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 Half a year in operation The Sukhoi Superjet 100 advanced regional airliner development programme pursued

by Russia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) in cooperation with several foreign aircraft equipment and system suppliers has passed a few key milestones this autumn.

Firstly, October marked six months since the first production SSJ100 kicked off regular services with Armenian carrier Armavia on 21 April 2011. Secondly, Armavia’s newtype airliner cleared the 1,000-flying-hour milestone on scheduled services in the same month. A week later, on 16 October, Russia’s Aeroflot crossed the same threshold, having operated two SSJ100s by then (one of them entered passenger operations on 16 June 2011 and the other on 27 August 2011). By early November, the Superjets have performed a total of 1,200-plus flights, having logged over 2,300 flying hours.

Superjet in Armavia …

Made in September 2007, the order of two SSJ100s by Armenian airline Armavia with three more options did not turn many heads at first. By then, 110 advanced airliners had been ordered (in the form of both firm orders and options) by several air carriers, including the foreign launch customer in Italy.

A considerable discount to the list price was offered to Armavia, as it was offered to other early customers. Besides, Armavia ordered the configuration close to the baseline one, i.e. lacking expensive trimmings. The planes were leased through Russian company VTBLeasing. Under the contract, the first aircraft was to be delivered as far back as late 2008, but the delivery slipped by far just like the

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delivery to Aeroflot did. Some of the orders considered to be firm were put on the back burner or cancelled altogether, as the SSJ programme was slipping further behind schedule. Suddenly, Armavia, along with Aeroflot, found itself the launch customer, probably, to its own surprise.

The first production SSJ100-95B (c/n 95007) first flew on 4 November 2010 and then underwent the certification check test programme held for the first time as part of certification by the Interstate Aviation Committee’s Aircraft Registry. During the tests, a production-standard aircraft had to log at least 150 flight hours on standard routes. The Superjet certification check tests commenced in December 2010, following

Aircraft 95007 ferry flight from Komsomolskon-Amur to Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region. With the tests completed, the plane returned to Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where it was subjected to final improvements before its delivery.

Participation in a long-term certification check test programme, which lasted for almost two months, came as a very useful breaking-in to the advanced plane. It allowed the troubleshooting of the most obvious teething troubles inherent to the first production aircraft and benefited the beginning of its operation further down the road.

On 19 April 2011, the aircraft flew from the manufacturer’s airfield in Komsomolskon-Amur to the customer’s base airport, Zvartnots in the city of Yerevan. In Armenia, the SSJ100 registered as EK-95015 and named Yuri Gagarin was given the red-carpet treatment. The first commercial flight of the new aircraft took place as soon as the next day after its delivery, 21 April. In the very beginning of its operation, it was clear that the carrier was not going to go easy on its first Superjet 100 just because it was a new plane.

The aircraft had conducted services to seven www.take-off.ru

Yuri Stepanov

commercial aviation | report

The first production Sukhoi Superjet 100 (c/n 95007) started its commercial operations with Armavia airline as EK-95015 on 21 April 2011

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hot mountainous terrain. The aircraft logged 200-plus flight hours as soon as its third month of operation, which is good for a new aircraft in the class.

In October, the Armenian Superjet flew from Yerevan to Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo, to Samara, Ufa, Tbilisi and over 10 cities in the ‘far abroad’ – Amsterdam, Athens, Berlin, Lyon, Marseille, Venice, Aleppo, Beirut, Dubai, Tehran and Tel Aviv.

It had conducted more than 450 operations with a total of 1,100 flight hours by early

November. In the first six months of its operation, its average monthly flying time has accounted for about 180 flying hours (the maximal flying time – 205 hours – was logged in July 2011) with an average flight slightly exceeding 2.5 h and an average daily flying time being slightly less than 6 h (an average of five services are flown every two days).

Armavia’s SSJ100 did not fly only five days in October, which indicates a rather high degree of operability and reliability of the carrier’s only aircraft of the type. The second Superjet Armavia’s SSJ100 passenger cabin interior

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Andrey Fomin

aircports in five nations (Moscow, Aleppo, Athens, Donetsk, Odessa, Simferopol and Tehran), which became a mini-pattern of its subsequent operation, during which it flies to Russia, Ukraine, other European countries and the Middle East.

The SSJ100’s hour of triumph in service with Armavia came in mid-June when the airline decommissioned as many as two A320s.

Coupled with the seasonal hike in the number of the carrier’s flights, this stepped up the operational tempo for its remaining aircraft up to an average of two return flights a day.

Many remote European destinations, which had been handled by the airbuses before that, fell on the SSJ100. As a result, 4–5-hour flights to Europe out to 2,500–3,500 km became a routine, virtually daily job to the plane.

The services to Amsterdam, Barcelona, Lyon, Marseille, Rome, Venice and Zurich became the Armenian Superjet’s standard routes.

The advanced Russian-built airliner’s first three months in the commercial operation

by Armavia were very fruitful. The diversified route network enabled the plane to be tested not only on short regional services, but on long ones as well. The Superjet flew to 20 airports. It mastered its European lines that proved the range stated by the manufacturer.

The aircraft also proved its ability to operate in the adverse climatic conditions of Armenia’s

(c/n 95009) is to be delivered to Armavia in 2012, if all goes to plan.

…and Aeroflot The Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot, got the first of the 30 SSJ100s, ordered in December 2005, in mid-June 2011. New regional jet with c/n 95008 and registration number RA-89001 named after Mikhail Vodopyanov conducted its first commercial service from Moscow to St. Petersburg on 16 June and then launched operations to Nizhny Novgorod, Yekaterinburg and then Ufa. Unlike the first production SSJ100, which was delivered to Armavia and had been debugged during its 150-hour certification check tests, despite the fact that Aeroflot’s first SSJ100 did not get to the customer soon after its maiden flight on 30 January 2011, it had completed only a limited number of acceptance tests. Possibly, this was a reason for the carrier having to ground its new plane several times in the initial stages of operation to fix problems. For instance, following an aggressive start in June (46 flights performed during the first 12 days, with almost 80 flight hours logged), RA-89001 flew only for 14 days in July. Nevertheless, it has no longer encountered considerable technical problems since later July, which has enabled it to fly up to eight services a day without any delays worth mentioning.

The intensity of operation of the new-type aircraft by Aeroflot increased further in the wake of the delivery of its second Superjet late in August. The aircraft with c/n 95010

conducted its maiden flight in Komsomolskon-Amur on 11 July and then was headed for Ulyanovsk to be painted in the customer’s livery. Having been given registration number RA-89002 and named after Dmitry Yezersky, it was delivered to Aeroflot on 25 August and conducted its first scheduled flight as soon as two days later. The new Superjet’s flying time exceeded 230 fight hours during the very first month in service, with the two aircraft flying up to 14 services a day during September and October.

The Moscow–Astrakhan route, which was flown in the first fortnight of September, was added to the existing lines to Nizhny Novgorod, St. Petersburg and Ufa. On 1 October, the first international flight, Moscow–Minsk, was added to the schedule of Aeroflot’s SSJ100s, and the services to Chelyabinsk (the SSJ100s had flown to Yekaterinburg until 17 September) and Kazan started on 3 October and 24 October respectively. The Superjet’s reliability and operability are highlighted by the fact that there were only two days in September, when neither of Aeroflot’s SSJ100s took to the sky, with no such days in October.

By early November, the two Superjets had performed more than 770-plus flights, logging 1,200 flight hours (RA-89001 – 480 flights and 760 h and RA-89002 – 290 flights and 440 h). An average flight of the Superjets on the Russian flag carrier’s routes lasts for about 1.5 hours (the longest flights last 2.5 hours in services from Moscow to Yekaterinburg, Chelyabinsk and Astrakhan). The average fly-

(Sergey Sergeyev

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ing time per plane in Aeroflot stands at a bit less than 6 h (on the average, each of the aircraft flies four operations a day). The first SSJ100’s average monthly flying time has accounted for about 180 flying hours over the four months in service, and the second airliner’s average flying time during the first two months of its scheduled operations equalled about 210 h (the average monthly flying time per two-aircraft fleet is slightly less than 200 h per plane).

The first Aeroflot’s Sukhoi Superjet 100 (c/n 95008, RA-89001) entered regular services on 16 June 2011

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Elnar Mansurov

SSJ100 c/n 95010 (RA-89002) is carrying passengers since 27 August 2011

Sergey Sergeyev

The third Aeroflot-ordered airliner (c/n 95011) made its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 11 September.

As with the second airliner, it was painted in Ulyanovsk. RA-89003’s delivery and operational debut was slated for later October.

Aeroflot will have been able to receive several more Superjets before year-end. In October, there were seven more Aeroflot-destined aircraft in final assembly, with four of them

Aeroflot’s Superjet economy class cabin

(c/n 95012, 95015, 95013, 95016) earmarked for delivery before the end of the year. The fuselage of the 13th production aircraft (c/n 95019) was brought to SCAC’s final assembly shop in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 1 October.

SCAC is making efforts to step up the output rate hampered so far by delayed deliveries of production-standard SaM146 engines. In September, Igor Vinogradov, SCAC first vicepresident for development and certification, said that extra jobs would be created in the final assembly shop, which would allow 10 aircraft to be assembled there instead of six. In addition, aircraft components will be brought to the www.take-off.ru

shop pre-assembled, part of wing panel assembly will be handled by KAPO plant in Kazan while the assembly of the cabin interior will be carried out in Ulyanovsk starting with the ninth production aircraft (c/n 95015). Owing to the measures being taken, “28 SSJ100 planes are planned for production next year”, Igor Vinogradov said.

Along with the continued Superjet deliveries to Aeroflot and Armavia in 2012, SCAC and the Superjet International joint venture plan to start deliveries to new customers that might include Russian carriers Yakutiya and UTair and the SSJ100’s first foreign operators from Mexico, Indonesia, Laos, etc take-off november 2011

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The contract for delivery of two brand-new Ilyushin Il-76MF airlifters to Jordan was fulfilled last summer.

The Russian-Jordanian deal on two Il-76MFs was clinched in August 2005, during the MAKS 2005 air show. The Rosoboronexport company was earmarked as supplier, with construction itself to be handled by the Tashkent Aircraft Production Corp. (TAPC). The difficulties experienced by the manufacturer plant and its disagreements with the Russian party as to the terms of the deal resulted in slippage. Ilyushin and TAPC signed a contract for two airlifters as late as 4 July 2007, but the actual work on the aircraft kicked off only after Rosoboronexport and Jordan in December 2009 made a supplementary agreement providing for a certain postponement of the delivery.

Sergey Lysenko

Jordan takes delivery of two Il-76MFs

The first Il-76MF (c/n 96-02), designed for Jordan and issued side number 76954 for the duration of the trials, conducted its maiden flight in Tashkent on 30 September 2010 and was ferried to Zhukovsky a month later for remaining equipment to be fitted and special flight trials conducted. The other aircraft (c/n

94-01, side number 76953) first flew on 12 May this year and moved to the airfield of the Gromov Flight Research Institute on 31 May. Painted in the colours of the customer and given the insignia of Jordan carriers Royal Falcon and JIAC, the planes were issued their registration numbers JY-JID and

JY-JIC. Their tests were completed during the spring and early summer, and their flying and ground crews were trained on them in Zhukovsky.

Finally, the Il-76MF (76953 or JY-JIC) departed from Gromov LII’s airfield for Jordan on 29 June, followed by the other Il-76MF (76954 or JY-JID) on the next day.

this summer. A minor slip behind schedule was due to the customer having added extra requirements several times. The implementation of the additional requirements called for more development work, tests and modifications pertaining to the planes made. In the end, the parties agreed on the final configuration of the Yak-130, and nothing prevents the manufacturer to ship the products now.

Rosoboronexport and Irkut are in pre-contract talks on Yak-130 deliveries to a number of other countries

as well. The launch contract for 12 Yak-130s built by Sokol in Nizhny Novgorod for the Russian Air Force was fulfilled in June of this year. A governmental contract for more than 60 Yak-130s to be manufactured by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is in the pipeline. In anticipation of more orders, construction of more Yak-130s by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant is in full swing.

In July, the plant’s Director General Alexander Veprev said that assembly of the 35th Yak-130 had begun in Irkutsk by then.

Algerian pilots learning Yak-130 trained in operating and maintaining the Yak-130.

Delivery of the Yak-130 combat trainer to Algeria is slated for this autumn. As is known, the 2006 contract stipulates that Irkut shall deliver 16 aircraft of the type to Algeria. The first production Yak-130 under this order had made its maiden flight in Irkutsk on 21 August 2009 and 12 new jet trainers for Algerian Air Force were assembled at Irkutsk Aircraft Plant by 2011. The final several planes were in the final stages of assembly

Andrey Fomin

On 1 September, Algerian Air Force pilots performed their first solo flights on Yak-130 combat trainers at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, an affiliate of the Irkut corporation.

Their flights had been preceded by a three-month-long ground school, during which the Algerian pilots logged a total of 100-plus sorties on Yak-130s together with Irkut’s test pilots in the role of their instructor pilots and were cleared for solo flights. Prior to that, a large group of Algerian military engineers and technicians had been

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contracts and deliveries | news

Andrey Fomin

In early August, the MiG corporation commenced the assembly of the first MiG-29K/KUB fighters under the contract made last spring for 29 more fighters of the type for the Indian Navy.

As is known, the first contract for 16 MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters for the Indian Navy was signed in January 2004. Having developed the plane and completing its flight tests, MiG started full-rate production of the MiG-29K/KUB that became the first members of the new MiG-29 family comprising the MiG-29M/M2 and MiG-35 as well.

In August 2011, MiG Director General Sergei Korotkov said that 11 MiG-29K/KUB planes had been delivered under the first contract – the first six in late 2009 and five more in May 2011. The remainder will have been delivered by year-end 2011. At the same time, MiG began to implement the 29 options that firmed up in March last year.

This summer, units of the first MiG-29K/KUB airframes under a new contract were laid down in the fuselage assembly jig at MiG’s Production Complex 2 in Moscow (previously known as the Banner of Labour plant of MAPO association). The fighters are being built in cooperation with several subcontractors. For instance, the fuselage nose section is being made by Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod and will

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Andrey Fomin

Construction of new MiG-29K batch kicks off

be supplied to MiG’s Production Complex 2. Here, the rest fuselage assemblies, including the basic loadbearing element – the central fuel tank, are made and the fuselage is assembled to be then sent to MiG’s Production Complex 1 in the town of Lukhovitsy out of Moscow, which manufactures the wings, empennage and composite structural elements and performs the final assembly and tests of the planes.

In addition to the work under the MiG-29K/KUB programme, MiG is fulfilling another major order placed by the Indian Defence Ministry, the one for upgrading 62 MiG-29 fighters in service with IAF. The first four aircraft are being upgraded by MiG Corp. while the two MiG-29UBs

by Sokol plant. Initial MiG-29UPG made its maiden flight after upgrade

on 4 February 2011 to be followed by the second one and the first MiG-29UPG-UM in May. Two more IAF singleseaters were upgraded at MiG’s Production Complex 1 this summer and the second twinseater at Sokol’s facility in Nizhny Novgorod. The remaining 56 aircraft will be upgraded in India using parts and units supplied by Russia.

An IAF pilot flew the first upgraded MiG-29UPG-UB fighter in Zhukovsky on 7 October. The sortie lasted for an hour and a half and was smooth.

The Indian pilot appreciated the new capabilities of the upgraded aircraft.

On the same day, two MiG-29UPG singleseaters upgraded by MiG Corp. flew from Zhukovsky to the airfield of the Russian Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk for continued tactical trials.

Another contract being fulfilled

by MiG’s Moscow-based facility is the construction of MiG-29 fighters for the Republic of Myanmar.

According to MiG’s Production Complex 2 Director Vyacheslav Artemyev, the first three aircraft were delivered this spring and three more were flight-tested in Lukhovitsy in August, after which they were headed for Myanmar too.

The plant is assembling a next batch of MIG-29s for the Myanmarese.

The line production method is used for assembly, ensuring higher effectiveness and quicker work. The production line set up in Production Complex 2 comprises six stations where fuselages are beefed up consecutively with the rest of structural components and systems.

Recurring to the MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters, mention should be made that MiG expects the Russian government to award an order in the near future for a batch of aircraft like that for the Russian Defence Ministry. The aircraft are to be fielded with the independent carrierborne fighter regiment of the Russian Navy’s Northern Fleet. Talks also are under way on MiG-35 fighters for the Russian Air Force.

Besides, MiG’s Engineering Centre Director Vladimir Barkovsky said in August that the first MiG-29M/M2 multirole fighter prototypes were to be completed by year-end, with the fighters being manufactured under a contract with foreign customer. They will be heavily commonised with the production-standard MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters in terms of design, avionic and weapons.

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Victor Drushlyakov

During the Le Bourget air show this summer, Rosoboronexport Director General Anatoly Isaikin confirmed the signature of a contract, under which the Russian Defence Ministry is to buy Mistral-class amphibious assault helicopter ships.

The deal was made on 17 June 2011 as part of the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. It provides for delivery of two ships, which final assembly and systems integration will be performed by DCNS in France.

However, the earlier signed intergovernmental agreement stipulates not only for buying the two ships from France, but construction of two more ships in the class in Russia as well, the Rosoboronexport chief stressed. “The contract will be concluded by the Defence Ministry once all internal issues have been settled”, Anatoly Isaikin said. He also reported that the first French-built ship was to be delivered within 36 months from the date, on which the contract would come into effect. This will take place after all Russian procedures have been complied with (i.e. after a governmental resolution has been issued) and the second one within 48 months since the afore-said date.

Thus, the first amphibious assault ship could enter service with the Russian Navy some time in the second half of 2014.

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Russian shipbuilding industry will take part in fulfilling the contract. Roman Trotsenko, head of the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC), said at the IMDS 2011 International Maritime Defence Show in St. Petersburg, construction of the stern section for the first Mistral-class ship for Russian Navy would begin at the Admiralty Shipyards in St. Petersburg in December 2011, with the overall volume of work to be handled by USC under the contract to be 40%.

“Russia will make the whole of the stern part of the ship”, Roman Trotsenko emphasised, “in fact, we will build half the ship and launch the construction in December”. The third and fourth amphibious assault ships, Trotsenko maintains, will be made by Russian shipyards completely.

The length of the Mistral’s stern section to be made by the Admiralty Shipyards measures about 80 m, i.e. about 40% of the length of the hull. Made in St. Petersburg, the stern section will then be towed to the French shipyard in Saint-Nazaire (possibly, as soon as next autumn), where it will be mated in the dry dock with the rest of the section being made there. A year later, the other ship under the current contract will be completed in the same manner.

The hulls will be outfitted, completed and tested in France.

Alexey Mikheyev

Russian helicopters for Mistral

The air groups of the Mistralclass amphibious assault ships in the Russian Navy’s inventory will comprise Kamov Ka-52K, Ka-29 and Ka-27PS helicopters. Each of

the ships is expected to accommodate up to eight Ka-52K multirole combat helicopters as well as up to eight Ka-29 combat transport and Ka-27PS search-andrescue helicopters. Both types of the helicopters have been tested for Mistral basing feasibility during a Mistral’s visit to Russia in November 2009. The height of the deck near the elevators on the Mistrals designed for the Russian Navy will be increased a little to ensure safe basing of the Ka-29 and Ka-27PS on the hangar deck. No structural modifications are required for the Ka-52K shipborne version under development

by Kamov to be based there. A model of the Ka-52K was unveiled in late June at the IMDS 2011 in St. Petersburg. The navalised version will differ from the Ka-52 baseline model entering service with the Russian Air Force mostly in the folding main rotor blades and folding stub wing panels.

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