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july 2012 • Special edition for Farnborough International Airshow 2012

Su-35S in trials [p.16]

SSJ100 one year of operation [p.42]

Airborne radars from Russia [p.18, 28]

Yak ak-130 -130

MiG-29M2 debuts at KADEX

combat trainer already in service

[p.6]

[p.12] Russian helicopter industry: steady growth [p.8, 10, 21, 30]

July 2012 Editor-in-Chief Andrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov

Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin

Columnists Alexander Velovich Artyom Korenyako

Special correspondents Alexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov, Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev, Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva, Dmitry Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov, Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski, Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi

Design and pre-press Grigory Butrin Mikhail Fomin

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

Special Projects Director Artyom Korenyako

News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press releases of production companies as well as by using information distributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti, RBC news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru, www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis.

Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items.

The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004

© Aeromedia, 2012

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 www.take-off.ru

Dear reader, You are holding another issue of the Take-off magazine, an addendum to Russian national aerospace monthly VZLET. This issue has been timed to Farnborough International Airshow 2012 that has always been highly regarded by aerospace companies from Russia and the CIS as a major international aerospace event. It is Farnborough where Russia 24 years ago, in 1988, unveiled its fourth-generation combat aircraft, the MiG-29 fighters, for the very first time. Four years afterwards, in 1992, it was Farnborough that hosted the debut of the Russian Generation 4+ fighters, the MiG-29M and Su-35. In 1996, it was Farnborough where the Su-37 super-manoeuvrable fighter won the hearts of the public with its unrivalled flight performance.

This time, Farnborough participants and guests will see several brand-new aircraft from all over the world. Russian aircraft-makers also prepared for Farnborough’s debut their new products. Irkut will bring here its Yak-130 combat trainer for the first time. Recently Yak-130 was fielded with the Russian Air Force while in late 2011 the first export contract was successfully fulfilled. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company is going to present its SuperJet 100 regional airliner which started its operations last year with Russia’s flag carrier, Aeroflot, and Armenian Armavia airline.

Sukhoi’s SSJ100 featuring a bright example of growing international cooperation between Russian aerospace industry and leading Western companies. The next step of such cooperation could be implemented in development of Irkut MC-21 prospective medium and short haul airliner which could become a serious rival to Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320neo jets at domestic and international markets. A full-scale mockup of the MC-21’s cockpit and passenger cabin will be among this Farnborough main attractions.

As usual, Take-off is offering a digest of other key events in the Russian and CIS aerospace industry over the past several months. I hope that the issue will help you to get a better grasp of the Russian displays in Farnborough and be abreast of the latest developments in aerospace industry of our country.

On behalf of Take-off’s staff, I wish Farnborough 2012’s participants and visitors interesting meetings, useful contacts and lucrative contracts as well as enjoying unforgettable flight demonstration of planes and helicopters from all over the world!

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

contents

MILITARY AVIATION Third PAK FA entering flight tests in Moscow Region . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 RusAF to receive over 120 Su-34 bombers by 2020 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 RusAF to get 30 Su-30SM fighters . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 MiG-29M2 makes its debut in Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 New upgraded Su-25SMs from Kubinka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 First Mi-35s for Russian Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Mi-28N helicopters being fielded . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 More Ka-52s for Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10

July 2012

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Yak-130 debuts at Farnborough . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 Su-35S in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16 Tikhomirov radars: from Yak-130 to Tu-160 Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

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INDUSTRY Ilyushin 476 gearing up for maiden flight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SaM146’s full-rate production certificated by EASA . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Russian Helicopters: continued growth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ka-62: maiden flight in a year . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mi-38 to hit the market in 2015 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mi-171A2 preparing to pick up the baton . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ka-226T deliveries to kick off in 2013 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Ansat gearing up for getting back to global market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

UEC ramping up output . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PD-14: technology demonstrator kicks off tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Upgraded D-18T to power new Ruslans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PD-30: future Russian thirty-tonner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V – now for Mi-8T as well . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Salut continues to upgrade AL-31F . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

RD-33: output on the rise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

20 20 21 22 22 23 23 24 24 25 25 26 26 27 27

Phazotron’s radars for MiGs, helicopters and more Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation General Designer Yuri Guskov . . . 28 Mi-26T2 is ready to take over leadership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

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PS-90A: 3 million hours in the sky . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES Russian Navy ordering MiG-29K . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Demand for Mi-35 remains stable . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

First Ka-32s for Brazil and Kazakhstan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Helicopters of Mi-17 family still leading market . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

34 35 35 36

42 COMMERCIAL AVIATION Significant milestone of MC-21 programme . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 Volga-Dnepr commissions its fifth Il-76TD-90VD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38 New L-410s for Russian airlines . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

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Sukhoi Superjet 100: a year in service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42 Airliners for Russian regions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46

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Victor Drushlyakov

Mid-June saw the kickoff of the flight trials of the third flying prototype of the Sukhoi PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft at Sukhoi’s flight test and developmental base in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region. Sukhoi’s test pilot Hero of Russia Sergei Bogdan flew the T-50-3 (side number 053) on its first flight in the Moscow Region on 21 June 2012. As is known, the maiden flight of the third PAK FA prototype took place in Komsomolskon-Amur on 22 November 2011 with Sergei Bogdan at the controls.

Following its acceptance tests and painting, the aircraft had been airlifted

by Antonov An-124 Ruslan heavylifter to Zhukovsky on the eve of the New Year Day, on 28 December 2011.

The aircraft had been assembled after the delivery and undergone debugging and system testing at Sukhoi’s testing facility for five months. In particular, the aircraft was for the first time fitted with a Tikhomirov-NIIP AESA radar prototype, whose functioning as part of the avionics suite was tested.

During mid-June, the T-50-3 was taken to the airfield and began its first taxi runs. Once all faults had been ironed out, a decision was made for a check flight, and Sergei Bogdan took the aircraft off LII Gromov’s tarmac for the first time at about 15.20 on 21 June 2012. The check ride took about an hour, with the plane and its system functioning up to snuff. In the near future, the T-50-3 will start flight

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Victor Drushlyakov

Third PAK FA entering flight tests in Moscow Region

trials of the AESA radar and other systems that has not been installed in the earlier prototypes.

Now the second PAK FA prototype is involved in the flight tests too. Sergei Bogdan first flew it on 3 March 2011.

A month later, the T-50-2 was brought to Zhukovsky and has been flying in the Moscow Region since mid-August.

It has logged about 50 sorties. As far as the first flying prototype is concerned, it has been debugged since its being

unveiled at MAKS 2011 in August last year. By then, it had had about 75 sorties under its belt, starting from the very first one in Komsomolsk-onAmur on 29 January 2010 (the T-50-1 had flown in Zhukovsky since April 2010).

The 100th test flight under the PAK FA test programme was conducted on 3 November 2011 by Sergei Bogdan flying the T-50-2. To date, the total number of the flights logged by the

three prototypes is around 130 and will keep on increasing owing to the third prototype having joined the trials.

The fourth aircraft now in assembly

by KnAAPO is expected to be flighttested in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in autumn. It will then join the first three in Zhukovsky after its ferry flight under its own power from the Russian Far East to the Moscow Region, if all goes to plan.

As is known, in February, Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin, the then-commander of the Russian Air Force, told the RIA Novosti news agency in his interview that 14 PAK FA fighters were planned to be made and put into tests by 2015. The first four flying prototypes are to be joined by two more next year, after which KnAAPO will launch the manufacture of the low-rate initial production batch. The official PAK FA test phase is supposed to commence at the Air Force State Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk with the official objective of handing early planes over to the customer. According to media reports, about 60 productionstandard PAK FA fighters are planned to be fielded since 2016 through 2020. Obviously, the deliveries will continue beyond 2020.

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later, on 22 December, they were followed by two more bombers (side numbers 05 and 10) that had been given a new camouflage pattern (dark grey top and blue bottom). All Su-34s will be painted like that from now on.

Three out of six aircraft, which arrived in Voronezh, are a modified version with the onboard auxiliary powerplant. In December 2011, the six new Su-34 were joined by four more aircraft of the type (serials 05, 06, 07 and 08) – the first ones

Dmitry Pichugin

A most large-scale Russian Air Force re-equipment programme is the deliveries of advanced Sukhoi Su-34 multirole combat aircraft replacing the previousgeneration Su-24M tactical bombers.

By tradition, the Sukhoi company’s Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association (NAPO) named after Valery Chkalov hands its aircraft over at year-end.

During 2011, the plant made six Su-34 bombers under the fiveyear contract for 32 aircraft of the type, signed late in 2008.

This is a 50% increase over the previous year’s output. Four of them (serials 01, 02, 03 and 04) were ferried from Novosibirsk to the Baltimore airfield near Voronezh on 12 December 2011, having become the first Su-34s available to the air base that is among the largest air bases of the Russian Air Force. 10 days

Sukhoi

RusAF to receive over 120 Su-34 bombers by 2020

made under the 2008 contract, which had been based at the airfield of the Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Lipetsk since December 2010. Thus, the first line squadron of Su-34 bombers has virtually been stood-up in Voronezh. This year, the air base is anticipated to receive another 10 bombers of the type, while the fulfilment of the five-year contract is slated for late 2013.

On 1 March 2012, the Sukhoi company announced a new longterm contract for 92 Su-34s more for the Russian Air Force to be fulfilled by 2020. The deal is unprecedented in terms of volume and value. Construction and delivery of the bombers under the new deal are planned to commence in 2014–2015, as soon as Sukhoi has fulfilled the 2008 contract for 32 aircraft.

RusAF to get 30 Su-30SM fighters The Irkut corporation on 22 March 2012 issued an official statement about having landed a Russian Air Force order for a batch of Su-30SM twin-seat supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters. The contract to this effect was signed by Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov. Under the government-awarded contract, Irkut will have supplied RusAF until 2015

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with 30 Sukhoi Su-30SM aircraft, a derivative of the Su-30MKI the corporation makes for export.

According to Anatoly Serdyukov, the upcoming service entry of the advanced Su-30SM supermanoeuvrable twinseater will boost the combat power of the Russian Air Force. In addition, the aircraft’s performance allows higher skills of aircrews, which is especially

important due to an increase in new-generation combat aircraft acquisition.

Alexei Fyodorov said Irkut operating hand in glove with Sukhoi would of its utmost to meet the government-awarded fighter contract on schedule. The largeseries production of various Su-30 versions, which has been run by the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, ensures high

quality of the aircraft the corporation manufactures both for RusAF and for export.

The first two Su-30SM fighters are expected to be ready for flight tests as soon as this year and deliveries to the Defence Ministry are believed to commence in 2013, when Irkut is to supply the customer with several Su-30SM jets for the official trials.

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Marina Lystseva

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the MiG-29K/KUB’s airframe but lack the folding wing and arrestor hook.

Their avionics suite has been slightly modified too, having lost foreignmade components.

A prototype of the MiG-29M2 twinseater (side number 747 for the duration of the trials) first flew from the MiG corporation’s Production Facility No. 1 in Lukhovitsy, Moscow Region, on 24 December 2011 and was ferried to MiG’s facility in Zhukovsky three days later for flight tests. In February 2012, it was followed by the single-seat MiG-29M (side number 741) that performed its first flight in Lukhovitsy on 3 February 2012 with MiG’s test pilot Stanislav Gorbunov at the controls.

From the outset, the MiG-29M/M2 were developed for export, but also were offered to the Russian Defence Ministry that procured upgraded MiG-29SMT fighters and has ordered a batch of carrierborne MiG-29K/KUB aircraft earlier this year. RusAF’s acquisition of the MiG-35 or MiG-29M/M2 fighters in 2015 through 2020 is stipulated by the governmental armament programme.

In Astana, the MiG-29M2 in a static display area was scrutinised

by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev, who then watched the aerobatics being performed by MiG test pilots Mikhail Belyayev and Stanislav Gorbunov.

Kazakhstan’s combat pilots badly need advanced aircraft. The country is mulling over updating

Sergey Kuznetsov

The Generation 4+ MiG-29M2 multirole fighter shown by the MiG corporation proved to be the headturner of the KADEX 2012 armament show in the Kazakh capital city of Astana in early May 2012. The fighter’s appearance became the key event for sure. The MiG-29M2’s display in Kazakhstan was the plane’s international debut, because it entered its trials in late last year only.

MiG Director General Sergei Korotkov said: “This is an utterly different aircraft that has just inherited the designation MiG-29 from the fighter that used to be made during the Soviet times. It is a far cry from the regular MiG-29 in terms of the capabilities and missions the Air Forces needs to be accomplished. The MiG-29M2 embodies all latest aerodynamic and technological advances, carries a radically different avionics suit, and can use all types of air-launched weapons existing in Russia, with its design allowing the introduction of weapons, whose deliveries have not even begun yet. This is owing to the open architecture of its avionics suite”.

The MiG-29M2 is part of the latest commonised family of the MiG-29 fighter’s derivatives, which includes the MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters as well as MiG-35 and MiG-35D Generation 4++ fighters. Two more members of the family – the MiG-29M singleseater and MiG-29M2 twinseater – share

Sergey Kuznetsov

MiG-29M2 makes its debut in Kazakhstan

its aircraft fleet. According to UAC President Mikhail Pogosyan, Russia unveiled the MiG-29M2 at KADEX 2012 exactly in this context. “From our point of view, the MiG-29M2 is one of the best variants of developing the Kazakh Air Force’s aircraft fleet”, the UAC head believes. “The aerobatic demonstrated by Mikoyan’s chief test pilot Mikhail Belyayev and the plane’s characteristics we will show to our colleagues in Kazakhstan

create a good prospect for further promotion of the MiG-29M2 and consideration of the feasibility of cooperation in other spheres”.

During the show, Kazakh pilots had an opportunity to try the advanced aircraft and see how much it has changed compared with the baseline MiG-29. Kazakh Air Force First Deputy Commander Ulan Karbinov flew with Stanislav Gorbunov. He liked what he saw in flight that was not a pattern fight, rather a well-thought-out mission involving the accomplishment of a training task. Comparing the MiG-29M2 and MiG-29, Ulan Karbinov said; “The difference is quite great and it concerns not only their flight capabilities. The MiG has turned into a truly multirole complex in the first place”.

Kazakh Air Defence Force commander-in-chief Lt.-Gen. Alexander Sorokin shares his opinion. After the sortie, he said: “The MiG-29M2 is a good plane, a multirole one. It is an excellent aircraft operating in all modes – against aerial and surface targets”.

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New upgraded Su-25SMs from Kubinka new grey camouflage pattern RusAF has adopted recently.

Upgrade of the Su-25 attack aircraft began in Kubinka 10 years ago. First, several Su-25SMs were prepared here for official trials, and the so-called series upgrade followed. The first six Su-25SMs were returned to RusAF in a ceremony in December 2006 following their overhaul and upgrade. In all, more than 40 Su-25SMs have been ‘rejuvenated’ for combat units over the past five years.

Another three-year contract for overhaul and upgrade of in-service Su-25 aircraft to Su-25SM standard was signed on 7 November 2011. According to the official statement on the website of a governmental acquisitions agency (zakupki.gov.ru), the governmentawarded contract stipulates overhaul and upgrade of a total of 36 Su-25s and Su-25BMs during 2011–2013. The first eight Su-25SMs shall have been returned to RusAF by late June 2012, 16 more by year-end and the remaining 12

Vyacheslav Babayevsky

The 121st Aircraft Repair Plant (121st ARP), a subsidiary of Aviaremont JSC, continues to upgrade Sukhoi Su-25 ground attack aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force. During the traditional open day at Kubinka airbase in the Moscow Region in late March 2012, one could see more Su-25SM aircraft upgraded by 121st ARP and put to acceptance tests. Unlike the previous Su-25SMs, these ones sport the

by late 2013. The statement also reads the contract covers the aircraft starting from Su-25SM-44. Thus, RusAF shall have as many as 80 upgraded Su-25SM attack aircraft after the contract will have been fulfilled by the end of next year.

The Su-25 upgrade programme provides for equipping the attack aircraft with a more advanced targeting and navigation system, the PrNK-25SM, with a number of other avionics to be replaced as well. A visual signature setting the Su-25SM apart from the older Su-25 is the lack of the outer pair of under-wing weapon stores that total eight now, while the types and quantity of the weapons hauled by the aircraft remain unchanged. The Sukhoi Attack Aircraft Corporation is running the next Su-25 upgrade phase that provides, among other things, the fitting of the aircraft with a sophisticated defence aids suite. A prototype of the Su-25SM2 attack aircraft mounting such a system was demonstrated to Russian Vice-Premier Dmitry Rogozin and the media at an airfield in Voronezh on 31 January 2012. It was said during the demonstration that its official tests were to be completed by year-end 2012.

A novelty of the Russian Air Force’s aircraft fleet has been the Mil Mi-35M attack helicopter that entered production with Rostvertol JSC in 2006. Aircraft of the type have been only exported until recently (10 Mi-35Ms went to Venezuela in 2006–2008, and deliveries to Brazil commenced in December 2009).

However, an official statement was released in May 2010 that the Russian Defence Ministry was about to order more than 20 Mi-35Ms too.

As is known, the last new Mi-24P and Mi-24VP helicopters were received by Russia’s military over two decades ago.

The manufacture of the first batch of Mi-35Ms for RusAF began last year, with the first four machines shipped by the manufacturer on 17 December 2011.

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Erik RostovSpotter

First Mi-35s for Russian Air Force

The deliveries continue this year.

Mi-35Ms have been received by the air base in the town of

Budyonnovsk and by the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok.

Another Russian Army Aviation air base is to take delivery of Mi-35Ms in the near future.

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Mi-28N helicopters being fielded tial executive order dated 15 October 2009. By early last year, the Russian Air Force had received about 24 production-standard machines of the type and fielded them with the unit stationed at the air bases in Budyonnovsk and

Korenovsk (before that, the first four production-standard aircraft had been received by Combat Conversion and Training Centre in Torzhok in 2008).

Last summer, Rostvertol shipped four more Mi-28Ns to Torzhok, followed

by six more in October. By year-end 2011, the manufacturer had completed the assembly of and delivered another batch of six aircraft.

The Mi-28N deliveries to RusAF continued in 2012. Machines of the type are expected to be fielded with another air base. In addition, this year is to see the beginning of the trials of a Mi-28UB combat trainer prototype fitted with twin controls. The prototype is being manufactured on the basis of the pre-production Mi-28N serialled 37. Work also continues on the baseline model’s upgrade aimed at developing a more sophisticated version, the Mi-28NM, which full-scale production is slated for the middle of the decade. In particular, the preproduction Mi-28N serialled 36 has recently resumed the trials of its mastmounted radar.

The Russian Air Force awarded another long-term Mi-28N contract in 2011. The service’s commander has repeatedly said RusAF’s overall Mi-28N requirement stood at 300 machines at the least.

“over 140” Ka-52 helicopters for the Russian Defence Ministry. The deal will keep Progress busy almost throughout the decade. More importantly, the Ka-52 has been selected as the baseline attack helicopter for the air groups to be deployed on the Mistral-class amphibious assault ships the Russian Navy is buying.

As far back as late November 2009, a navalised Ka-52 prototype passed tests designed to see if it was fit for deployment on deck of a Mistral. The tests took part during a Mistral-class ship’s port call to Russia. Kamov has launched development of a shipborne version of the helicopter, designated as Ka-52K.

Alexey Mikheyev

The Mil Mi-28N attack helicopter, which is in full-rate production by Rostvertol JSC (a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company), entered service with the Russian Army Aviation under the presiden-

The Arsenyev-based Progress aircraft company – a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company – is ramping up the output of Kamov Ka-52 multirole army combat helicopters. The machine’s governmental trials were complete last November, and the helicopter was cleared for service entry. The first four production-standard Ka-52s built by Progress were shipped to the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in the town of Torzhok in December 2010. Delivery of production-standard Ka-52s to the Chernigovka air base in the Russian Far East kicked off in May 2011, with eight machines shipped there at first and then followed by four more by the year end. Thus, the Russian Air Force’s first full-fledged Ka-52 air squadron was stood up in Chernigovka. Another five brand-new Ka-52s made by Progress by late 2011 joined the aircraft fleet of the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion

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Alexey Mikheyev

More Ka-52s for Air Force

Training Centre in Torzhok earlier this year (unfortunately, one of the latest aircraft was lost in a fatal air crash on 12 March 2012, with the probe failing to reveal any hardware fault).

The Russian Helicopters management issued an official statement about having signed a longterm contract in August 2011 for

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Sergey Krivchikov

military aviation | debut

YAK-130 DEBUTS AT FARNBOROUGH

Andrey FOMIN

Yak-130 entering service A decade ago, in 2002, the Yak-130 was selected in a tender as the baseline combat trainer for basic and advanced training of Russian Air Force pilots, after which the Defence Ministry ordered the first 12-ship batch from the Sokol Nizhny Novgorod Aircraft Plant. However, the new aircraft had to undergo a large-scale test programme before line units could accept it. The first

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The debutant of the current air show in Farnborough is advanced Russian combat trainer Yak-130 unveiled by the Irkut corporation producing and promoting it. Last year was a milestone to the Yak-130 programme. In June 2011, deliveries of the first batch of 12 productionstandard aircraft to the Russian Air Force fulfilled, with 10 of the combat trainers fielded with the Borisoglebsk Air Force Training Centre. Early in December 2011, the government awarded a new order for 55 aircraft of the type, which are to be delivered to the Russian Defence Ministry by 2015. In addition, the Irkut corporation commenced export deliveries of Yak-130s to the foreign launch customer in late November, and all 16 aircraft had been delivered to Algeria by the end of December.

production-configuration aircraft conducted its maiden flight in Nizhny Novgorod on 30 April 2004. It was followed by the second one a year later, and by yet another one in March 2006. The fourth Yak-130 flying prototype flew in summer 2008. These aircraft were used for conducting the bulk of official tests during 2005 through 2009.

Proceeding from the first phase of the official trials, during which the Yak-130

was tested as a trainer, the preliminary report paving the way for manufacture of the first planes for the Russian Air Force was approved in November 2007. In April 2009, the Yak-130 passed the combat trainer phase of its official trials, having flown with its basic payload, and it flew with its expanded weapons suite in December.

In the wake of the tests, the then RusAF Commander Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin www.take-off.ru

The first Yak-130 of Irkut production, assembled in 2009, is now being used for flight tests under aircraft upgrade programme

for a new major batch of Yak-130 combat trainers for the Air Force. Under the contract, Irkut will have delivered 55 Yak-130s to the Air Force until 2015. According to Irkut’s news release, a total of 65 Yak-130s are to be bought under the 2011–2020 Governmental Armament Acquisition Programme.

The finer points of the contract were agreed on during Col.-Gen. Alexander Zelin’s visit to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (a subsidiary of Irkut corp.) on 8 November 2011. Accompanied by Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov and Irkutsk Aviation Plant Director General Alexander Veprev, Gen. Zelin toured the unit assembly and final assembly halls of the plant and flighttest facility. On completion of his visit, Alexander Zelin said: “There is no problem with the fulfilment of the governmental armamnet procurement programme here.

We realise that in this country, there is simply no other company capable of making the Yak-130 as well as Irkut does. I am glad that the corporation has started exporting the product. I guess Irkut has opened up new vistas. Documents are being mulled

over, under which Irkut will become the sole manufacturer of Yak-130 for the Russian Defence Ministry”.

“The signature of the contract with the Russian Air Force is a hallmark event to us. We have not delivered planes to our military for about 20 years, though the Irkutsk Aviation Plant has made hundreds of warplanes for foreign customers. Now, the historical record has been put straight, with the Russian Air Force ordering aircraft from us. I quite agree with the Gen. Zelin that the Irkut corporation is quite prepared to fulfil the governmental order placed” said Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov.

The first Yak-130s intended for the Russian Air Force are in final assembly at the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant. They are expected to be shipped as soon as this year.

Not long before landing the new lucrative order from the Russian Defence Ministry, Irkut had launched export deliveries of Yak-130s. The first three-ship batch was brought from Irkutsk to Algeria on 29 November 2011.

The Rosoboronexport company signed the contract for 16 Irkut-made Yak-130s for Yevgeny Yerokhin

signed the Yak-130 combat trainer acceptance report on 17 December 2009, clearing the aircraft’s operation by RusAF units.

The first deliveries took place two years ago, when the first four production-standard Yak-130s built by the Sokol plant were delivered to the RusAF Combat and Conversion Training Centre (now Air Force Training and Operational Evaluation Centre) in Lipetsk during February through April 2010. Soon afterwards, on 9 May 2010, they were flown as part of the Victory Day Parade in Red Square in Moscow in commemoration of the 65th anniversary of the great victory in WWII. The next five production-standard Yak-130s were brought from the Sokol plant to Air Force Training Centre in Borisoglebsk, Voronezh Region, early in April 2011.

The Borisoglebsk training centre provides advanced flight training to the cadets of the Krasnodar Air Force flying school (now an affiliate of the Air Force Training and Research Centre), who then are posted to attack aircraft and tactical bomber units.

Five more aircraft (two from Lipetsk and three brand-new ones from Nizhny Novgorod) were given to the Borisoglebsk training centre during June 2011. This completed the activation of the Yak-130 squadron in the centre. Instructor pilots have studied their planes through and through, with the first cadets to start flying training sorties on them this year.

With the governmental contract for the 12 production-standard Sokol-built Yak-130s for the Defence Ministry fulfilled, a decision was taken to award subsequent orders for aircraft of the type to the Irkut corporation that had begun to run full-scale Yak-130 production for export.

On 7 December 2011, Russia’s Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov signed a contract

Alexey Mikheyev

military aviation | debut

Five Yak-130 combat trainers delivered to RuisAF’s Borisoglebsk Training Centre in April 2011

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military aviation | debut the Algerian Air Force in spring 2006. The first aircraft under the contract was made and submitted for testing in August 2009.

After the customer had provided its final vision of the configuration it wanted and the relevant modifications had been introduced to the aircraft made, a large-scale Yak-130 ground school and flight training programme for Algerian flying and ground crews kicked off in Irkutsk last summer. The 16 Yak-130s had been delivered to Algeria and started flying by late last year.

“Algeria became the launch customer for the Yak-130”, Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov said in connection with the beginning of the export of advanced Yakovlev aircraft. “The Russian Air Force has already been operating aircraft of the type. There is keen interest in the plane, and I guess a great future is in store for it”. Irkut is in talks with a number of new foreign customers on Yak-130 deliveries. According to Irkut, the

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Yak-130 market capacity in the period prior to 2015 is estimated at 250 aircraft.

Main features and advantages The Yak-130 combat trainer is designed for basic and advanced training of air force cadets for fourth- and fifth-generation warplanes, for combat unit pilots to hone their skills and for combat missions in local conflicts.

The aircraft allows practicing 95% of the pilot training programme. The Yak-130 can simulate the control algorithms of up-todate fighters. Owing to its reprogrammable fly-by-wire flight control system, it can easily be adapted to the requirements of the air forces in various countries in terms of both technical and operating characteristics.

The Yak-130’s simple design, high reliability of its airframe, powerplant and airborne systems, long service life, complete self-contained capability and high operabil-

ity, coupled with its low life-cycle cost and high flight performance, allow quality training of flying crews quickly and accomplish missions effectively.

The Yak-130 can serve the basis for a panoply of derivatives featuring the 80% or more commonality, e.g. a light strike aircraft, a carrierborne trainer, an attack aircraft, an electronic countermeasures aircraft, a reconnaissance aircraft and an unmanned strike/recce aircraft. A singleseat light strike aircraft may become one of the most promising derivatives of the Yak-130. Like the combat trainer, it is designed for operations in low-intensity conflicts in the first place.

The Yak-130 is a classic mid-wing monoplane with the swept wing and all-moving horizontal stabilisers. Its aerodynamic configuration as well as characteristics of the flight control system and powerplant enable the aircraft to fly in virtually all modes

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military aviation | debut tion through the cockpit canopy and, thus, a safe bailout in an emergency throughout the whole altitude and speed bracket.

The cockpit management system includes three 6x8-inch multifunction liquid crystal displays at each combat station and the head-up display at the front seat to display all relevant data. The avionics features a sophisticated flight data recorder system recording the operation of onboard systems and actions taken by the pilots.

The Yak-130 carries up to 3,000 kg of combat load on nine external hardpoints.

The open-architecture avionics suite allows using various types of weapons.

Operation of Yak-130 combat trainers by air force flying schools, combat units and combat training centres to train cadets and hone combat skills of pilots allows a fourto-fivefold drop in the operating costs and save the service life of the combat twinseaters used for these purposes at present.

The Yak-130’s key competitive advantages include its cutting-edge avionics suite, manoeuvrability, reliability and a long service life. The Yak-130 as a combat trainer combines a wide spectrum of training capabilities and fourth- and fifth-generation aircraft simulation, on the one hand, and the feasibility of tactical use while carrying a 3-tonne payload.

According to Irkut, the Rosoboronexport company has received requests from foreign countries for a total of over 150 Yak-130s, on which preliminary talks are in progress, with the total volume of potential Yak-130 export orders estimated at 300.

Further improvement in the aircraft’s export appeal would be facilitated by refining its training and tactical capabilities through upgrade of its avionics and by deriving various spinoffs from the Yak-130, particularly, a light combat aircraft, a deckbased trainer, etc.

Alexey Mikheyev

inherent in up-to-date and future combat aircraft. The large leading-edge root extensions (LERX) allow stable controlled flight at an angle of attack up to 35 deg.

The Yak-130 is powered by a pair of AI-225-25 turbofans with a thrust of 2,500 kgf produced by the Salut Gas Turbine Scientific and Production Centre in Moscow in cooperation with the Motor Sich joint stock company in Zaporozhye. The air intake grills, which are deployed when the aircraft runs or rolls, prevent foreign object damage to the engine on takeoff and landing. The TA-14-130 auxiliary power unit with the AC generator ensures self-contained operation from austere airfields and can be used in flight in an emergency. The aircraft is equipped with retractable tricycle landing gear with low-pressure tyres, ensuring operation from unpaved airfields.

Each combat station in the cockpit is furnished with 0–0 ejection seats ensuring ejec-

New Yak-130s in the final assembly hall of Irkutsk Avation Plant, July 2011

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military aviation | programme

Andrey FOMIN Photos by Vadim Beloslyudtsev

Su-35S in trials In the coming several years, the Russian Air Force shall field almost 50 cuttingedge Sukhoi Su-35S supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters in production by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO), a subsidiary of the Sukhoi company. Last year, the early production fighters of the type were handed over to the Russian Defence Ministry for their official tests. A preliminary report is due before year end on the first stage of the trials. It is to clear the fighter’s full-scale production and their operation by line units.

The contract for 48 Su-35S fighters to be delivered to RusAF until 2015 was signed at the MAKS 2009 air show in August 2009.

The first aircraft under the contract, the Su-35S-1, was flight-tested by Sukhoi design bureau test pilot Sergei Bogdan in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 3 May 2011 and flew three weeks later to the Russian Defence Ministry’s State Flight Test Centre (GLITs) in Akhtubinsk for the official trials. According to Sukhoi’s official news release, flights under the official test programme in Akhtubinsk commenced on 15 August 2011, in fact, using the Su-35-1 and Su-35-2 prototypes (built in an export version in 2008) that were joined by the first ‘Russianised’ version, the Su-35S-1.

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The second aircraft ordered by the Defence Ministry, the Su-35S-2, took off on its maiden flight on 2 December 2011 with Sergei Bogdan at the controls and flew to Akhtubinsk this year, with the ferry flight from Komsomolsk-onAmur taking place on 20–21 January. There are as many as four Su-35S fighters based in Akhtubinsk now (all of them are painted in a blue camouflage pattern and bear new RusAF insignia and side numbers 01, 02, 03 an 04).

The first Su-35S assembled this year, the Su-35S-3, conducted its first flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 17 January 2012, flown by Sukhoi design bureau test pilot Taras Artsebarsky. In mid-February, following the factory and acceptance test flights and applica-

tion of the blue camouflage pattern, side number 03 and GLITs emblem, it was redeployed to Akhtubinsk (its ferry flight from Komsomolskon-Amur to Akhtubinsk included two stopovers at the Belaya airfield near Irkutsk and Shagol airfield vic. Chelyabinsk and was performed by GLITs test pilot Col. Mansur Nizamov.

The fourth Su-35S, now used under the official test programme, performed its maiden flight at KnAAPO on 19 February 2012 with Taras Artsebarsky at the controls. On the next day, Komsomolsk-on-Amur hosted a conference on Russian defence industry development, attended by Vladimir Putin and Dmitry Rogozin, vice-premier supervising defence industry matters. While giving Vladimir Putin a tour of KnAAPO shops, UAC’s boss Mikhail Pogosyan told him that eight Su-35S were slated for production this year, according to the Interfax-AVN news agency. 2013 and 2014 each are supposed to see 12 aircraft of the type made, with the final 14 under the contract to be constructed in 2015. The deliveries of Su-35S www.take-off.ru

military aviation | programme

fighters are likely to continue after 2015 as well. A new long-term contract is expected to be made, with its volume hardly to be less than that of the current contract.

However, Su-35s deliveries to RusAF line units should be preceded by the completion of the official test programme, under which hundreds of test sorties are due to test the sophisticated avionics and weapons suites.

According to Sukhoi’s official statements, the Su-35 fighter’s features setting it radically apart from other aircraft of the Su-27 family are its drastically novel avionics suite based on a digital information management system and the cutting-edge Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis phased array radar boasting the unique target acquisition range (400 km) and enhanced multiple-target tracking and engagement capabilities (tracking 30 aerial targets and engaging eight of them or tracking four ground targets and attacking two of them).

Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely told the Take-off that three Irbis prowww.take-off.ru

totypes have been undergoing flight tests for several years on board the first two Su-35 prototypes and Su-30MK2 flying testbed. The Su-35S fighters being built under the 2009 contract awarded by the Russian Defence Ministry are fitted with the full Irbis radar set series-produced by the Ryazan State Instrument-making Enterprise. Flight tests have proven all basic characteristics of the advanced phased array radar, and most of its operating modes have been tested in flight too. In particular, test sorties have proven the unique capabilities of the Irbis in terms of its ability to acquire aerial threats at a range of about 400 km.

The avionics suite also includes an advanced infrared search-and-track (IRST) system from the Precision Instrument Systems scientific and production company, up-to-date navigation and communications systems, a sophisticated defence aids suite including incoming missile and laser illumination warning equipment in addition to the traditional

radar warning receiver (RWR) and electronic countermeasures (ECM) systems. The cockpit management system comprises two wideangle 15-inch multifunction colour liquid crystal displays and a wide-angle collimated head-up display.

The fighter is powered by advanced NPO Saturn 117S engines featuring a thrust enhanced to 14,500 kgf in special mode and an extended service life. The 117S was developed by the NPO Saturn scientific and production association and produced in cooperation with UMPO JSC. The engine is equipped with a thrust vector control jet nozzle. Compared to other Su-27 versions, the Su-35’s internal fuel capacity has increased by over 20%, the fighter has the mid-air refuelling capability and can haul large drop tanks.

The Su-35’s weapons suite is planned to comprise both in-service smart and dumb weapons and upgraded and in-development missiles in all classes, and smart bombs as well. take-off july 2012

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military aviation | interview

TIKHOMIROV RADARS: from Yak-130 to Tu-160 Interview of Tikhomirov-NIIP Director General Yuri Bely The V. Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design (TikhomirovNIIP) is launching flight tests of an active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar onboard the Sukhoi PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft. An AESA radar prototype has been installed this year in the third PAK FA prototype and has cleared a series of ground tests. At the same time, the institute is taking part in the government trials of Su-35S multirole fighters fitted with production-standard examples of the Irbis phased-array radar. Recently, the decision has been taken to use this radar as the basis for deriving a radar to upgrade Tupolev Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 missile carriers. The company is also devising a proposal pertaining to light phased-array radars designed for Yakovlev Yak-130 light combat trainer versions and unmanned aerial vehicles being developed by Russian companies.

The institute’s Director General Yuri Bely is speaking about these and other programmes in his interview with the Take-off magazine below.

Andrey Fomin

Mr. Bely, how is the work on the AESA radar for the fifth-generation fighter going?

Earlier this year, following tests and adjustment on Tikhomirov-NIIP’s test benches, the third prototype AESA radar set was shipped to the Sukhoi company and installed on the third flying PAK FA prototype brought for trials from Komsomolskon-Amur to Zhukovsky in late 2011. It has completed the cycle of ground tests

AESA radar for PAK FA fighter

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onboard the aircraft and has been turned on several times. The aircraft entered flight tests in Zhukovsky in June, and we will be facing the key phase – flight tests of the AESA radar.

At the same time, we have manufactured another – the fourth – AESA radar set.

To date, we have almost completed its testing and alignment and soon will be ready to hand it over to the customer. It will be

shipped to Komsomolsk-on-Amur where it will be mounted on the fourth flying PAK FA prototype. We hope that as soon as the aircraft is ready, the full AESA radar set will have been able to kick off its flight trials prior to year-end. Now, manufacture of two more sets, designed for subsequent PAK FA prototypes, is under way.

Timely delivery of more AESA radar sets to the customer is ensured through the institute having as many as two test rigs.

One of them, the chief designer’s rig is being used for testing the AESA radar prototype to enhance its operating envelope as well as introduce advanced operating modes and improved software packages.

The other one is being used for tuning more radar sets before mounting them on follow-on aircraft. Overall, we are satisfied with the results produced but realise full well that a lot remains to be done – attaining the required reliability and reducing the prime cost of Istok company-supplied transmit-receive (T-R) modules in the first place.

I would also like to note that TikhomirovNIIP has been appointed prime contractor for the development of an AESA radar for the FGFA fifth-generation Fighter Aircraft (PMI in Russian) being co-developed by Russia and India. The preliminary design of the aircraft is to be submitted for approval this summer. We have prepared the basic materials required for this purpose.

How is your development of passive phased-array radars?

We are running several programmes at once in this field. Firstly, it is the Bars phased-array radar for the Sukhoi www.take-off.ru

Su-30MKI family’s fighters, which has won recognition throughout the world. Series deliveries of radars of the type are handled by our long-term partner Ryazan State Instrument-making Enterprise that also has assisted the Indians to launch licence production of the Bars on their premises.

Tikhomirov-NIIP is participating in the upgrade of the Bars, including the furnishing of it with an AESA. As is known, the decision in principle on that was made a rather long time ago. Such radars will fit the upgraded Su-30MKIs in service with the Indian Air Force. However, the contract has not been signed yet, and the ball is in the customer’s court.

There has been another important event in this sphere. In May, Ryazan State Instrument-making Enterprise supplied the first two sets of the ‘Russianised’ Bars radar to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, subsidiary of the Irkut corporation. They are designed for equipping the first two Su-30SM fighters intended for the Russian Air Force. As is known, the Russian Defence Ministry ordered from Irkut 30 Su-30SMs – a version of the Su-30MKI – for RusAF this spring. To date, three air forces in the world have operated more than 200 Su-30MKIfamily fighters carrying Barses. Thus, the Bars radar is coming to our Air Force as well. A preliminary report on the first phase of the official trials of the Bars-equipped Su-30SM aircraft is due before year-end, after which production-standard aircraft of the type may commence.

More on the subject: a report on the official tests of the upgraded MiG-31BM interceptor mounting the upgraded TikhomirovNIIP Zaslon phased-array radar is to be signed by the end of the year. As is known, the Zaslon developed by Tikhomirov-NIIP as far back as the 1970s was the first fighter-carried phased-array radar in the world. Our priority in this field is indisputable. MiG-31BM interceptors upgraded under Phase 1 of the upgrade programme have been returned to their units. Phase 2 upgrade tests are nearing the completion.

Phase 2 will give the interceptor advanced medium- and long-range air-to-air missiles. Hence, its radar is being adapted and new operating modes are being introduced.

Once the official trials report has been issued, aircraft like that will start being fielded too.

Finally, a few words are due about the Irbis that, no doubt, is the peak of the phased-array radar technology. Suffice it to say that the flight tests of the radar have proven its 400-km-plus aerial target acquisition range that is unique as far as airborne radars are concerned. www.take-off.ru

The flight tests of Irbis prototypes have been underway on board the flying Su-30MK2 testbed and two Su-35 prototypes for several years. Last year, the Defence Ministry took delivery of the first two KnAAPO-built production-standard Su-35S fighters for the official state trials.

Two more have joined them this year. All of them are fitted with production-standard Irbises, which production has been launched by Ryazan State Instrumentmaking Enterprise with support by Tikhomirov-NIIP. The radar’s basic characteristics have been proven by the flight tests, but there remain tactical application test flights with the use of various weapons.

A preliminary report on the first stage of the state trials of the Irbis phased-array radarequipped Su-35S is due by the end of the year. This will allow the Su-35S’s operational evaluation by the Air Force. As is known, the government-awarded contract provides for manufacture of 48 Su-35S fighters for RusAF throughout 2015, with their deliveries to continue thereafter.

That we have been recently tasked with using the Irbis to derive a phased-array radar for the Tupolev Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 long-range bombers is a recognition of its top-notch performance. This is going to be a new line of work to us, since we have not developed radars for long-range missilecarrying bombers yet. However, the experience we have gained in Irbis development makes us optimistic about our ability to fulfil the task. The first upgraded Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 bombers fitted with our radars are slated for tests within two years at the most.

What other new lines of work has Tikhomirov-NIIP been pursuing of late?

The Irkut corporation has asked us recently for proposals for a light radar that could be used on board new versions of the Yak-130 combat trainer, which are being mulled over by the Yakovlev design bureau. As is known, production-standard Yak-130s have been delivered to RusAF since 2010, and their export began last year.

At the same time with ramping up the production of the Yak-130 that is not equipped with radars, Irkut is pondering other roles for the aircraft, e.g. a light strike aircraft, a light attack aircraft, a light fighter, etc.

It is these versions that are in need of a radar that must be light and small, but also handle numerous tasks, such as aerial and ground target seeking and acquisition, ground mapping, etc.

Tikhomirov-NIIP is experienced in small phased-array radar development, e.g. early in the last decade, we developed the Osa compact passive phased-array radar for fitting the upgraded MiG-29UBT twin-seat

Andrey Fomin

military aviation | interview

Irbis phased array radar for Su-35 fighters

fighter as well as Yak-130, MiG-AT and other light combat trainers and warplanes.

Unfortunately, this line of work stalled at the time, but the experience gained, coupled with introduction of advanced technologies and sophisticated software proven as part of our more advanced radars (e.g. the Irbis) will, undoubtedly, enable us fulfil the task quickly and effectively. The ball is in the customer’s court. If the customer is interested in our offers and the development of new Yak-130 versions continues, we are ready to provide them with up-to-date topnotch inexpensive phased-array radar.

Another new sphere for our institute to explore may be development of light radars for unmanned aerial vehicles. As is known, the St. Petersburg-based Transas company and the Sokol design bureau in Kazan were selected as prime contractors for the light and medium UAVs last autumn based on the outcome of the tender held by the Defence Ministry. It looks like UAC will handle the development of the future heavy UAV. All of them have invited us to cooperate. We will be ready to submit our proposals as soon as the requirements to the radars for such UAVs have been determined and provided to us.

Thus, the scope of the work being done

by Tikhomirov-NIIP is increasing. While we used to make radars for fighters only (MiG-31, Su-27, Su-30 and its derivatives, Su-35, PAK FA) as far as airborne radars are concerned, now the number of carriers is growing. I believe that the application of Tikhomirov-NIIP radars will range all the way from the lightweight Yak-130 to the heavy Tu-160 in the near future. take-off july 2012

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The Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP close corporation earmarked as UAC’s principal production centre specialising in transport aircraft production is grooming the first Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A (476) aircraft for the kickoff of its flight trials.

Under the 20 December 2006 Russian government’s resolution, authorising the development and production of the upgraded Il-76 in Ulyanovsk, Ilyushin 476 was to get a redesigned wing, more powerful and more efficient PS-90A-76 turbofan engines and a modern flight navigation suite.

The construction of the two first Il-76MD-90A prototypes by Aviastar began in 2009, with c/n 01-01 designed for static tests and c/n 01-02 for flight ones. A set of the static test prototype’s structural assemblies – the F2 fuselage section, centre wing section and wing panels – had been manufactured by autumn 2011 and brought to Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region on 1 October for static tests in Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).

15 December 2011 witnessed a ceremony of completion of the 476’s first flying prototype in Ulyanovsk. It had been used for mounting onboard systems and avionics during the subsequent months. The first flying

UAC

Ilyushin 476 gearing up for maiden flight

Il-76MD-90A is to be rolled out to Aviastar’s flight testing facility in July.

The aircraft is expected to conduct its maiden flight in August 2012.

At the same time, three more aircraft of a low-rate initial production batch entered construction by Aviastar under a contract with UAC – Transport Aircraft in 2010. According to the plant’s Director General Sergei Dementyev, two of them are to be completed in 2013.

The Russian Defence Ministry shall be the launch customer for the production-standard Il-76MD-90A

freighters. Early in June 2012, Russian Air Force Military Transport Aviation commander Lt.-Gen. Victor Kachalkin said 40 brand-new Il-76MD-90As were planned to be received by 2020. Potential buyers include the air branch of the Russian Emergencies Ministry, and further down the line, a number of commercial carriers operating Il-76TDs and interested in updating and beefing up their aircraft fleets might acquire the Il-76TD-90A commercial version. The baseline model is also supposed to be used for deriving the

Il-78MD-90 tanker plane and some special-purpose aircraft.

At the same time, RusAF is intent on ordering an upgrade of the in-service Il-76MD freighters and Il-78M tankers. According to Lt.-Gen. Kachalkin, the transport aviation command is to take delivery of about 40 re-engined Il-76MDMs (an upgraded version of the earlier Il-76MD, which is powered

by PS-90A-76 engines and equipped with a more advanced avionics suite).

The Il-78M tanker plane’s version upgraded in the same manner may be designated as Il-78M2.

SaM146’s full-rate production certificated by EASA

NPO Saturn

The European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) certificated the SaM146 series production by the NPO Saturn joint stock company on 2 April 2012.

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The programme of development of the SaM146 engine to power Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliners is being run by the PowerJet joint venture set up on a parity basis in

July 2004 by Russia’s NPO Saturn association and French company Snecma, a Safran subsidiary. The French company is responsible for the core, control system, powerplant integration and flight tests, while Saturn for the ‘cold’ segment of the engine, final assembly and ground trials. In June 2010, the engine’s baseline model was certificated by EASA and then by the IAC Aircraft Registry, which not only guarantees high quality of the product, but also opens up new export vistas for it.

EASA certificated a new SaM146 version, the 1S18 that features a 5% thrust increase, on 17 January 2012.

The modified engine is designed to power advanced variants of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional airliner, particularly the extended-range SSJ100/95LR (RRJ-95LR) version.

Saturn specialists and their French colleagues are working on further improvement of the engine.

However, today’s priority is to make as many production-standard engines as required by the current SSJ100 orderbook.

This year is to become the watershed for the SaM146 full-scale production programme. While Saturn made and delivered 15 engines to the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company in 2011, this year’s anticipated standard production is thrice as many – 48 units, with a subsequent increase to 96 engines in 2013. As of June 2012, there were 18 production-standard SaM146s in commercial service on eight SSJ100s operated by the Aeroflot (routine flights began in June 2011) and one SSJ100 used by Armavia (delivered in April 2011).

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industry | news

Andrey Fomin

In early April, the Russian Helicopters joint stock company, the Oboronprom joint stock company’s subsidiary uniting the assets of all major Russian helicopter developers and manufacturers, announced its official 2011 results. The company’s consolidated receipts in 2011 equalled 103.9 billion rubles (over $3.5 billion) – a 27.8% increase over 2010. The profit grew by 12.7% to 7 billion rubles (more than $230 million), and the EBITDA profitability index totaled 17.3%.

The holding company’s subsidiaries delivered 262 new helicopters – a 22.4% increase over 2010. Helicopters were exported to 19 countries and were of nine basic types. As before, the bulk of the output fell on export orders, but the tendency for increasing domestic sales, to the Russian Defence Ministry in the first place, was apparent in 2011. The latter also influenced the holding company’s orderbook that doubled over the year – from 430 to 859 to the tune of in excess of 330 billion rubles (upwards of $11 billion).

According to the official data of Russian Helicopters, the key factor of the fast swelling of the orderbook was the long-term contracts

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Piotr Butowski

Russian Helicopters: continued growth

signed with the Russian Defence Ministry in 2011 for delivery of “over 600 helicopters until 2020”.

Last year, the company continued the upgrade of the manufacturing facilities of its subsidiaries, investing in the upgrade 9.1 billion rubles – a 65.5% increase over the previous year. This resulted in three centres of competence: one for magnesium casting production on the premises of Progress JSC, another for part machining on the premises of Kazan Helicopters (first stage) and

yet another for development and manufacture of helicopter units, powertrains and test benches on the premises of Reductor-PM JSC. In 2011, the investment in research and development showed a considerable increase too, having accounted for 4.6 billion rubles – a 2.7-fold growth compared with 2010. The heaviest investment was made in the key advanced projects – the Ka-226T, Mi-38, Ka-62, Mi-171A2 and Advanced High-Speed Helicopter (PSV).

Commenting on the results produced in 2011, Russian Helicopters Director General Dmitry Petrov said: “The company continues its active development and demonstrated impressive growth dynamics. Last year, we consolidated leading positions in global helicopter industry. We delivered 262 aircraft to 19 countries, which enabled us to gain about 14% of the global market in monetary terms. In addition, we succeeded in increasing our firm orderbook twice, with it accounting for 859 helicopters and with its value exceeding 330 billion rubles as of late 2011. Our strategic goal is to continue strengthening our positions on the global market through honing our competitive edge and increasing our operating efficiency and to do our utmost to increase the shareholder value of the company. We are going to remain proactive in laying the groundwork for the future by means of intensive research and development in 2012.

We will continue to refine our service and after-sales maintenance system, production facilities renovation and modernisation and will carry on improving our management system”.

The holding company’s production 2012 plans stipulate a further increase in the helicopter output that may exceed 300 machines.

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Introduction of Turbomeca Ardiden 3G engines with the 1,780-hp takeoff power (1,940 hp in the emergency power mode) has resulted in a cer-

Andrey Fomin

No doubt, the star of the fifth HeliRussia 2012 international helicopter show held at the Crocus Expo centre in Moscow on 17–19 May 2012 was Kamov Ka-62 advanced medium helicopter full-size mock-up set up in the middle of the exposition of the Russian Helicopters holding company. The mock-up’s manufacture had been time to the date of the show. It offers the full grasp of the appearance of the future Russian helicopter with a takeoff weight of 6.5 t, designed for carriage of 15 passengers of 2,000 t of cargo (2,500 kg on the external sling).

While looking the same as known military Ka-60, the commercial Ka-62, which being developed with an eye on the upcoming certification both in Russia and in the EU, has a number of significant differences. Let us dwell on just a few of them. Firstly, the powerplant, rotor system and powertrain have been modified. The main rotor has gotten the fifth blade.

Andrey Fomin

Ka-62: maiden flight in a year

tain modification to engine nacelles outline. The developer and supplier of the powertrain, including the main and tail rotor gearboxes, is Austrian company Zoerkler.

Secondly, the cabin’s glazing has increased by far, with each of the side windows being emergency exit for safe egress of the aircraft in case of an emergency and overturning. For thus purpose, the comfortable passenger seats are set three abreast. Thirdly, the landing gear has become semi-retractable into fairings on the fuselage sides and under the tailboom.

Russian company Transas handles the development and delivery of the

avionics suite for the Ka-62. The helicopter has the glass cockpit, in which the pilot is seated on the right.

The Progress plant in the town of Arsenyev is now manufacturing parts and units to fit the early Ka-62 prototypes. The example intended for ground tests of the powerplant, powertrain and rotor system is expected to kick off its tests by year-end.

The first flying prototype is slated for manufacture in spring 2013 and may fly for the first time as soon as May 2013. In all, the certification test programme provides for using four prototypes. The Ka-62’s certification and productionising in Arsenyev are slated for 2015.

A Russian Helicopters spokesman said at HeliRussia 2012 that the company is mulling over development of the search-and-rescue and convertible passenger/cargo

variants of the Mi-38 for Russian governmental agencies. In addition, the Mi-38 is competing in several international competitions for SAR helicopters.

The intent of the Russian Helicopters holding company to carry on with the development of the Mil Mi-38 future multirole medium-lift helicopter to unveil it on the market in 2015 was reaffirmed during the HeliRussia 2012 show in May. During the programme presentation, it was said that the Mi-38’s only competitor was the Agusta Westland AW101 that has enjoyed good demand.

The second Mi-38 (OP-2) prototype powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127TS engines is in trials now.

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Last year, the first prototype (OP-1) was converted to the Mi-382 version equipped with Russian-made TV7-117V turboshafts. The beginning of the flight tests has been put off till summer due to the need of debugging the main gearbox. Meanwhile, Kazan Helicopters is completing the third prototype (OP-3), with the TV7-117V engines having been delivered to the manufacturer to fit it. In addition, the OP-4’s construction has begun, with the prototype to serve as the baseline model for subsequent fullscale production.

Andrey Fomin

Mi-38 to hit the market in 2015

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industry | news

Based on the current orderbook, it is a safe bet to say that the Mil Mi-8 (Mi-17, Mi-171) helicopters output by the Russian Helicopters holding company’s plants in Kazan and Ulan-Ude will have remained high in the near future. To maintain the machines’ competitive edge further down the line, the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (UUAP) are performing a heavy upgrade of the model. The upgraded version, designed for commercial operators and designated as Mi-171A2, will get an advanced powerplant made up of VK-2500PS-03 engines, the Safir auxiliary power unit, advanced composite main rotor blades, X-shaped tail rotor and up-to-date KBO-17 avionics suite including the glass cockpit with five multifunction displays. The

under-slung cargo lifting capacity of the advanced helicopter will grow from 4 t to 5 t, and its cruising speed will increase by 13%. There will be a considerable improvement in its operating characteristics, e.g. the main rotor blade service life is to surge by 4.5 times, that of the engine will double, and the number of rotor system lubricating points will be halved. The helicopter will carry 24 passengers (18 if advanced crashabsorbing seats are used).

Now, the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant is assembling the first Mi-171A2 prototype (OP-1) equipped with the baseline avionics fit. The prototype is based on the airframe the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant manufactured in January 2012.

Assembly of the second prototype

Andrey Fomin

Mi-171A2 preparing to pick up the baton

(OP-2) fitted with the complete avionics suite for operations in all weather is to commence late this year. Completion of the Mi-171A2 certification trials, issuance of an IAC Aircraft Registry type certificate (and then that of the European Aviation Safety Agency) and launch of pro-

duction by UUAP are slated for 2014.

Deliveries to launch customer may begin the same year.

Similar measures to upgrade the avionics suite, powerplant and rotor system are planned for gradual application to the Kazan Helicopters-made Mi-17V-5 as well.

Ka-226T deliveries to kick off in 2013

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by year-end 2013 and using them for training pilots for Ka-52 combat helicopters. Longer-term plans provide for delivery of 40 Ka-226s prior to 2020.

The future of the Ka-226 hinges on the completion of the trials and launch of the production of the Ka-226T version powered by Turbomeca Arrius 2G1 engines that features a better power-to-weight capability and can operate at a higher altitude. Two Ka-226T prototypes have been in

flight trials since 2009. Their certification programme is planned to be complete before year-end, with a supplemental type certificate in the first quarter of 2013. The Ka-226T is supposed to enter full-rate production with KumAPE in 2013 and, possibly, with PA Strela further down the road.

Russia furnished the Ka-226T for the Indian Ministry’s of Defence tender for acquisition and licence production of 197 light multirole helicopters for the Indian Army Aviation and

Air Force. The Russian Emergencies Ministry has indicated its willingness to buy 16 Ka-226T medevacs in the near future, and about a dozen Ka-226TMs in the shipborne variant will be able to enter service with the Russian Border Guard Service later in the decade. Russian Helicopters marketing personnel estimated the overall Ka-226 and Ka-226T market capacity at about 180 machines throughout 2020 (apparently, exclusive of the Indian tender).

Alexey Mikheyev

The Russian Helicopters holding company is completing the certification tests of the upgraded Kamov Ka-226T light multipurpose coaxial helicopter. Production of the Allison 250-C20B-powered baseline Ka-226 is under way at Kumertau Aircraft Production Enterprise, Russian Helicopters holding company subsidiary, and Strela Production Association in Orenburg. The machine was productionised in 2000.

The plant in Kumertau has specialised mostly in fulfilling orders awarded

by Russian uniformed agencies, e.g. the Ministry of Interior and Federal Security Service Aviation Department that have taken about 15 aircraft of the type to date. The company in Orenburg has had orders awarded by the Gazpromavia company and Russian Emergencies Ministry. In addition, PA Strela delivered two Ka-226s in 2008, which are operated in the flying ambulance role in the Orenburg Region.

In March 2012 the Russian Air Force took delivery of KumAPE-built Ka-226s, with five aircraft brought to Syzran Air Force flying school (affiliate of the Air Force Military Training and Scientific Centre). In all, the Defence Ministry is intent on receiving about 16 aircraft of the type

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Ansat gearing up for getting back to global market

85% of the assets of Russia’s aircraft engine industry. The consolidation of companies under the auspices of UEC was mostly wrapped up in 2010. At present, UEC manages eight Russian aircraft engine-making majors – Aviadvigatel and the Perm Engine Company in Perm, NPO Saturn in Rybinsk, the Ufa Engine Industrial

Association (UMPO) in Ufa, Klimov in St. Petersburg, Chernyshev MME in Moscow, Kuznetsov in Samara and NPP Motor in Ufa. Mention should be made that most of these companies also develop and manufacture ground-based powerplants derived from aircraft engine technologies and repair aircraft engines.

Andrey Fomin

soon to start learning the ropes on them too. Six more aircraft of the type are due to Syzran this year.

In its day, the Ansat was the world’s first light commercial helicopter featuring an advanced flyby-wire flight control system that turned out a certain hurdle in its promotion on the global market despite the machine’s advantages and type certificate issued by the Interstate Aviation Committee Aircraft Registry in 2004. The cause was the lack of certification standards for fly-by-wire light helicopters, and the lack persists.

After the commercial operation of

the Ansat in South Korea had been suspended, Kazan Helicopters did a lot in 2007–2010 to conduct additional certification tests, and its efforts resulted in the IAC Aircraft Registry certificating the Ansat-K with the FBW control system in March 2010. However, due to the lack of international standards for light helicopters equipped with a control system like that, the certificate was limited and did not cover passenger operations.

At the same time, Kazan Helicopters launched development of a variant fitted with the traditional hydromechanical control system to remove the Ansat commercial sales limitations. To date, two prototypes have been made, with the model earlier known as the Ansat-1M (now simply the Ansat). One of them is undergoing ground tests and the other commenced its flight trials in May 2012. The certification tests of the latest Ansat version are due to wrap up before year-end, after which new type certificate is to be issued and Ansat will be offered to potential buyers. Kazan Helicopters believes that the output and sales volume of the Ansat’s commercial versions can account for 20 aircraft a year in the future.

The Ansat light multipurpose helicopter powered by Canadianmade PW207K engines has been in full-rate production by Kazan Helicopters since 2004. The first six production-standard machines have been exported to South Korea, two have been delivered to the Russian Federal Security Service Aviation Department, a medevac version to the Kazan Air Detachment, a flying testbed to Radar MMS company and a patrol aircraft to Tatarstan’s police.

The Ansat-U trainer version with twin controls and wheeled landing gear entered full-sale production, having passed its governmental tri-

als in November 2008. Its development had been ordered by the Russian Air Force. In spring 2010, the first three of them were shipped to the RusAF Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok, and five more went in autumn 2010 to the Syzran affiliate of the Air Force Military Training and Scientific Centre specialising in training helicopter pilots for RusAF. Last year, Kazan Helicopters delivered five more production-standard Ansat-Us delivered to the flying school in Syzran in January of this year. The instructor-pilots have learnt flying them, and cadets are

The Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC) is increasing its aircraft engine output. In 2011, UEC’s subsidiaries manufactured about 650 engines for planes and helicopters. UEC General Designer Alexander Ivakh mentioned this at the 12th Engines international salon in Moscow in April 2012. “Overall, 230 helicopter engines and about 420 plane engines were manufactured and sold last year”, he said.

Speaking of deliveries of the engines designed to fit fixed-wing aircraft, he noted AL-31F, AL-31FP and AL-31N turbofans powering the fighters of the Sukhoi Su-27/Su-30 family, Su-34 tactical bombers and foreignmade fighters as well as RD-33 and RD-33MK engines designed for the fighters of the MiG-29 family. “Sales

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of AI-222-25 and PS-90A turbofans go on. 26 PS-90A family engines were sold last year”, Alexander Ivakh said.

According to Mr. Ivakh, plans for 2012 stipulated production of around 500 engines to power fixed-wing aircraft. The UEC General Designer commented that the output increase was owing to both the increasing export sales and the deliveries under the governmental defence acquisition programme. He highlighted, among other things, a new lucrative order for D-30KP-2 turbofan engines. “There also will be an increase in the volume of aircraft engine repairs, including the ones for Russian operators”, Alexander Ivakh concluded.

UEC, a subsidiary of the Oboronprom corporation, manages

Alexey Mikheyev

UEC ramping up output

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The United Engine Corporation (UEC) pins its hopes for the progress of Russian airliner and freighter engine-making on the new-generation 12,500–15,600-kgf PD-14 turbofan engine development programme. The PD-14 is the first one in the family of advanced 9–18-tf engines under development by a large pool of UEC’s subsidiaries with Aviadvigatel JSC in Perm as prime contractor.

30 May 2012 saw the completion of the assembly of the first PD-14 demonstrator prototype in Perm, and the engine entered its bench tests in June. A full-scale PD-14 mockup will be unveiled by UEC at this airshow in Farnborough.

The PD-14 is a two-shaft splitexhaust direct-drive turbofan engine. All engines in the family have a common core with the eightstage high-pressure compressor, annular low-emission combustor and two-stage high-pressure turbine. The PD-14 baseline model will be fitted with the 1,900-mm single-stage fan (the same diameter as that of the PS-90A), three-stage low-pressure compressor and sixstage low-pressure turbine.

The baseline model of the PD-14 with the 14,000-kgf takeoff thrust is designed for powering the MC-21-300 airliner. The shorter version, the MC-21-200, is supposed to be equipped with 12,500-kgf PD-14A engines, and the PD-14M enhanced-thrust (15,600 kgf) variant is designed to fit the MC-21-400 stretch.

According to calculations, the PD-14 is on a par with its for-

eign rivals PW1400G and LEAP-X in terms of fuel efficiency, while having a slightly lower bypass ratio.

The engine development and production efforts have involved most of UEC’s subsidiaries, with the leading part being played by Perm-based Aviadvigatel as prime contractor responsible for the development of the core, fan, lowpressure compressor, low-pressure turbine, engine nacelle, reverser, accessory drive assembly and noise-eliminating structures and by the Perm Engine Company as prime manufacturer responsible for the manufacture of the core, engine nacelle and reverser and for final assembly. NPO Saturn is taking part in the development of the fan and low-pressure compressor, UMPO in the manufacture of the fan, low-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine, NPP Motor in the development of the lowpressure turbine, Salut (soon to join UEC in coming years) in the development and manufacture of the compressor interstage casing and accessory drive assembly, STAR in the development and manufacture of the FADEC system, etc.

Research into advanced commercial aircraft engines was launched in Perm with support of CIAM as far back as 1999. The requirements specification for the engine to power the MC-21 was released in late 2007. Gate I, during which the PD-14 concept was proven, was passed in July 2008. After that, full-scale engine unit designing as well as development and productionising of critical technologies rel-

Aviadvigatel

PD-14: technology demonstrator kicks off tests

evant to the development of a new turbofan family had been launched in Perm within two years. The conceptual design approval (Gate II) took place in March 2010.

Gate III, which provides the final decision on the engine configuration and preliminary design approval, was cleared in July 2011. In a little more than a year between Gates II and III, the core engine demonstrator was developed and put through the first stage of tests, the high-pressure compressor cleared the first stage of its trials, high-pressure turbine blades were made of advanced efficient-cooling materials and mounted on the core engine and demonstrator units were made of

high-strength composite parts in addition to the approval of the preliminary design.

The bench tests of the PD-14’s core demonstrator commenced in Perm in autumn 2010. Its first bench start took place on 26 November 2010. Concurrently, Aviadvigatel launched the manufacture and assembly of the engine technology demonstrator. The latter’s bench tests began in June. In 2014 the demonstrator is planned for kicking off the flight test phase using a Il-76LL flying testbed. The certification of the PD-14’s baseline model is slated for 2014, which is to enable the engine to hit the market in 2015–2016 – bang in the run-up to the emergence of the MC-21.

Upgraded D-18T to power new Ruslans On 12 April 2012, the leadership of the Volga-Dnepr group announced the upcoming signature of a contract with UAC for 20 advanced Antonov An-124-111 and An-124NG (next generation) heavylift cargo planes with 20 options. In addition to sophisticated avionics and other technical solutions, the An-124-111s and An-124NGs will be equipped with uprated D-18T engines from MOTOR SICH.

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The An-124-111 will be powered by D-18T Series 3M engines compliant with the ICAO Chapter IV standard in terms of noise and emissions and superior to the current D-18T Series 3 by 2% in terms of fuel efficiency. According to Volga-Dnepr Vice-President Valery Gabriel, the An-124-111 may be built as soon as 2016. The investment in the upgrade of the D-18T

Series 3 engine to D-18T Series 3M standard is estimated at $25 million.

The An-124NG is due to be powered with D-18T Series 5 engines that will boost the heavylifter’s efficiency by 15%. The engine’s development is under way by the Ivchenko-Progress company in Zaporozhye. The overall investment in the D-18T Series 5’s development

is estimated at $600 million. The appearance of the advanced engine may take place in 2016–2017. The D-18T Series 5 will have a takeoff thrust of 27,850 kgf over the 23,400 kgf of the D-18T Series 3 and a specific fuel consumption of 0.541 kg/kgf*h in cruising mode.

The fan diameter will measure 3,050 mm and the engine weight will equal 5,700 kg.

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PD-30: future Russian thirty-tonner The Samara Kuznetsov JSC, a subsidiary of the United Engine Corporation (UEC), known for its powerful engines mounted by long-range bombers, is running pilot work on an advanced turbofan with a thrust of 30 tf for airliners and freighters, designated as PD-30. In the future, such an engine could power future passenger and cargo planes, being developed under the Aircraft 2020 programme, and the upgraded Antonov An-124-300 Ruslan heavylifter as well.

To date, the most powerful commercial turbofan in the former Soviet states is the Ivchenko-Progress D-18T with a thrust of 23.4 tf. It is built by MOTOR SICH company in Zaporozhye, Ukraine. Russia has no higher-thrust engine, though the need of it has been for long. As far back as the 1990s, Kuznetsov designed the NK-44 turbofan with a thrust of about 40 tf. At the time, the economic situation prevented the development to be completed. Several years ago, there were reports of the second attempt – the commencement of the work on the NK-65 engine with a thrust

of 18–30 tf. It was admitted that developing an engine from scratch would be long and very expensive.

Therefore, the developer emphasised using the backlog available – the upgraded NK-32 afterburning turbofan’s core and the experience drawn from the long-suffering NK-93 – but also using advanced technologies, materials and a digital design system.

Now, the company is trying to address the problem yet again.

According to Kuznetsov General Designer Dmitry Fedorchenko, the PD-30 design is a derivative of the NK-65. Its development is not overly ambitious: the PD-30 is only to achieve ‘up-to-date’ characteristics and be on a par with such foreign analogues, as the Rolls-Royce Trent, General Electric GEnx and CF6-80E1, GP7270, PW4460, etc.

To reduce risks, R&D costs and development time and optimise fullscale production, Kuznetsov is going to use its gearbox and low-emission combustor technology advance and take the production NK-32’s modified core as a basis of the future design.

The government ordered a resumption of the full-rate production of the NK-32 in support of the Defence Ministry, but the volume of production required is small, which will make the use of its core under other programmes, particularly, the PD-30, come in handy.

“The PD-30 engine will have the bypass design with the gearbox and split exhaust in the ducts”, said Dmitry Fedorchenko. “The modification of the core engine should be aimed at ensuring the stated parameters, including a considerable increase in the gas-dynamic characteristics of the blade units. In the course of the modification, the low-pressure turbine and compressor, gearbox, single-stage fan and control, monitoring and diagnostic system are designed anew. The gearbox will ensure the optimal revolutions of the fan and low-pressure turbine and also transfer the power to the fan by means of the shaft of the low-pressure turbine inside the medium-pressure turbine”.

According to the design data released during the Engines 2012

salon in April, the PD-30 will have a takeoff thrust of 29,500 kgf along with a bypass ratio of 8.7, an airflow rate of 1,138 kg/s and an inlet air temperature of 1,570K. The specific fuel burn will equal 0.535 kg/kgf*h in cruising mode (H=11 km, M=0.76). According to the requirements specification, the PD-14 fan diameter measures 2,950 mm, and the weight of the engine without its reverser accounts for 5,140 kg. The design and technological solutions implemented in the PD-30 include the use of blisk technologies in the high- and medium-pressure compressors, monocrystal cast blades of the high- and medium-pressure turbines, hollow fan and low-pressure turbine blades, etc.

The development of the PD-30 is planned to build on the expertise resultant from the development of another advanced Russian engine, the PD-14.

To manufacture the engine demonstrator and then run the production of the PD-30, proposals have been made to subcontract other Russian companies, e.g. UMPO, Salut, NPO Saturn, Aviadvigatel, etc.

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V – now for Mi-8T as well

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Having tested the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V Series 4E on board two Mi-8MSB prototypes, MOTOR SICH launched the re-engining of the first Mi-8Ts for commercial customers. One of the machines fitted with the new powerplant was unveiled at the HeliRussia 2012 air show in Moscow in May.

Andrey Fomin

Of special interest is the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V Series 4E derivative with the electrical starting system designed for re-engining the earlier-built Mil Mi-8T helicopters still powered by the TV2-117, which production has long been discontinued. The version’s takeoff power equals 1,500 hp and is maintained until ambient temperature reaches +55°C. The 1,700-hp emergency rating has been added.

The flight trials of the engine onboard a MOTOR SICH-modified Mi-8T, dubbed Mi-8MSB, began in November 2010 and have demonstrated a considerable improvement in the machine’s flight performance, especially when operated under high and hot conditions. Based on the tests, the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V Series 4 and 4E engines were certificated by the IAC Aircraft Registry last year and issued Supplemental Type Certificate No. ST267-AMD/D04.

Andrey Fomin

The MOTOR SICH joint stock company in Zaporozhye, Ukraine, carries on upgrade the world’s most popular turboshaft engine, the TV3-117VMA, which production it runs. New versions of the MOTOR SICH-developed TV3-117VMA-SBM1V family are designed to re-engine the existing helicopters of various types. The new engines resulted from a heavy upgrade of the TV3-117VMA with the use of design solutions tried previously on the TV3-117VMA-SBM1 turboprop that powers the An-140 regional passenger plane.

The TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine designed to power the Mi-8MTV (Mi-17, Mi-171) and Mi-24 (Mi-35) was certificated by the IAC Aircraft Registry in September 2007. It also passed its official bench tests in Russia in June 2011, proving its compliance with the requirements specification of the Russian Defence Ministry.

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According to the Salut Gas Turbine Research and Production Centre’s Director General Vladislav Masalov, the company manufactured about a hundred AL-31F turbofans in several variants in 2011. Over 75% of them, in the AL-31FN version in the first place, were exported. The rest were made for the Russian Defence Ministry.

To fit the aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force, the company has for several years supplied AL-31F Series 42 engines upgraded by the in-house design bureau and known as AL-31F-M1.

The AL-31F-M1 passed its official trials in 2006 and has been ordered by the Defence Ministry since 2007 to equip Sukhoi Su-27SM fighters. Last year, Salut shipped another batch of engines of the type, which were used for fitting the Su-27SM(3) fighters delivered to RusAF under the contract signed in 2009. A decision in principle was taken to fit the RusAF-ordered Sukhoi Su-34 bombers with Salutbuilt AL-31F Series 42s. Unlike the baseline AL-31F, the upgraded engine has an advanced enlarged-diameter fan (924 mm) and an automatic control system with a digital integrated governor, which has increased the

thrust up to 13,500 kgf and extended the service life.

The next stage of the Salutconducted upgrade is to become the AL-31F-M2 engine, which thrust in special mode will increase to 14,500 kgf and the service life to 3,000 h or more.

Early this year, Salut hosted a meeting of the scientific and technical board attended by personnel of the Sukhoi design bureau, Lyulka scientific and technical centre (an affiliate of NPO Saturn JSC), United Aircraft Corporation and United Engine Corporation. The board met to consider the results produced by the development work on upgrade the second-stage AL-31F (AL-31F-M2).

All work pertinent to the second stage of the engine’s upgrade is on schedule.

To date, the engine has completed its special bench tests in Central Institute of Aviation Motors thermal vacuum chamber, which have proven the feasibility of a static thrust of 14,500 kgf and the manufacturer’s performance ratings. The upgraded engine has a 9% increase in thrust in flight modes over the AL-31F-M1.

“The upgrade of the AL-31F engine does not involve modifying its dimensions and is aimed at retaining the

Alexey Mikheyev

Salut continues to upgrade AL-31F

feasibility of re-engining the whole of the Su-27 aircraft fleet without extra modifications to the airframe or engine nacelles”, Salut General Designer Gennady Skirdov said.

Until year-end 2012, the special bench and endurance test programme is to be completed and the special flight test programme is to begin.

The flight trials of the AL-31F-M2 are supposed to involve using a Su-27SM the Sukhoi company may provide or Gromov LII’s Su-27 flying testbed used for testing the AL-31F-M1.

According to Salut Director General Vladislav Masalov, series deliveries of

upgraded engines may well begin in 2013. “The AL-31F-M2 engine is an inexpensive option for re-engining the Su-27, Su-30 and Su-34 aircraft fleets in service with the Russian Air Force and for export”, the Salut Director General said. To meet the requirements specification in a fuller manner, the Su-27SM and Su-34 need an enhanced-thrust reduced-fuel-burn engine. The AL-31F-M2 is just the thing, as representatives of the Sukhoi design bureau have agreed. To cap it all, replacing the AL-31F with it necessitates no modifications to the aircraft and can be performed in the field.

of the type there. The programme is about half-complete.

Finally, the RD-93, a RD-33 derivative with the low-mounted accessory gearbox, is exported to China to fit FC-1 (JF-17) light single-engine fighters. The deal for 100 RD-93s with an option for 400 more was clinched in April 2005. The first 15 engines were assembled by Klimov, and Chernyshev has handled the rest of the deliveries since 2006. The contract is half-complete, and the

deliveries shall resume as soon as the customer submits its request.

At the same time with the full-rate production in Moscow, Klimov JSC in St. Petersburg continues to refine the RD-33MK and RD-93. According to Klimov, the company’s jet engine priorities are the development of the modified RD-93MA with the thrust enhanced to 9,300 kgf for a foreign customer and the development of the upgraded RD-33MKM with a thrust of 9,500 kgf for the MiG corporation.

According to UEC General Designer Alexander Ivakh speaking at the Engines 2012 salon in April, about 70 engines of the RD-33 family were made in Russia last year.

Their production is run now by the Chernyshev Mashine-Building Enterprise in Moscow. Previously, the RD-33 Series 2 had been in production with the Baranov OMO enterprise in Omsk (at present, an affiliate of the Salut Gas Turbine Research and Production Centre), but the fact that customers order now RD-33 Series 3 and RD-33MK engines only has left Omsk-based plant with repairing and overhauling Baranov-made engines, while the production of new engines has moved to Moscow.

Chernyshev’s near-term production programme is determined by its current orderbook for the second batch of 29 MiG-29K/KUB carrier-

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borne fighters to India (the first batch of 16 aircraft powered by Chernyshevbuilt RD-33MKs was delivered during 2009–2011) and the recent Russian Defence Ministry order for 24 fighters of the type. In addition, the plant supplied RD-33MK turbofans to fit the first two MiG-29M/M2 fighter prototypes.

The first MiG-29K/KUB jets are due to the Russian Navy’s air arm as soon as 2013, but the RD-33MK first has to pass its official bench tests for compliance with peculiar requirements of the Russian Armed Forces.

Klimov JSC kicked off the tests on 28 January 2012.

An important position in Chernyshev’s production plans is also occupied by the deliveries of RD-33 Series 3 knockdown kits to India under the January 2007 contract on licence production of 120 engines

Andrey Fomin

RD-33: output on the rise

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industry | interview

PHAZOTRON’S RADARS for MiGs, helicopters and more Interview of Phazotron-NIIR Corporation General Designer Yuri Guskov The Phazotron-NIIR corporation is known throughout the world for its fire control radars designed for MiG fighters. The MiGs in service with the air forces of more than 30 countries are fitted with its radars. Zhuk-ME radar variants, which fit the advanced MiG-29SMT, MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/ M2 and IAF’s upgraded MiG-29UPG fighters, are in full-rate production.

Tests of the Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) AESA radar designed for the MiG-35 and for upgrade of in-service MiG-29 versions are underway. Recently, Phazotron-NIIR has placed heavier emphasis on heliborne radars as part of its production programme. Corporation has completed the trials and launched full-scale production of the FH01 radar systems designed to equip the RusAF’s Kamov Ka-52 combat helicopters and launched its deliveries of late. In addition, the FHA radar intended for upgrade of the Navy’s Ka-27 helicopters is in trials. In the run-up to the Farnborough air show, Take-off met with Phazotron-NIIR General Designer Yuri Guskov and asked him to speak about the company’s key airborne radar development programmes. and the heliborne radar-related workload will remain stable. The rest is the work on radars designed for MiG fighters.

Let us begin with Phazotron-NIIR’s traditional sphere, radars for MiGs. Phazotron-NIIR continues the deliveries of several versions of the upgraded Zhuk-ME slot-array radar: FGM-129s for the Indian Navy-ordered MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters and FGM-229s to fit the Indian Air Force’s MiG-29UPG fighters (the first upgraded aircraft are nearing the end of their tests in Russia at present). In addition,

Piotr Butowski

Mr. Guskov, what airborne radar programmes are the Phazotron-NIIR corporation’s priorities now?

First off, mention should be made that Phazotron-NIIR completed 2011, having achieved a record of its own in the volume of sales. This was mostly achieved through delivery of cutting-edge FH01 radars designed for Kamov Ka-52 helicopters in service with the Russian Air Force. In addition, work was performed in support of the upgrade of the Ka-27 helicopters. Overall, about 70% of our 2011 deliveries fell on helicopter applications,

FGA-29 AESA radar onboard MiG-35 technology demonstrator

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two sets of the radar of the type were delivered for the first two MiG-29M/M2 fighter prototypes, with one of the aircraft successfully demonstrated at the KADEX 2012 international air show in Kazakhstan in May. We shall continue the Zhuk-ME radar deliveries under the orders of both the Indians and the Russian Defence Ministry. The MiG corporation is known to have landed in February 2012 an order for 24 carrierborne MiG-29K/KUB fighters intended for the Russian Navy’s air arm. We are to deliver the first batch of radars as soon as this year.

Concurrently, we are refining the radar of the type and associated software further.

Does the company continue to develop an AESA radar?

It does. We are going to launch a new phase of the programme in the near future – the flight tests of the full-scale Zhuk-AE (FGA-35) radar on the MiG-29. As you know, the development of the Zhuk’s version fitted with the AESA was launched by Phazotron-NIIR in the mid-2000s.

A demo variant of the radar – the FGA-29 with a 500-mm AESA – was made and put through some of the bench tests in 2006. Early in 2007, it was mounted on the MiG-35 demonstrator (side number 154) and displayed at the Aero India 2007 air show in Bangalore. In April 2010, the radar as part of the MiG-35D (side number 967) was involved in the flight trials conducted by both RusAF and IAF pilots, including live firing tests at missile ranges, and was praised high enough.

We have developed a Zhuk-AE version featuring an increased-diameter 688-mm www.take-off.ru

AESA – the FGA-35 – for use on productionstandard fighters. The number of the AESA’s T-R modules has grown by almost 50% to slight more than a thousand. The radar’s performance will improve considerably with an insignificant weight increase. The improvement is planned for demonstration during the flight tests using the MiG-29SMT (side number 777) prototype, the tests scheduled for late summer. Based on the outcome of the trials, RusAF will make up its mind which version of the MiG fighters will be bought by the Defence Ministry in the later 2010s – MiG-35 equipped with the AESA radar or MiG-29M/M2 with the less expensive Zhuk-ME slot-array radar. I am certain that we will be able to highlight the far more advanced capabilities of the AESA radar, for such radars own the future.

You have said that the mainstay of PhazotronNIIR’s production programme is helicopter radars, the one designed for the Ka-52 in the first place. Would you tell us about these efforts?

Phazotron-NIIR kicked off the development of a radar system to fit Kamov Ka-52 helicopter as far back as the mid-‘90s. We completed the preliminary design in 1996. However, the times were tough then, and defence-related programmes were given virtually no funding.

Against the backdrop like that, Kamov’s and Phazotron-NIIR’s directors general decided jointly to launch the development of the radar’s export version designated as Arbalet. In 1997, we developed Arbalet radar and started flighttesting it on board a Ka-52 prototype, which had lasted until 2002. Normal financing of the government’s combat gear acquisition resumed in 2002, which allowed the resumption of the work on the baseline model of the system, which version is designated as FH01 now.

We have performed all of the trials, including bench, acceptance, interdepartmental, flight and, finally, official state tests. At first, we used the hardware that had been involved in the development since the later 1990s, but then switched over to a new example borrowed from the backlog prepared for full-rate production.

The system completed its official trials early in 2011, thus enabling us to launch series deliveries. Last year, we shipped the first production-standard radars to the Progress helicopter plant in Arsenyev, and all of the Ka-52s supplied by the plant to the RusAF’s Combat and Conversion Training Centre in Torzhok in 2011 are equipped with these radars. This year, we are to provide the Arsenyev-based plant a new batch of heliborne radar systems to fit all new production-standard Ka-52s.

What new capabilities are offered by beefing up the Ka-52’s avionics suite with a radar? What functions does the radar handle and how does it expands the machine’s operating envelope?

First off, the Ka-52’s crew gets the highresolution terrain-mapping capability and the www.take-off.ru

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | interview

FH01 radar onboard Ka-52 helicopter

ability to select moving ground targets and track them effectively in look-down mode.

This makes it much easier for them to get their bearings in poor visibility conditions and enables them to designate the targets acquired for the integral optronic systems and relevant weapons. Compared to optronic systems, the radar features a far wider scan zone and is effective in fog and dust, round the clock, including the ungodliest pitch-dark hours. It should be admitted, however, that the target acquisition range of the radar diminishes sharply in heavy precipitation, but this is a peculiarity of the Ka-band with the 8-mm wavelength. It is worth adding that the heliborne radar easily spots ground obstacles jeopardising flight safety, e.g. transmission towers and even the cables running between them. In addition, it makes possible to detect low-flying aircraft.

What other heliborne radar programmes are being run by Phazotron-NIIR? The second major helicopter-related programme is the development of the FHA helicopter-mounted radar (Kopyo-A) to equip Kamov Ka-27 antisubmarine warfare helicopter family. As is known, the Russian Navy is to begin to buy helicopters of the type as soon as next year. The upgraded Ka-27 will get a sophisticated search-and-track system comprising a whole range of systems, e.g. the radar, radio-frequency sonobuoy subsystem, magnetic anomaly detector and other gear. Under the Ka-27 upgrade programme, Phazotron-NIIR is both the developer of the advanced radar and the integrator of the search-and-track system.

The Kopyo-A radar has undergone a series of rig tests and will be flight-tested in the near future. We are going to complete the flight trials of the FHA radar on board the Ka-27 by year-end so that we can launch series deliveries next year. We have got the same radar planned for installation on board an advanced search-and-rescue helicopter to

be derived from the Ka-27 or Ka-32. We have already been tasked to do so.

Thus, Phazotron-NIIR is a manufacturer of radars designed for various helicopter types in service with both the Air Force and Navy.

Russian combat trainer Yak-130 makes it sdebut at the current Farnborough air show. It lacks a radar so far, but versions, to which a radar may come in handy, are known to have been mulled over. Are you prepared to offer something for fitting them?

Indeed, current Yak-130 combat trainers delivered to the Russian Air Force and exported carry no radar yet. However, the aircraft’s developer is considering options of its further refining, particularly, as a light strike aircraft that features a high degree of exportability, according to expert opinion.

Beefing up the Yak-130s’ capabilities and tactical effectiveness is to be achieved through fitting the plane with an infrared search-and-track fire control system and an integral radar. The latter will provide the day/night combat capability using the whole of the weapons suite against aerial and ground threats in fair and adverse weather.

The Phazotron-NIIR corporation offers the FK130 small-size slot-array radar designed for new versions of the Yak-130. The radar’s development builds on the lessons learnt from developing and manufacturing the Kopyo radar carried now by IAF’s upgraded MiG-21bis UPG (Bison) fighters (Phazotron-NIIR once delivered 125 sets of Kopyo radar to India). The Kopyo-M radar has been derived from it to fit the upgraded Su-39 attack aircraft, to boot.

The key target of development of the FK130 radar tailored to the Yak-130 aircraft family is to minimise its weight (80 kg) and dimensions while retaining the top-notch characteristics in air-to-air and air-to-surface modes.

Certainly, the radar equipping the Yak-130 versions will jazz up their appeal on the market. take-off july 2012

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industry | upgrade

Mi-26T2 is ready to take over leadership Russia has retained its competence in production of the heavy-lift helicopters of the Mi-26 family, featuring the world’s best lifting capacity. Designed by Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant and being in full-rate production by Rostvertol JSC (both are the subsidiaries of Russian Helicopters company), helicopters of the Mi-26 family provide excellent capability to their military and civil owners in many countries. In recent years three newly-built Mi-26TC helicopters were delivered to Chinese customers that have been using them actively on fire fighting, disaster relief and special transport operations. Recently, the Russian Defence Ministry has resumed acquisition of newly-built Mi-26s too. According to the Russian press, it has given the Russian Helicopters holding company a long-term contract for more than 10 aircraft of the type. First Mi-26s, produced under the contract, were delivered in October last year, while the next few helicopters were completed by Rostvertol last December and are operated in the Urals. According to the Russian Defence Ministry website, “about five” more Mi-26s will enter the Air Force’s inventory in 2012. In the future, the company is to supplement the production of the present-day Mi-26, Mi-26T and Mi-26TC with the Mi-26T2 upgrade powered by modified engines and equipped with a sophisticated avionics suite allowing, among other things, a crew reduction down to two pilots. A Mi-26T2 prototype was made in Rostov in 2010 and is undergoing its flight tests.

Russian heavy-lift Mi-26, which first flew on 14 December 1977, revolutionised rotorcraft building in its day by setting new heavylift helicopter standards. It was able to carry up to 80 troops in combat gear or 60 casualties on stretchers, or cargo weighing up to 20 t in its cargo cabin or on the external sling.

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Its foreign rivals have been unable to beat it at this yet.

A graphic proof of the superiority of the Russian machine over its US competition is the widely known facts of history of the combat operations in Afghanistan, when the Mi-26’s services had to be resorted to so as

US Chinooks downed in mountainous areas can be recovered.

Visiting the 5th HeliRussia International Helicopter Industry Exhibition, Vicepremier of the Russian government, Dmitry Rogozin, gave a high assessment of domestic developments and remembered the delight with which he showed NATO’s representatives photos with the Russian Mi-26 helicopter evacuating an US CH-47 helicopter in Afghanistan.

However, to remain on the cutting edge of technological progress and meet the requirements of potential customer in a better manner, Russia kicked off heavy upgrade of the Mi-26 six years ago. The upgraded helicopter was designated as Mi-26T2. Its key features will include the round-the-clock operation capability, advanced digital avionics allowing a crew reduction down to two pilots, and uprated engines.

The BREO-26 avionics suite of the Mi-26T2 upgrade is wrapped around the NPK-90-2 flight navigation system comwww.take-off.ru

Andrey Fomin

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | upgrade

militaryphotos.net

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

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prising a digital display system, control consoles, a digital computer, a satellite navigation system and a digital flight control system. In addition, the Mi-26T2’s avionics suite includes a day/night gyrostabilised surveillance optronic system, an up-to-date communications suite and an integral test system. Optional gear includes night-vision goggles. According to expert estimates, the BREO-26 avionics suite will boost the Mi-26T2’s reliability, flight safety, stability, controllability and hovering precision, the latter being especially important when using the external sling (for example, during building and assembly jobs, cargo operations and fire-fighting missions).

Owing to its advanced avionics suite, the Mi-26T2 can fly round the clock in any weather and above sea surface. Another advantage of the machine is a reduction in mission planning time and in-flight workload on the crew owing, among other things, to automatic onboard systems health monitoring.

The Mi-26T2 carries outsize cargo and vehicle weighing a total of 20 t both in its cargo cabin and on the external sling. Its military variant hauls 82 troops while its casevac version 60 casualties. The machine also can handle construction and erection work of various degrees of complexity, fire fighting, quick fuel delivery with on-theground refuelling of vehicles, etc.

Certainly, the upgraded Mi-26T2 heavylift helicopter has bright vistas not only in Russia, but also on the international market where interest in rotary-wing heavylifters remains keen. The Russian-made Mi-26T2 will retain its edge over its foreign competition in terms of a number of basic characteristics, in the first place, maximum carrying capacity and heavily-laden range.

For this reason, analysts foresee interest in the Mi-26T2 advanced heavy-lift helicopter on the part of countries from all over the world, including European NATO members whose defence need in an advanced heavy-lift helicopter will never be met even by upgraded US CH-47F Chinook and CH-53K Super Stallion. According to NATO officials, they are unable to carry all of the materiel in service with the militaries of the NATO members. With its carrying capacity of 20 t, the Mi-26T2 remains unchallenged, given that the normal lifting capacity of the upgraded CH-47F being fielded with the US Army and several other armies is up to 11 t and that of the CH-53K designed mostly for the US Marine Corps stands at around 16 t.

There is a lot of work for the future Mi-26T2 in Asia, Africa and the Middle East as well, of them being traditional Russian aircraft markets. This indicates a niche for the advanced Russian all-weather day/night heavy-lift helicopter meeting the most stringent requirements.

The Mi-26T2 bids in the tender issued by the Indian Ministry of Defence for 15 advanced heavy-lift helicopters. The potential customer is rather pleased with its assessment, and experts deem the Mi-26T2’s chances for winning in the Indian tender as high.

“We demonstrated the helicopter to the potential customer and it exceeded almost all the requirements, including operations in mountainous regions”, told the General Designer of the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant Alexey Samusenko. “Indian pilots, admitted to the flight tests, highly prized the upgraded helicopter, especially its new avionics”.

The Russian Defence Ministry and Ministry for Emergencies can order Mi-26T2s too. take-off july 2012

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Perm Engine Company

industry | engines

George SMIRNOV

PS-90A

3 MILLION HOURS IN THE SKY At present, all medium- and long-haul airliners and freighters made in Russia are powered by PS-90A turbofan engines developed by the Perm-based Aviadvigatel company and produced by the Perm Engine Company. In April, the total flight hours logged by PS-90A engines exceeded three millions. The good showing turned out to be a kind of present timed to the 20th anniversary of the PS-90A’s certification in April 1992.

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Now, engines of the PS-90A family power 82 long-haul aircraft operated by 11 Russian and five foreign carriers. Throughout its operation, the PS-90A has been repeatedly improved in terms of design, and its manufacturing technology has been refined, which has stepped up its reliability and service life.

In all, 370 PS-90A engines have been made in Perm in the four basic versions, the PS-90A, PS-90A1, PS-90A2 and PS-90A-76, used on Ilyushin Il-96-300, Il-96-400T, Tupolev Tu-204, Tu-214, Ilyushin Il-76TD-90, Il-76MF and other planes.

The PS-90A-76, a PS-90A version, cleared another important hurdle early in April 2012 by having logged more than 9,000 flight hours as part of the Il-76TD-90 of Azeri air company Silk Way Airlines without having been detached for repairs.

The PS-90A76 was certificated in 2003 and has been in full-rate production by the Perm Engine Company since 2004. It has been selected as the main engine to power the upgraded Il-76MD-90A (‘476’) airlifter, which first flight is slated for this summer.

The fifth new Il-76TD-90VD aircraft fitted with engines of the type was delivered to the Volga-Dnepr air company in May 2012.

In addition, a programme is in the pipeline on re-engining in-service RusAF Il-76MD airlifters and Il-78M tanker planes with PS-90A-76s. The Russian Emergencies Ministry and a number of commercial operators are mulling over the re-engining of their Il-76TDs with PS-90A-76s and acquisition of advanced Il-76TD-90As (‘476’) powered by engines of the type.

“The PS-90A is the main product made by our plant. Its core serves the basis for several versions of aircraft engines and gas turbine plants used by oil and gas producers and power generation companies”, Perm Engine Company Managing Director Alexei Mikhalyov says. “We attach great importance to ramping up its production and honing its manufacturing technology.

Our priority is landing the governmental order for over 500 PS-90A-76s to be made during 2012–2020 on order from the United Aircraft Corporation to fit the future Il-76MD-90A transport. This would allow keeping the company busy and ensuring the Perm Engine Company’s necessary development pace and re-equipment during the productionising of the PD-14 fifthgeneration engine”, Proof of the high quality of PS-90A engines is the fact that it powers all advanced Russian aircraft operated by the Presidential aircraft unit, the Rossiya special air detachment, including the Presidential aircraft itself. At present, Rossiya flies 16 airliners powered by PS-90As – five Il-96-300s, two www.take-off.ru

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | engines

www.take-off.ru

The principal design difference of the PS-90A3u and PS-90A2 from the baseline PS-90A will be an improved highpressure turbine designed specifically for the high cycle life of its parts. According to Aviadvigatel JSC, the use of up-to-date technologies – turbine first- and secondstage monocrystal blades made of the ZhS-36MONO alloy, ceramic blade heatinsulation coatings, EP471NP granulated alloy for turbine blades and modified turbine design – will double the high-pressure turbine’s service life. The developer believes that throughout the service life, the engine’s time in repairs and overhaul will drop from 50 months to 22 months, while the maintenance labour-intensity reduction, achieved by means of an increased periodicity and a maintenance volume reduction, will slash the maintenance costs by 30%.

The Perm Engine Company is interested in upgrading the whole of the PS-90A engine fleet now in service. Carriers will get

more reliable hardware featuring a lower operating cost, and the commonalisation of the Perm Engine Company’s products will enable the manufacturer to cut the prime cost of production and overhaul.

Suggestions to order PS-90A3u engines instead of the earlier PS-90A variants or upgrade the latter to PS-90A3u standard during overhaul have been made by the Perm Engine Company to all air carriers operating these engines. Memoranda of understanding on using the PS-90A3u have been signed by the plant, on the one hand, and the Cubana airline, Ilyushin Finance leasing company and Aviastar-Tu air carrier. A proposal is being worked out for the Russian Defence Ministry to transform the anticipated major order for the PS-90A-76 to power the Il-76MD-90A into an order for the PS-90A3u-76.

The Perm Engine Company has launched the productionising of the commonised PS-90A3u.

Perm Engine Company

Tu-204-300s and nine Tu-214s in various versions. From December 2011 to April 2012, the Presidential air detachment received five airliners equipped with PS-90A engines – two Tu-204-300s, two Tu-214s and an Il-96-300. Another Tu-214 is due to Rossiya’s aircraft fleet before year-end.

Overall, the Perm Engine Company manufactured 13 PS-90A last year in response to an order by the President Support Office, with the deliveries to continue this year.

“In 2012, the Perm Engine Company ought to fulfil the order for seven specialpurpose PS-90A engines, which was placed by the President Support Office”, says Alexei Mikhalyov. “It is very important to us that aircraft powered by our engines are trusted by top national leaders. We continue to pursue a very stringent quality management policy so that our engines continue to meet the most stringent requirements”.

In all, the Perm Engine Company made and delivered 23 engines of the PS-90A family in 2011. Four of them were PS-90A1s mounted on the fourth Il-96-400T cargo plane designed for the Polyot air company, while two were in the PS-90A2 variant and were mounted on the second Tu-204SM that entered the certification trials in 2011.

The 2012 plan makes provision for the Perm Engine Company to manufacture 22 engines of the PS-90A family.

Overall, upwards of 370 PS-90A engines in all versions have been built in Perm. 270 of them are operated in Russia, Azerbaijan, India, Jordan, Cuba and the North Korea.

In the near future, the Perm-based engine maker is to focus on promoting another version of the engine on the market – the commonised PS-90A3u derived from the PS-90A with the use of latest turbine design solutions embodied in the PS-90A2 variant. It is designed to replace the PS-90A on board the Tu-204, Tu-214, Il-96 and Il-76 aircraft, as it features a much longer service life and a far better reliability.

take-off july 2012

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contracts and deliveries | news

Pavel Noddlov

In late February 2012, the Russian Defence Ministry and the MiG Corp. signed the longawaited contract for a 24-ship batch of MiG-29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters. Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov and MiG Corp. Director General Sergei Korotkov signed the contract.

Under the deal, the manufacturer shall have delivered 20 single-seat MiG-29K fighters and four two-seat MiG-29KUB combat trainers to the Russian Navy from 2013 to 2015.

The warplanes will be fielded with the Northern Fleet’s carrierborne fighter air regiment and operated as part of the carrier air group (CAG) of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier.

According to the MiG Corp.’s news release circulated on the occasion of the signature of the contract, the aircraft to be delivered will be in line with the Defence Ministry’s new requirements specification. To date, the company has built 16 production-standard MiG-29K/KUB fighters and delivered them to the Indian Navy under the 2004 contract. The deliveries took place during 2009–2011. Last year, the corporation commenced the construction of another MiG-29K/KUB batch for the Indian Navy under the 2010 contract for 29 aircraft of the type.

“The signature of the contract is a true contribution to the implementation of a long-term pro-

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Sergey Lysenko

Russian Navy ordering MiG-29K

gramme aimed at re-equipment the Russian Armed Forces”, Defence Minister Anatoly Serdyukov said in connection with the clinching of the deal for 24 MiG-29K/KUB fighters ordered by the Russian Navy. “Following the Air Force, the Navy’s air arm will get upto-date warplanes rivalling the best foreign designs”. MiG Corp.

Director General Sergei Korotkov said the government-awarded order resulted from the long-term efforts to develop advanced MiG fighters and launch their mass production. “The MiG-29K and its future derivatives will ensure a stable workload on the production facilities of the corporation in the medium term”, the MiG Corp. boss concluded.

Mention should be made that the Russian Defence Ministry was expected to have ordered the MiG-29K as far as two years ago, and then they believed the order would have been awarded in 2011.

The main cause of the contract signature dragging its feet is said to have been the disagreements over the price of the fighter: the price offered by the military made the fighter unprofitable, the manufacturer said. Only late in January of this year did First Deputy Defence Minister Alexander Sukhorukov told the media that the disagreements had finally been settled and the contract would be signed in the near future, mentioning that 28 fighters were to be bought. The final version of the contract stipulated 24.

The first MiG-29K/KUBs are believed to be able to start flying as part of the Admiral Kuznetsov’s CAG in 2014 and will oust her Su-33 deck-based fighters gradually. The Su-33 production by KnAAPO was put on the backburner following the completion of 26 production-standard aircraft on 1996. Ten Su-33s took part in the Admiral Kuznetsov’s two-month-long combat training cruise to the North Atlantic and Mediterranean, which was wrapped up in mid-February 2012. Actually, they are virtually everything that remains airworthy of the aircraft of the type. Although KnAAPO continues Su-33 overhaul and life extension, the assigned life of the carrierborne fighters is shorter than that of the land-based versions due to the conditions of their employment, and the last of the Su-33s are expected to be decommissioned by the middle of the decade. Another important factor is that the Su-33’s weapons suite includes air-to-air missiles and ‘dumb’ air-to-surface weapons only, while that of the MiG-29K/KUB comprises a wide range of guided weapons in all classes and the two’s avionics suite is more advanced.

In late September 2009, a prototype and a production-standard model of the MiG-29K/KUB were tested for being fit for basing on ski-jump ramp-equipped aircraft carriers, with a series of test flights performed off the Admiral Kuznetsov in the Barents Sea.

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contracts and deliveries | news

Demand for Mi-35 remains stable

Erik RostovSpotter

Demand for the Mil Mi-35M and Mi-35P attack helicopters made by Rostvertol JSC remains high, with Azerbaijan’s lucrative order awarded autumn 2010 for 24 new Mi-35Ms being a good case in point. The first four machines were delivered to Baku on 12 December 2011 and fielded with the Azeri Border Guard. Another four-ship Mi-35M batch, designed for the Azeri Air Force, was shipped in April 2012.

Last spring, Rostvertol prepared for delivery three more Mi-35Ms built under the October 2008 contract for 12 helicopters ordered by the Brazilian Air Force. The first six aircraft of the type were shipped to Brazil during 2009– 2010, but the fulfilment of the deal was put on the backburner after the new Brazilian government had revamped its armament acquisition financing plans.

The resumption of the deliveries is expected to resume this year.

By the way, the order for two Mi-35P helicopters for Peru, which

was placed in July 2010, was fulfilled last year. Both aircraft, given an original paintjob on the customer’s request, were shipped to the Latin American country in April 2011.

The Mi-35M and Mi-35P will remain a priority under Rostvertol’s production programme in the near future.

According to the company’s Director General Boris Slyusar, the plant’s orderbook for the machines of the family is full throughout 2015 at the least.

First Ka-32s for Brazil and Kazakhstan

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helicargo.com.br

national infrastructure development work under way as part of Brazil’s preparations for World Cup 2014 and the 2016 Olympic Games.

The Ka-32A11BC’s delivery to Brazil had been preceded by its certification by the local aviation authorities last year. As is known, the Ka-32A11BC was certificated by Canada in 1998, Mexico in 2005, Chile in 2007 and China, Indonesia and South Korea in 2008. The machine was issued its EASA type certificate in 2009 and certificated in India last year.

Recently one more new operator for Ka-32A11BC helicopters emerged. In early May 2012 Russian Helicopters holding company delivered the first aircraft of the type to Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry under the contract for two Ka-32A11BCs clinched in August 2011. The helicopter got registration UP-K3202 and will be used for medevac and firefighting operations. The second Ka-32A11BC will be delivered to Kazakhstan’s Emergency Ministry later this year.

Russian Helicopters

Late in March, the Russian Helicopters holding company reported the delivery to a Brazilian customer its first Kamov Ka-32A11BC multipurpose medium transport helicopter, stressing that the delivery was “right on schedule under the contract signed in December 2010”. The customer is the Helipark helicopter centre situated near Sao Paulo, and the actual operator will be the Helicargo company being set up under its auspices for special cargo operations.

According to Helicargo’s official website (helicargo.com.br), the company’s four-pilot and sixmaintainer group had been trained in operating and maintaining the Ka-32A11BC at Kamov and Kumertau Aircraft Production Enterprise from 16 January to late March 2012, and the machine registered as PR-HCG was brought to Brazil in April.

The Ka-32A11BC is planned for commercial industrial under-slung cargo haulage in inaccessible areas in Brazil’s Amazon basin. It also is supposed to be used as part of

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contracts and deliveries | news

Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

The helicopters of the Mi-8/17 family remain a true bestseller on the global and domestic markets. Last year, about two-thirds of the deliveries of Russian-made helicopters fell on them, with customers receiving over 170 machines of the type. They are in production with two of the subsidiaries of the Russian Helicopters holding company. Kazan Helicopters makes the Mi-8MTV-1 transport and passenger versions, which export designation is Mi-17-1V, and the Mi-8MTV-5 (Mi-17V-5) troop carrier in various variants. The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant is the manufacturer of the Mi-8AMT and Mi-171 transports (export designation – Mi-171E) as well as Mi-8AMTSh troop carrier (export designation – Mi-171Sh).

According to the April statement by Kazan Helicopters Director General Vadim Ligai, the company delivered “more than 90” helicopters last year and expects an output growth of 10–15% in 2012. The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, in turn, made 85 Mi-8AMTs and Mi-171s in various versions last year and is going to ramp up its output to 95 machines in 2012.

According to Vadim Ligai, the exports accounted for 71% of last year’s deliveries of Kazan Helicopters.

The rest falls on the orders placed

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by the Russian Defence Ministry and other governmental agencies.

Interestingly, the Russian Defence Ministry has ordered Mi-8 family choppers from both manufacturers, with Kazan Helicopters supplying it with Mi-8MTV-5-1 helicopters and the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant with Mi-8AMTSh ones. The official website of the Russian Defence Ministry maintains, “about 30 troops carriers from the Mi-8 helicopter family will be delivered to the Air Force in 2012”.

During the MAKS 2011 air show in August 2011, Russian Helicopters landed two lucrative orders for UlanUde-built Mi-171s and Mi-8AMTs intended for Russian commercial operators – the UTair air carrier ordered 40 more aircraft of the type and Gazpromavia opted for 39. The deliveries are to begin this year.

The fattest export orders for Mi-17s and Mi-171s have been awarded

by India, the PRC, Egypt and, oddly enough, the United States. The most impressive one of them is the Indian order for 80 Mi-17V-5s fitted with a sophisticated avionics suite. The order was awarded by the Indian Ministry of Defence in December 2008 and is worth upwards of $1.2 billion. The first batch under the order was shipped to India last autumn and entered service

UUAZ

Helicopters of Mi-17 family still leading market

with the Indian Air Force in a ceremony at Palam air base on the outskirts of New Delhi on 17 February 2012. By then, the customer had received as many as 20 new Mi-17V-5s. According to Kazan Helicopters Director General Vadim Ligai speaking with the media in April, the deliveries under the contract are to be wrapped up by the middle of next year, and he might well have an offer for the Indians – they consider the feasibility of ordering 59 Mi-17V-5s more for IAF and 12 for the Indian Ministry of Interior.

The contract for 32 Ulan-Udemanufactured Mi-171Es to be made for China was signed in December 2009. Deliveries kicked off in autumn 2010 and were completed last year, and a new major deal for more of the same was clinched with the PRC late in 2011.

Egypt placed an order with Kazan Helicopters for 24 Mi-17V-5 in 2009.

The first machines were built in 2010, and the deliveries are, probably, to be fulfilled this year.

A considerable contribution to the production programme of both plants keeps on to be made by US orders for Mi-171Es designed for Iraq and

Mi-17V-5s for Afghanistan. US company ARINC ordered 22 Mi-171Es for Iraq from the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in December 2007. Prior to delivery to Iraq, the machines were fitted with extra gear in the UAE. The first eight helicopters were commissioned for service in autumn 2010 and the last ones of the second batch made up of 14 aircraft followed suit in the summer of 2011. Kazan Helicopters snagged the US DoD’s order for 21 Mi-17V-5s in May 2011. The first nine choppers were headed for Afghanistan late in 2011 and the rest 12 are slated for delivery during this year.

Other export deliveries by Kazan Helicopters last year included the shipment of Mi-17-1Vs to Azerbaijan and Poland as well as Mi-17V-5s to Thailand, Indonesia and South Sudan.

The Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant supplied Peru with six Mi-171Sh helicopters and Ecuador with two Mi-171Es. In addition, Azerbaijan’s International Handling Company took delivery of four Mi-171s in February of last year.

New customers for Ulan-Udemade helicopters have been Brazil and Argentina. The former ordered two Brazil-certificated commercial Mi-171A1s in December 2010, with the helicopters planned for use in the Amazon basin in support of the government-owned Petrobras oil and gas company. December of last year saw a pair of Mi-171Es crop up in Argentina as well. The Argentinean Defence Ministry and Russia’s Rosoboronexport made the deal in August 2010. The machines were supposed to be operated on transport and search-and-rescue (SAR) operations in the Antarctic.

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558 ARP OFFERS SATELLITE JSC “558 Aircraft Repair Plant” has been dealing with overhaul of aircraft and helicopters for more than 70 years. The plant is known far beyond the borders of the Republic of Belarus. This repute is a result of the overall history of the plant and reliable quality of overhauled aviation materiel. JSC “558 ARP” performs overhaul and modernization of Su-17 (Su-22), Su-25, MiG-29, Su-27, L-39, An-2 aircraft and Мi-8 (Мi-17), Мi-24 (Мi-35) helicopters of all versions.

The plant is a dynamically developing, economically prosperous enterprise, the leader in its domain. JSC “558 ARP” constantly offers new products and services to the customers: production and supply of spare parts, creation of service maintenance and repair centers at the customer’s territory, training of pilots, technicians and repair mechanics, delivery of special technological equipment.

Nowadays one of the advanced products which successfully passed tests at the plant and on the customers’ territory is SATELLITE ECM system – an onboard equipment of radio engineering protection of all types of aircraft against high precision radio guided weapons.

The operating principle of the equipment is based on creation of interference to goniometrical channels of radar means of weapons control. SATELLITE system has several main advantages: it almost eliminates the threat of hitting the protected object by missiles with radar guided homing heads, the jamming impact is formed automatically to all attacking enemy radars at all stages of combat mission. SATELLITE is a lightweight

and small-size equipment, it requires only minor modifications of the object during installation, occupies no separate suspension point on the aircraft; it is much more reliable than other existing ECM systems, besides, it does not require any special ground support means, being exceptionally easy to operate.

When the enemy radar weapon control means operate in the scanning (target search) mode, the system creates masking interference in the channels of range and angular data. As a result, numerous false target marks appear on the enemy displays making it difficult to identify the true target amidst the false ones.

In the tracking mode, the equipment destroys the front of the incident electromagnetic wave and compels the tracking systems to change into the mode of tracking the maneuvering decoy target, providing hidden driven withdrawal of goniometric tracking systems which leads to

appearance of considerable sign-alternating errors in the targeting circuit of missiles.

However, no signs of the jamming impact can be observed on the displays of weapon control radar means, so guided missiles can be launched on maneuvering decoy target without any hindrance. The missile follows considerable false angular control commands, thus quickly loses its speed which leads to decrease of flight range, growth of current miss and, as a consequence, to nonkilling the target.

Besides, the equipment has a mode of compulsory loss of automatic tracking by the enemy’s weapon control radars at any stage of attack.

SATELLITE equipment, being a unique product with no analogues worldwide, allows performing a combat mission without distracting the pilot’s attention for initiation of jamming to irradiating radar stations. The equipment is continuously active, it does not interfere the operation of own radar means of weapon control. The equipment may be installed both on military and civil aircraft.

JSC “558 ARP” earned well-deserved authority among the airmen all over the world owing to accumulated experience of the plant, unique qualification of the personnel, advanced equipment of industrial facilities, high quality of services, accurate and timely execution of orders.

558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC Bldg. 7, 50 let VLKSM, Baranovichi, Brest region, 225320, Republic of Belarus Tel.: +375 (163) 42-99-54 Fax: +375 (163) 42-91-64 E-mail: box@558arp.by http://www.558arp.by

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commercial aviation | news

Significant milestone of MC-21 programme Early in June, there were two significant milestones passed by the programme on development of a family of Irkut MC-21 advanced short/medium-haul passenger aircraft designed to seat 150–210 passengers. Both pertained to the powerplant of the future airliner.

On 5 June 2012, the Irkut corporation, prime contractor for the MC-21 programme, and Pratt & Whitney announced the closure of an agreement on the PW1400G engine for the MC-21 aircraft family. Under the contract, the engine will be the only foreign-made powerplant to fit the MC-21. At the same time, Irkut and Pratt & Whitney selected Short Borthers, a subsidiary of Bombardier Aerospace of Canada, as the sole supplier of engine nacelles for the PW1400G engine family.

Irkut reported that the PW1400Gpowered MC-21’s maiden flight was slated for 2015 and its service entry for 2017.

An engine variant is designed for each of the MC-21 versions under development, e.g. the baseline MC-21-300 is to be fitted with PW1431G geared turbofans with a thrust of about 14,000 kgf, the shrunk MC-21-200 will be equipped with 12,700-kgf PW1428G engines while the MC-21-400 stretch is to be powered by PW1433G turbofans with a takeoff power of about 15,000 kgf. The latter is the most powerful variant in the PW1000G family today along with the PW1133G designed for use on the Airbus A321neo.

“We are glad to confirm our readiness to provide the PurePower engine for the MC-21, thus ensuring the economic and environment friendliness advantages offered by the aircraft”, said Todd Kallman, president of Pratt & Whitney’s commercial aircraft engine division. “This revolutionary engine family is totally compliant with the technical performance and pro-

gramme schedule targets. We are proud of being able to offer Irkut the product allowing maximising the reduction in fuel consumption, noise level, emissions and operating costs”.

“Pratt & Whitney PurePower engines boost the competitiveness of the MC-21 through the real efficiency increase that customers dream of”, said Irkut President Alexei Fyodorov. “Just as important is the fact that the advanced engine features improved environment friendliness”.

Meanwhile, significant events have taken place in the city of Perm, where work is in progress on a domestic engine to power the MC-21. Aviadvigatel JSC completed the assembly of and handed the first fifthgeneration PD-14 (No. 100-1) engine demonstrator for trials on 30 May 2012. The first start-up of the PD-14 demonstrator on a stand of Aviadvigatel JSC took

place on 9 June. Aviadvigatel General Designer Alexander Inozemtsev said: “Four years have passed since the launch of the Engines to power MC-21 aircraft programme. Development of fifth-generation engines on the basis of a commonised core engine is under the 2002–2015 Russian Commercial Aircraft Development federal programme.

The key target of the programme is to gain at least a 10% slice of the market of aircraft engines in the 9–18-tonne thrust class. The PD-14 is the baseline model of the new family”.

According to Alexander Inozemtsev, the flight tests of a PD-14 prototype on the Il-76 flying testbed are scheduled for 2014.

The availability of two competing powerplants intended for the MC-21 family will allow technical risk reduction and an increase in the number of potential customers for the new airliner family.

Volga-Dnepr commissions its fifth Il-76TD-90VD

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aircraft fleet in April 2010 and the fourth one (RA-76503) in November 2011.

The fifth Il-76TD-90VD (c/n 94-08) made its first flight in Tashkent on 10 April 2012. With

its factory tests complete, it was ferried to Ulyanovsk for painting and customs clearance on 27 April and delivered officially on 16 May. RA-76511’s first commercial flight was slated for mid-June.

Volga-Dnepr is interested in beefing up its PS-90A-76-powered Il-76 fleet to 20 units by 2030.

However, it is obvious that new aircraft will be manufactured in Ulyanovsk, rather than Tashkent.

Volga-Dnepr

16 May 2012 saw the VolgaDnepr carrier receive in Ulyanovsk another Ilyushin Il-76TD-90VD transport aircraft that was given registration number RA-76511.

The freighter became the fifth aircraft of the type in the customer’s aircraft fleet and, in all probability, the last Il-76 made by the Tashkent Aircraft Production Corp.

The work on upgrading the Il-76 by powering it with PS-90A-76 turbofan engines and fitting with the up-to-date Kupol-III-76MVD flight navigation suite was initiated by Volga-Dnepr carrier in 2002.

In all, the customer ordered five Il-76TD-90VDs with 15 options.

The first two aircraft (RA-76950 and RA-76951) entered service in 2006–2007. The construction of the follow-on three was handled in Tashkent under the 2007 contract between Volga-Dnepr-Leasing LLC and UAC – Transport Aircraft JSC. The third Il-76TD-90VD (RA-76952) joined the company’s

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We lease the wings to let you win

.

Visit us at Farnborough International Airshow 2012, Chalet A4 Over a decade we have gained the experience to challenge the Russian aviation market making the leasing a something more than just a financial service.

With sharp feeling of the local environment and dedication to diversify our business we aim to comfort the airlines with the best aircraft and financing solutions.

www.ifc-leasing.com

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commercial aviation | news

Petr Klunduk

Czech aircraft manufacturer Aircraft Industries (trademark LET), which principal shareholder Russia’s Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company has become recently, continues to supply Russia with advanced 19-seat turboprop commuter and regional passenger planes.

On 19 May 2012, two more L-410UVP-E20 aircraft (c/n 2804 and 2805, registration numbers for the duration of the tests and ferry flight OK-ODO and OK-ODM), which had been made for the Yamal airline last autumn, flew to Russia from the factory airfield in Kunovice. The flight with stopovers in Kosice, Kiev, Voronezh (where the customs were cleared), Samara and Yekaterinburg was completed with success in Tyumen’s Roschino airport.

The aircraft were leased from the Western Siberian Leasing Company.

They are to start operations in coming August, when the air carrier’s flying and ground crews will have completed their conversion to the type.

Yamal’s L-410 shall operate out of Novy Urengoi on commuter services.

Krasnoyarsk-based KrasAvia will become another new operator of L-410UVP-E20s in the near future.

Earlier this year, the carrier issued tenders to leasing companies for five new L-410UVP-E20 aircraft – three in 2012 and two in early 2013. The financial leasing agreement for the first three L-410UVP-E20s for KrasAvia was awarded to the State Transport Leasing Company.

The first L-410UVP-E20 (c/n 2812, temporary reg. OK-SLZ) had been prepared for delivery in early June

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Alexey Boyarin

New L-410s for Russian airlines

2012. Its arrival to Krasnoyarsk’s Yemelyanovo airport took place on 18 June. Two more aircraft (c/n 2813 and 2814, temporary reg. OK-ODJ and OK-ODS) are due in Krasnoyarsk in July. They were undergoing their acceptance trials in Kunovice, with their departure slated for 24 June.

KrasAvia’s new L-410s are supposed to enter operation in August or September upon completion of the conversion of the flying and ground crews and issuance of the operator’s certificate. The planes will fly services from the city of Krasnoyarsk throughout the Krasnoyarsk Territory and, possibly, to neighbouring regions.

Following a long break, the deliveries of new L-410s to Russia resumed in 2009, with two newly-built L-410UVP-E20s were commissioned

by Russian carrier UTair-Express into its aircraft fleet. The PetropavlovskKamchatsky Air Company took delivery of three L-410UVP-E20s in 2010.

In addition, three new aircraft of the

type were received by the civil aviation flying school in Sasovo in 2009 through 2011 and seven planes were received by the Russian Defence Ministry since 2011, including three in February and March of this year.

LET has run production of the L-410 since 1971. Over 1,100 aircraft have been made to date, of which in excess of 400 remain in service worldwide, according to the manufacturer. During the 1970s and 1980s, the average output rate exceeded 50 units per annum, but the political change in Eastern Europe on the verge of the 1990s and the subsequent collapse of the Soviet Union, a major customer for the type, resulted in a sharp decline in demand. As a consequence, two to five aircraft would leave the assembly shop in Kunovice in the ‘90s and none during 2000 and 2003 through 2005 whatsoever.

The situation began to improve in the later 2000s. Privately-owned Czech company PAMCO bought LET

in September 2005, and Russia’s Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company (UMMC) acquired 51% of its stock in June 2008. UMMC’s assuming control of the Kunovice-based aircraft plant has borne fruit. The output and deliveries of the company’s main product, the L-410UVP-E20 aircraft, picked up in 2009, with the plane being certificated in 2005 by EASA and the aviation authorities of the Czech Republic, Russia, Australia, Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia, Cuba, the Philippines and Chile and cleared for operation in a number of African, Asian and Latin American nations.

The growth of the output of new L-410s in Kunovice kicked off in the late 2000s. While the company built four aircraft in 2007 and 2008, it churned out as many as seven in 2009. Of the eight L-410UVP-E20s manufactured in 2010, three were headed to Russia and two were procured by Brazilian company NOAR, with the Slovak Air Force, Bulgarian airline Heli Air Services and French Guyana’s Air Guyane Express buying one aircraft each.

The manufacturer wrapped up 2011 by having delivered 12 new L-410UVP-E20s, of which eight had been made for Russian operators, one for a Kazakh customer, two for Air Guyane Express and one for the Djibouti Air Force.

Aircraft Industries is intent on ramping up the L-410 production.

According to the manufacturer, 13 aircraft are slated for delivery this year, 16 in 2013 and 20 in 2014, and the annual output rate is to reach 24 aircraft starting from 2015.

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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

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commercial aviation | report

SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 A YEAR IN SERVICE Mid-June marked a year sharp after advanced Russian regional airliner Sukhoi Superjet 100 had started flying for the Russian flag carrier, Aeroflot. By then, the company had taken delivery of eight SSJ100s that logged over 3,700 commercial flights with a total duration of almost 6,900 h. The airliners carried more than 220,000 passengers from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo to a total of 27 airports throughout Russia (Anapa, Astrakhan, Volgograd, Gelenjik, Yekaterinburg, Kazan, Nizhnevartovsk, Nizhnekamsk, Nizhny Novgorod, Orenburg, Perm, Samara, St. Petersburg, Ufa and Chelyabinsk), Ukraine (Donetsk and Odessa), Belarus (Minsk) and European Union (Budapest, Bucharest, Vilnius, Dresden, Copenhagen, Krakow, Oslo, Sofia and Stockholm).

Two months before, Armenia’s flag carrier Armavia marked the first year of operating its first production-standard SSJ100: its first commercial flight took place on 21 April 2011. Over the year, the aircraft had flown 763 services with a total flight time of 1,867 flight hours. By early June, when the airliner was sent for scheduled maintenance, the aggregate flight time had grown to upwards of 2,200 flight hours in almost 900 flights. This year, the Armenian SSJ100 has flown from Yerevan to Moscow’s Vnukovo and Domodedovo, St. Petersburg, Yekaterinburg, Nizhny Novgorod, Krasnodar, Ufa, Samara and Mineralnye Vody in Russia as well as Paris, Lyons, Venetia, Amsterdam, Tel Aviv, Dubai and Beirut.

According to the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC), Aeroflot’s operation of its SSJ100s has shown their efficiency both on regional tight-schedule services and short-haul trunk airlines. Aeroflot’s SSJ100 can flight three return operations a day, and the daily flight time during such a heavy use exceeds 10 hours. After a year in service of Aeroflot’s SSJ100, the best showings in terms of monthly flight time were produced in May 2012 by RA-89003 and RA-89008 with

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their 249 hours and 240 hours respectively.

The greatest number of flights per month was logged by RA-89002 and RA-89001 in September and August 2011 – 151 and 157 respectively. The maximum daily flight hours logged would account for 16 flight hours.

“We consider the results produced in the first year of the SSJ100 operation by our company to be positive, given the same tough standards have been applied to the technical state of the Russian airliner as were to our in-

service Airbuses and Boeings”, says Yevgeny Voronin, commander of Aeroflot’s SSJ100 flight detachment. “Since the SSJ100 is in the initial phase of operation, we paid special attention to it. Taking into account Aeroflot’s high quality standards, we expect the efforts, which are aimed at enhancing the effectiveness of the maintenance system of SCAC and its partners, to have an effect on the improvement of the operational showings of the SSJ100 fleet in the near future”.

“The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a new-type aircraft, and, overall, we are satisfied with the results our aircraft have shown in commercial service with Aeroflot in their first year”, said SCAC President Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk.

“The results produced by the joint efforts of the carrier’s flying and ground crews, SCAC and our partners SuperJet International and PowerJet have exceeded the first-year results of the many advanced airliners being commissioned now. It is important to us that the SSJ100 has displayed a high degree of flight safety and was given raving reports by Aeroflot pilots. We work continuously to enhance the quality of production and the efficiency of coordination among all of the parties involved in the operation so that Aeroflot is pleased with our aircraft”. www.take-off.ru

commercial aviation | report a previous experience in flying ‘glass cockpit’ aircraft), 24 instructor-flight attendants and 142 engineering specialists have been trained by late May of this year. 11 crews more are being given training now. A full-flight simulator is to be delivered to Aeroflot’s Aviation Personnel Training Centre in October 2012.

UAC’s production plans provide for manufacture and delivery 24 SSJ100s in 2012, including the early aircraft under export contracts for Indonesian, Mexican and Laotian carriers (the aircraft has been certificated by EASA on 3 February 2012).

Aeroflot took delivery of its eighth SSJ100 (reg. RA-89006, c/n 95014) in May. The aircraft was handed over officially on 17 May 2012 and performed its first commercial

The first production SSJ100 flies with Armavia since April 2011

The latest Superjet delivered to Aeroflot by early July 2012, RA-89009

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Andrey Fomin

Sergey Sergeyev

Victor ANDREYEV

During the first year of operation, efforts were made to set up and streamline an after-sales support system. Over the past six months alone, the introduction of the operations monitoring system has minimised the number of issues emerging during aircraft handover, allowed a threefold reduction in the number of deficiencies of the maintenance documentation, ensured the spares delivery time reduction down to 48 hours and halved the troubleshooting time.

Close attention also has been paid to training the airline’s aircrews and maintainers, earmarked for the SSJ100, at the Aviation personnel Training Centre in Zhukovsky. The training has been under way since April 2011.

45 crews (90 pilots, including 48 ones lacking

Yuri Kabernik

The sixth SSJ100 in Aeroflot’s fleet delivered in February 2012 wears SkyTeam livery

commercial aviation | report flight from Moscow’s Sheremetyevo a week later, on 25 May. The ninth Superjet for the Russian flag carrier (RA-89009, c/n 95017) first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 29 April 2012 and became the first airliner of the type, which cabin interior was assembled by the Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk, rather than SCAC in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Upon completion of the work, which had lasted since early May, and painting, it came back to Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 11 June for acceptance by the customer. The acceptance was expected to take place before the end of June. The 10th – and final – SSJ100 of the 10-ship batch designed for Aeroflot (reg.

RA-89010, c/n 95018) had been in final assembly by early June. It is believed to enter commercial operation in July.

Once this has been done, Aeroflot will start receiving modified-completion aircraft. The first of them (the 11th one) with c/n 95025 was in SCAC’s final assembly hall in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in early June, and the next one was (c/n 95029) in the aggregate assembly shop at KnAAPO. Overall, Aeroflot is counting on receiving four new-completion aircraft by year-end. However, whether the plan comes true or not depends on the stepping-up of the output rate by the plants in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and Rybinsk (it is an open secret that delays in the delivery of production-standard SaM146 engines have been considered to be a key cause of disruption of SCAC’s production plans), because all preceding slots in the programme have been given to other customers.

Meanwhile, the SSJ100 bearing c/n 95021 took to the sky on its maiden flight on 3 June 2012. Under the adjusted plan, it will become the second aircraft of the type in service with Armavia. As early as 6 June, it was ferried to Ulyanovsk for painting and may be delivered before mid-summer. The future of the 2010built aircraft c/n 95009, initially intended for Armavia, which has not been flown yet, remains undecided. One of the early production aircraft, which assembly was suspended a year ago due to the financial problems facing the customer, it is facing a series of design improvements that, possibly, will make it the first SSJ100 with a VIP cabin.

The third user of Superjets is supposed to be the Yakutiya airline that has leased two SSJ100s from the Financial Leasing Company. Both aircraft (c/n 95019 and 95020) had been in the final stages of completion by early June and may fly this summer.

Proactive work also is under way on several airframes designed for export to Indonesia, Mexico and Laos. In June, there were the first SSJ100 for Indonesia’s Sky Aviation (c/n 95022), two for Mexico’s Interjet (c/n 95023 and 95024) and the first one for Laotian carrier Lao Central Airlines (c/n 95026) under final assembly. The first Indonesian-ordered aircraft is expected to fly in July and the Mexicanordered one in August. While SCAC itself will hand the aircraft over to the Indonesian and Laotian customers, Russo-Italian joint venture SuperJet International will handle

the delivery to Mexico. Only the so-called ‘green’ aircraft will be assembled and flown out in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, while the cabin interior assembly and painting will take place in Italy.

Under the current contracts, Sky Aviation is to buy 12 Superjets, Interjet – 15 with five options and Lao Central Airlines –three with six options. As of June, the SSJ100 orderbook filled with orders from seven foreign carriers and leasing companies from far abroad comprised 108 firm orders and 30 options.

In Russia, firm orders for Superjets have been landed from UTair (24 airliners via VEB-Leasing) and Gazpromavia (10 via its in-house leasing company Gazpromkomplektatsiya) in addition to Aeroflot and Yakutiya. Deliveries to both shall kick off in 2013. In addition, Transaero awarded a firm order for six SSJ100s worth $212.4 million at catalogue prices during the 16th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on 21 June. The aircraft have been ordered in the two-class 90-seat configuration (eight seats in business class and 82 in economy class). The contract stipulates 10 options.

Thus, the total SSJ100 orderbook had stood at 182 units by early July, with 10 already delivered.

Mention should be made that all Superjet customers have issued official statements that the crash of the SSJ100 prototype (c/n 95004) on a demo flight in Indonesia on 9 May 2012 will by no means impact their plans to acquire the aircraft.

UAC

Future Superjets in SCAC final assembly hall, April 2012

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MC-21

Maximizing Cash, Minimizing Costs Much passenger Care More Clever ideas

The MC-21 Family philosophy is to combine the best experience and skills from around the world. Cooperation with the world leading suppliers makes MC-21 a true multinational project. The clean sheet designed aircraft family provides 12—15 % operational cost reduction, eco-minded solutions and new level of passenger care.

To learn more invite MC-21 team (sales@irkut.com).

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Alexey Filatov

commercial aviation | review

AIRLINERS FOR RUSSIAN REGIONS A major Russian aircraft leasing company, Ilyushin Finance Co. (IFC) with a wealth of regional aircraft deliveries (it is this company that fulfilled the contract for six Antonov An-148-100B regional jets for the Rossiya airline and is fulfilling the one for five An-148-100E airliners for Angara carrier), has researched the Russian regional passenger traffic market of late. The research has shown that, actually, 11 carriers handle regional passenger air transport in the European part of the country, 35 out of the 36 runways in the airports used have the concrete surface, and typical distances covered range from 200 km to 800 km.

According to IFC experts, given the lack of viable proposals by Russian aircraft manufacturers in terms of up-to-date turboprop airliners, ATR and Bombardier Q400 turboprops seem to be the best choice for operational conditions like that. The things are different beyond the Urals. There, regional air transport is the preserve of 18 carriers at the most, almost half (43%) of the airports have unpaved runways and typical operating distances measure 400–3,000 km. The ATR-72 may be not enough for a market like that while the Q400, Antonov An-140 (being not in mass production now) as well as jet-powered An-148 are the best options. Overall, Ilyushin Finance estimates the Russia’s regional aircraft market capacity at about 200 aircraft throughout 2030.

An-148: regional jet for any environment According to UAC’s annual report published in June, Voronezh Aircraft Production Association (VASO) plans to deliver nine new Antonov An-148-100E regional jet airliners in 2012, of which seven will have been built this year. To date, eight VASOmade An-148s have been operated in Russia.

Ilyushin Finance delivered six An-148-100Bs to Rossiya airline in 2009–2010 and two An-148-100Es were supplied by Sberbank-

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Leasing to Polyot carrier in 2011. The Polyotawarded contract provides for delivery of 10 aircraft, but has been put on the back burner due to financial disagreements between the airline and lessor. In this connection, the third An-148-100E intended for the carrier (RA-61711 that was flown out as far back as October 2011 and painted in the customer’s corporate livery) remains at the plant so far.

On 26 March 2012, Ilyushin Finance and VASO made a contract for this year’s delivery

of three An-148-100E jets to the Angara air carrier operating out of Irkutsk. The preliminary agreement on Angara’s financial lease of 10 An-148-100Es (five firm orders and five options) was signed in Irkutsk on 10 November 2011 by Ilyushin Finance, Angara and the Eastland managing company (a tourist holding company and Angara’s major stockholder) in pursuance of the orders by the Russian President and Prime Minister on development of regional and commuter airlines and on urgent regional aircraft fleet modernisation measures.

The first plane under the contract, RA-61713, first flew in Voronezh on 22 March 2012 and has recently been painted in the new livery of Angara. The second aircraft (RA-61714) is to start its flight tests prior to mid-summer. Angara’s third An-148 could be the delivery-ready RA-61711 that has not been claimed by Polyot yet. The three airliners are planned for service entry this summer as soon as all financial issues pertinent to the deal have been tackled. Angara expects to receive two more An-148-100Es under the current five-aircraft contract in 2013.

The deliveries to Polyot and Angara are the only current commercial contracts on VASO-built An-148s. At the same time, the www.take-off.ru

commercial aviation | review An-148 regional jets in assembly hall of VASO plant, May 2012

Mikhail SUNTSOV

‘English’ flightdeck) stored at the plant.

They were previously designed for the Myanmarese Defence Ministry. UAC is in talks with potential foreign buyers who might acquire the aircraft. One of them, which had side number 61707 during the trials, conducted its maiden flight as far back as 22 November 2010, and the other (side number 61712) first flew a year later, on 21 November 2011.

In addition to assembly of aircraft, VASO supplies Antonov with An-148 and An-158 assembly sets for aircraft construction in Kiev under the VASO-Antonov cooperation agreement. According to VASO’s 2011 annual report, four assembly sets were shipped to Kiev in 2011, including the F3 fuselage tail section with the empennage, composite parts and components, etc. However, new aircraft are still manufactured by the Antonov plant on a caseby-case basis. Only two production-standard aircraft have entered operation – c/n

planned for construction in Kiev in 2012. In November 2011, Antonov General Designer Dmitry Kiva said that they planned to manufacture 24 An-148 and An-158 aircraft a year in Kiev by 2015. Probably, the plan’s has had to be adjusted yet due to the current production financing capabilities.

As is known, the launch order for the An-158 was snagged at the Farnborough 2010 air show two years ago, when Russian leasing company Ilyushin Finance ordered 10 aircraft of the type. The 10 options for An-158s morphed into 10 firm orders during last year’s Le Bourget air show. Under the contract signed by Antonov’s head Dmitry Kiva and Ilyushin Finance’s Director General Alexander Rubtsov, the delivery will take place during 2012 through 2014. The final recipient of the Ilyushin Finance-ordered planes has not been named yet. Alexander Rubtsov has only specified that the aircraft would be delivered to the Latin American market in the first place.

01-09 (UR-NTC) in 2010 and c/n 01-10 (UR-NTD) in 2011. They are now flying with Ukraine International Airlines.

Commercial operation of the An-148 in Ukraine began three years ago, on 2 June 2009, when the Aerosvit airline started passenger services using the An-148-100B c/n 01-01 (UR-NTA) in cooperation with Antonov Airlines. Since last autumn, the aircraft has flown under the flag of Ukraine International Airlines too.

Before late last year, Antonov had planned to make the third production-standard An-148-100B (c/n 03-08) and then the lead production-standard An-158 (c/n 201-01), but, in all probability, their delivery was postponed for this year. In all, four production-standard An-148s and two An-158s are

Turboprop aircraft: salvation in operational leasing?

Alexey Filatov

The first An-148-100E in Angara airline livery which first flew in Voronezh on 22 March 2012

plant has several contracts for manufacture of An-148 aircraft ordered by the government.

In all probability, they will heavily influence the future of the An-148’s production in Voronezh. There are four aircraft in the assembly hall now under these contracts: two An-148-100EMs for the Russian Emergencies Ministry’s air arm and two An-148-100EAs for the Rossiya special air detachment (the latter two ordered by the Administrative Support Office of the Russian President). All of them are to enter their trials this autumn and be commissioned before year-end. Contracts are being devised on more An-148s for governmental agencies, including the Russian Defence Ministry, Emergencies Ministry, etc.

In addition, there are two An-148-100Es in an export version (with the so-called www.take-off.ru

Unfortunately, today, Russia’s aircraft industry is unable to meet the needs of air carriers in advanced efficient turboprop regional aircraft to replace the An-24 being retired now.

In recent years, turboprop airliners production has been handled in the former Soviet Union by three manufacturers – Aviakor plant in Samara licence-produces Antonov An-140, using Kharkov-supplied components; KSAMC in Kharkov, which has not built a complete An-140s since 2005 and now only makes components for assembly in Samara and Iran, as well as TAPC in Tashkent, which is wrapping up the production of Il-114-100 for Uzbekistan’s flag carrier. take-off july 2012

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Aviakor’s An-140 commercial programme was limited to delivery of only three 52-seat aircraft to the Yakutia airline in 2006–2009 (the aircraft were finance-leased by the FLC).

Last year, Aviakor snagged a governmental order for nine An-140-100s intended for the Russian Defence Ministry. The first of them (RA-41254) took to the air on 6 August 2011 and was delivered in late December. Its operational evaluation by RusAF began this spring.

The second plane had been completed only by late spring 2012. It conducted its first sortie on 17 May. In spite of the customer-allocated funds, the production is clearly behind schedule: the first three aircraft were planned for delivery as far back as last year and as many as six An-140s were to be delivered before yearend 2012. Therefore, commercial carriers are in no hurry to order the An-140-100 airliners from Aviakor, though the aircraft would be a logical choice as a successor to the An-24 that is widespread among Russia’s regional carriers.

As for the production of the Ilyushin Il-114 in Tashkent, it is being discontinued by order of the Uzbek government. Recently, the plant has been fulfilling the contract for six Il-114-100s for Uzbek flag carrier Uzbekistan Airways. In August 2011 TAPC delivered the fifth aircraft (UK-91108). The final sixth aircraft (UK-91109) was rolled out to the plant’s flight test facility on 17 May 2012. It is expected to start flying commercial services in July, and, probably, that will be the end of the Il-114 production programme in Tashkent. The fate of the Il-114 airframes remaining at TAPC (about 10 ready airframes and component sets) has not been sealed yet.

Actually, of the 14 production-standard Il-114 aircraft made in Tashkent over 20 years and brought to the flying state (five Il-114s powered by TV7-117S engines, seven Il-114-100s powered by PW-127H and two Il-114T freighters), only six aircraft remain in service in Uzbekistan (all of them of Il-114-100 version) and one in Russia (the Il-114LL flying testbed c/n 01-09, RA-91003, supplied to the Radar MMS company in St. Petersburg in

Alexey Mikheyev

commercial aviation | review

The only An-140-100 assembled by Aviakor plant in 2011. Now Aviakor has orders for An-140s from Russian Defence Ministry only

2005). The two only Il-114, which had been in commercial operation with Russia’s Vyborg carrier, RA-91014 and RA-91015 made in 1993–1994, have not flown since 2010 and been mothballed.

Under these conditions, Russian carriers, needing a replacement to their An-24s that are being discarded from service, have no option other than to turn to foreign-made turboprop aircraft. However, the situation is not so simple.

In the wake of the much-publicised instructions by the national leadership, which followed last year’s series of high-profile fatal incidents, the government issued Resolution 1212 in December 2011, providing for subsidizing leasing payments for aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 55 seats, powered by engines of any type, and up to 72 seats, powered by turboprop engines. Actually, a one-time subsidy allows one to make the advance payment for leasing a plane. A good measure, no doubt, but it also should be taken into account that high customs duty persist for aircraft seating 50–110 passengers (including turboprop planes that the Russian aircraft industry does not manufacture for commercial operators), which fact will negate a sizeable portion of subsidies. Obviously, the customs duty for turboprop aircraft with a seating capacity of up to 72 passengers (just as ATR-72 and Q400 have) should be cancelled to encourage carriers to update their aircraft fleets.

The issue has to be tackled within the framework of the Customs Union of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Russia, to boot.

“There has been a disjointed approach used so far: the Premier’s instructions have been fulfilled pro forma, but the effect is low”, says Ilyushin Finance Director General Alexander Rubtsov. “What is needed is a comprehensive programme on aircraft fleet renovation and airline subsidies. It is necessary also to consider the expenditure on airport re-equipment and certification, personnel training and ATC system modernisation. Another fundamental problem is encouragement of operational leasing, which requires modifications to the law governing leasing and application of governmental subsidies to operational leasing as well”.

In spite of Ilyushin Finance’s having dealt mostly with financial leasing of aircraft, the company realises full well that small regional carriers, which lack the financial resources available to major airlines, are more interested in operational leasing. Operational leasing agreements are signed for a shorter term (five years, as a rule), which is less expensive for a carrier, on the one hand, for it does not have to buy the aircraft after the expiration of the financial leasing agreement, and allows renovation of its aircraft fleet more often, on the other.

However, promotion of operational leasing, which is turning into a sine qua non for the encouragement of regional air transport, call not only for improvements to the legislation but also for Russian leasing companies to develop new competencies, particularly, willingness to shoulder all risks pertinent to aircraft supplied.

Airport Yakutsk JSC

Popularity of foreign-made regional turboprops like this Bombardier Q400 with Russian airlines who need to replace their aging An-24s (seen in the background) will depend on improvements to the legislation and operational leasing procedures

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take-off july 2012

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