Take-Off Mag 2011

july 2010 • Special edition for Farnborough International Airshow 2010

5 Russian move GENERATION [p.20]

New weapons for new fighters [p.30]

Mi-171M upgrade [p.12]

MC-21 from gate to gate [p.44]

Aircraft family with expanded operational capabilities and a new level of economic efficiency

Helicopter-type UAVs

12–15% operational cost reduction in comparison with existing analogues.

[p.14]

Innovative design solutions for airframe.

Mi-35M over Amazon

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

Cooperation with the world leading suppliers of systems and equipment.

[p.38]

Matching future environmental requirements.

An-148 family grows up

Expanded operational capabilities.

[p.46]

www.irkut.com

Sukhoi SuperJet 100: type certification soon [p.4]

july 2010 Editor-in-Chief Andrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir Shcherbakov

Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin

Columnist 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

Translation Yevgeny Ozhogin

Cover picture Alexey Mikheyev

Publisher

Director General Andrey Fomin

Deputy Director General Nadezhda Kashirina

Marketing Director George Smirnov

Business Development Director Mikhail Fomin

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

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

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

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 another Farnborough air show 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 22 years ago, in 1988, unveiled its fourth-generation combat aircraft, the MiG29 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 brandnew aircraft from all over the world with Airbus A400M military transport, Boeing 787 airliner and Chinese JF-17 fighters just to name a few.

Russian and Ukrainian aircraft-makers also prepared for Farnborough’s debut their new products. Sukhoi will bring here its SuperJet 100 regional airliner for the first time while Antonov will show its An-158 stretched regional jet. Sukhoi’s SSJ100 featuring a bright example of growing international cooperation between Russian aerospace industry and leading Western companies is now at the final stages of its certification tests, and by the year end the first production aircraft of the type are to become operational with their launch customers. 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 the new versions of Boeing 737NG and Arbus A320 jets at domestic and international markets. A brand-new full-scale mockup of the MC-21’s cockpit and passenger cabin will be among this Farnborough main attractions.

By the way not only commercial aircraft development is in Russian aerospace industry priority list. Earlier this year the first prototype of the Sukhoi’s PAK FA fifth generation fighter flew for the first time. Now it undergoes flight tests and only three to four years later the first preproduction aircraft could be fielded for operational evaluation with the Russian Air Force. Due to the highest priority of the programme, we decided to make an article about Sulhoi’s new fighter the central topic in this issue.

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 2010’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!

© Aeromedia, 2010 Sincerely,

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

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

contents

INDUSTRY Sukhoi SuperJet 100 gearing up for service entry. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

July 2010

4

Mi-34S1: Robinson a la russe UEC and Salut shared fifth-generation engine Chernyshev steps up RD-33MK production Motor Sich proposes MS-500V construction in Russia

Mi-171M. New life of venerable helicopter Interview with Alexey Samusenko, Mil Helicopter Plant Designer General. . 12

14

Unmanned Russian Helicopters Interview with Gennady Bebeshko, Russian Helicopter’s Unmanned Helicopter Systems programme manager . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

MILITARY AVIATION Production-standard Ka-52 undergo trials Mi-28 fielding under way Air Force receives Yak-130s

558 ARP is always open for business cooperation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19

20

Generation 5: Russian move PAK FA undergoing tests . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

30

Advanced weapons for advanced warplanes Development of a new generation of precision guided munitions is nearing completion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES Indian pilots test MiG-35 More orders for Sukhoi fighters Another A-50EI AWACS aircraft built for Indian Air Force First Russian-made AW139 to be assembled in 2011 M-55 back from another expedition TV3-117VMA-SBM1V provides record-breaking rate of climb

A world of opportunities for Rosoboronexport . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36

38

Russian helicopters over Amazon Mi-35M enters service with Brazilian Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

COMMERCIAL AVIATION

44

First Tu-214PU flown Volga-Dnepr received its third Il-76TD-90VD One more An-140 for Yakutia Gelenjik airport is finally open

MC-21 As future of Russian commercial aviation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44

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Addition to An-148 family An-158 trials kick off in Kiev while new Voronezh-built An-148s enter service. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 www.take-off.ru

OBORONPROM Corporation, a Russian Technologies State Corporation company, is a diversified industrial-investment group in the engineering and high technologies sectors.

The Corporation integrates more than 25 leading Russian companies in helicopters and engines manufacturing.

St.Petersburg Rybinsk Moscow

Rostov-Don

Kazan

Perm

Ufa Ekaterinburg

Samara Kumertau

Novosibirsk Ula-Ude

“Russian Helicopters” Company, a whole subsidiary of OBORONPROM Corporation, is the leading Russian designer and manufacturer of rotary-wing aircraft equipment “United Engine Corporation”, a whole subsidiary of OBORONPROM Corporation, is the leading Russian industrial group producing engines for aircraft, aerospace industry, gas compression stations and power plants

UNITED INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION “OBORONPROM” 27 Stromynka st., 107076 Moscow, Russia e-mail: oboronprom@oboronprom.ru www.oboronprom.ru

advertising

Arseniev

Alexey Mikheyev

industry | programme

Andrey FOMIN

SUKHOI SUPERJET 100 GEARING UP FOR SERVICE ENTRY The advanced Russian regional airliner Sukhoi SuperJet 100, which development involves major Western subcontractors, has appeared at the current Farnborough air show for the first time. The aircraft made its foreign debut a year ago during the Le Bourget air show in June 2009, and one of the four SSJ100 prototypes completing the certification test programme is taking part in the flight programme in Farnborough.

A major change to the SuperJet programme has taken place recently, when EASA on 23 June 2010 issued a type certificate for the SaM146 engine co-developed and co-produced by Russia’s Saturn and France’s Snecma to power aircraft of the SSJ100 family. This gave the green light for the kick-off of the engine’s deliveries and commercial operation. In the near future, the EASA-issued SaM146 certificate is to be recognised by the Russian aviation authorities, which will pave the way for air carriers in Russia and other CIS countries to launch the operation of planes powered by such a powerplant. As far as the certification trials of the aircraft itself, they are in the final stages, with an IAC Aircraft Registry certificate due later this year. The certificate will enable launch customers to start taking deliveries of production-standard airliners. Russia’s Aeroflot and Armenia’s Armavia are expected to be the launch customers. The first three production SSJ100s are expected to enter service at the end of the year.

The SaM146 certificate issuance ceremony took place on 23 June. The document was handed over to Jean-Paul Ebanga, Director General of Russo-French joint venture PowerJet, by Patrick Goudou, EASA’s Executive Director. The ceremony was attended by Snecma’s boss Philippe Petitcolin and Saturn Managing Director Ilya Fyodorov.

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“The certificate proves that the SaM146 engine is fully compliant with the EU safety requirements. This is a result of the successful cooperation among PowerJet, Russia’s Interstate Aviation Committee and EASA. We hope for the SaM146 engine to enter commercial operation in a few months”, said Patrick Goudou.

“We have a special honour to receive the certificate for the SaM146 engine”, said PowerJet chief Jean-Paul Ebanga. “It is a landmark event in the aerospace relations between Europe and Russia, pertaining to EASA’s certification of an aircraft engine co-developed and co-produced by France and Russia for the first time ever”.

The SaM146 certification test programme, under which a total of 14 engines were made in 2006–09, including eight for rig tests and six to fit the SSJ100 prototypes, was completed successfully on 26 May 2010. The SaM146’s trials were crowned in May with fan blade strip and medium-sized bird ingestion tests.

SaM146 prototype No. 002/06 passed the most important and most difficult tests – the fan blade strip – at Saturn’s open-air test bench in Poluyevo out of Rybinsk. “The gist of the test is simple: a fan blade – a titanium part weighing about 2.2 kg – has the highest energy among the engine’s parts when the fan rotor is spinning. It is the part, which damage maximises the probability of damaging body parts. The fan blade strip test is designed to prove that no fragment can escape via the www.take-off.ru

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Moscow Region. The prototype is being used for testing the whole of the SSJ100’s avionics suite and fire-suppressant and neutral gas system and, together with aircraft c/n 95004, for testing the reliability of onboard systems.

Prototype 95004 first flew on 25 July 2009.

Late in February this year, SSJ No. 95004 passed a special series of tests in the extremely low ambient temperature environment in Yakutiya, after which it continued its avionics tests, including those in the course of Category CAT I and CAT II landings.

The second flying prototype (c/n 95003) has flown since 24 December 2008. The very first flying prototype of the SuperJet , c/n 95001, performed its maiden flight on 19 May 2008 and completed its chunk of the certification programme in late December 2009, having logged a total of over 700 flying hours on 280 sorties. Overall, by the early June, the four flying Sukhoi SuperJet 100 prototypes had completed more than 700 sorties, having logged upwards of 1,500 flying hours.

In addition to the four flying prototypes, the certification programme includes two groundtest prototypes. Prototype c/n 95002 has been subjected to static tests at TsAGI since January 2007. It has passed the phase of the operating load volume tests. Prototype c/n 95006 has been undergoing endurance trials in SibNIA (Novosibirsk) since November 2008. To get a type certificate from IAC’s Aircraft Registry, the prototype has to perform 6,000 ‘lab flights’, of which about 5,000 have been completed by this summer. When the first phase of the tests is over, the endurance trials of Prototype No. 95006 in Novosibirsk will have continued until the plane’s full service life is proven.

The completion of the SSJ100 certification programme and issuance of its type certificate

by IAC’s Aircraft Registry are slated for this

autumn, while the EASA certification for 2011, when production-standard Sukhoi SuperJet 100 deliveries to the launch foreign customers may begin.

Aeroflot and Armavia are to become the launch customers for the SSJ100 in Russia and the CIS in late 2010. The first three production aircraft (c/n 95007, 95008 and 95009) are to be delivered to them before year-end. The first of the three has been given power supply in the final assembly shop of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft in Komsomolsk-onAmur in April and two were in the final stages of assembly. The fourth production SSJ100 (c/n 95010) had its airframe and wing mated in April, with the airframe of the fourth airliner being fitted with systems. Overall, 14 production aircraft (c/n up to 95020) were in different stages of assembly as of April 2010, of which five were in the SCAC’s final assembly shop. The plan for 2010 stipulates delivery of the first three production SSJ100s, with as many as 20 units slated for delivery in 2011. Then, the annual output rate is to grow up to 42 aircraft a year in 2012, up to 58 in 2013 and up to 70 in 2014. As of summer 2010, SCAC had 122 firm orders for the Sukhoi SuperJet 100.

Alexey Mikheyev

body of the engine if rotor parts disintegrate.

Fragments should only be able to exit via the nozzle rearwards and partially to forwards.

The blade strip is performed at the maximum rpm of the fan rotor, i.e. about 6,800 rpm, by means of exploding the blade’s root”, commented Georgy Konyukhov, Saturn deputy Director General and chief designer of the SaM146 programme.

The SaM146 prototype passed the test.

The results produced indicate that only one fan blade was stripped, engine fitting disintegration and subsequent fire was avoided and the fuel cut-out was switched off 15 sec after the blade strip as designed.

The SaM146 certification programme was crowned with the medium-sized bird ingestion test on Prototype No. 001/02, held at the open-air test facility in Poluyevo on 26 May. The test was a success. It proved the operability and controllability of the engine in case of virtually simultaneous ingestion of four birds weighing 0.7 kg.

According to PowerJet, the total hours logged by all of the SaM146 prototypes as of the completion of the certification trials accounted for 7,100 h, including about 3,500 h onboard a flying test-bed and SSJ100 prototypes.

Meanwhile, the SSJ100 itself has passed another phase of its certification tests. The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) completed a series of experiments on protecting the plane’s engines from runway water ingestion. The tests took place at the airfield of Gromov LII in late May and early June 2010. A special pool measuring 70 m long and up to 40 mm deep was set up on the runway to this end. The SSJ100 c/n 95003 performed 27 runs with the use of the pool, using all combinations of speeds all the way to 275 km/h and engine operating modes, including the take-off mode and maximum thrust reversal.

The tests proved that water does not get into the engines and auxiliary power unit when the aircraft is moving on the wet runway and the air data system sensors and airframe air-intake and drainage openings operate well when moving through the mantle of water.

In addition, the aircraft’s stability was being gauged during its travel via the pool, and the tests showed that the aircraft remains stable and easily controllable by an average-skills pilot all the way up to 275 km/h on a runway stretch covered with a thick layer of water.

Three SSJ100 prototypes are being used under the certification flight tests now, namely c/n 95003, 95004 and 95005. The latter first flew in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 4 February 2010 and has been undergoing trials at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft’s flight test facility in Zhukovsky since 12 April, having been ferried to the

NPO Saturn

industry | programme

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Mi-34S1: Robinson a la russe

Yevgeny Yerokhin

Yevgeny Yerokhin

A full-scale mockup of the upgraded Mil Mi-34S1 light pistonengine helicopter became the central exhibit of the Russian Helicopters company at the HeliRussia 2010 air show that took place in Moscow in late May. Resuming full-scale production of the helicopter is the main effort of the holding company in the light helicopter field.

“A lot has been accomplished recently,” says Dmitry Rodin, Russian Helicopters programme manager for resuming production and improving the Mi-34S1 multipurpose helicopter.

“We are productionising it now. A general schedule has been approved, all subcontractors have drawn up their plans on particular assemblies and units, and preparation of the production floors has been either completed or is being completed. The design documentation plan has been

made into page, a cabin interior has been chosen, and financial matters have been adjusted and specified.”

“In addition to purely business targets, we are pursuing an important strategic objective of ours as part of the Mi-34S1 production resumption – to win a place in a global niche of light helicopters,” believes Dmitry Rodin. “Three to five more years of delays, and it will be impossible for Russia to do so.” Currently about 1,000 light helicopters are sold in the world annually, with 80% of them built by the Robinson company. “After having promoted the Mi-34S1 on the market for two to three years, it is quite possible to attain a 15% slice of the market in the near future,”

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explains Mr. Rodin. “It would not have made sense for us to resume production of the Mi-34S1 without a well-grounded plan on its significant full-rate production, rather than piece manufacture”.

Currently, the baseline Mi-34S1 with the simplest avionics suite costs $500,000 to Russian customers while its main rival, the Robinson R44, sells in Russia for no less than $580,000.

However, according to Russian Helicopters estimates, the Mi-34S1 will surpass the Robinson not only in terms of price. For this purpose, the Russian manufacturer has analyzed the relevant demands of potential customers, used the advanced more capable 375-hp M9FV engine, and

is working on replacement of some of the equipment and assemblies with more up-to-date ones allowing higher performance and a longer assigned life.

All of the helicopter design documents have been digitised.

In accordance with the time plan for the period up to 2012, subcontractors are actively restarting the production of assemblies, because the eight-year cease in production necessitates radical renovation of the production facilities and equipment. The main subcontractors under the programme include the Arsenyevbased Progress aircraft company (fuselage, main and tail rotor blades, general assembly), SMPP company (main and tail rotor hubs, swash plate), Reduktor-PM company (main and tail rotor reduction gearboxes, transmission shafts), Voronezh Mechanical Plant (engine). AeroTaxi Service (Russia) and EDAG (Germany) develop various variants of the cabin interior.

Proposals concerning instruments, made by the Ulyanovsk Instrument Manufacturing Design Bureau and Tranzas Avionics company, are under consideration. In total, the Mi-34S1 programme provides for three variants of cabin instruments

ranging from the simplest and cheapest ‘steam-gauge’-type ones to ‘glass cockpit’ one at the customer’s choice.

Dmitry Rodin said at the exhibition that the first flying prototype of the Mi-34S1 was scheduled for display at the MAKS 2011 air show in August next year. Its serial production is planned for late 2011 or early 2012.

The second stage of the programme provides for building a variant named Mi-34S2 Sapsan powered by a turboshaft powerplant.

This is a more resource-intensive and longer-term task to accomplish, since it needs not only installation of a new engine (the French-made 450–500 hp Arrius-2 has been approved for it in the end not long ago), but the development and productionising of a new reduction gearbox. A helicopter powered by a gas-turbine engine will enter a different market sector with different pricing policies and different rivals of greater number.

The Sapsan can become the first Russian-made helicopter powered by a gas-turbine engine in the FAR 27 class and will be able to stand its ground against its rivals from Robinson (R66), Eurocopter, Bell and MD in terms of characteristics.

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industry | news

United Engine Corporation (UEC) is the leading Russian industrial group in production of engines for aviation, launch vehicles, electric energy sector and gas pumping.

United Engine Corporation is a part and a subsidiary of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom.

UEC integrated more than 80% of assets of the Russian aviation engine-building industry.

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UEC and Salut shared fifth-generation engine

Alexey Mikheyev

The exposition of the MMPP Salut company at international air shows traditionally attracts keen interest.

The Engines 2010 exhibition that took place in Moscow in April was not an exception. Curiosity was roused by the decision announced on the first day of the exhibition concerning Salut’s Yuri Yeliseyev’s appointment as Deputy Director General of the United Engine Corp.

(UEC) JSC: does it mean that the next step is integration of the Salut company and the Federal Scientific and Production Centre, which has been founded on its premises, into UEC? However, Yuri Yeliseyev not only left open the possibility for the situation developing this way, but also made a special emphasis that he did not anticipate negative consequences either for the companies in particular, for the Russian engine-making industry as a whole. “I have never had any doubt that the fifth-generation engine can be developed only in close cooperation among various Russian industrial companies,” Yuri

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Yeliseyev told a Take-off magazine correspondent.

It is apparent that the confidence has turned to reality: agreement has been reached that UEC and Salut Federal Scientific And Production Centre will co-develop the engine, with finance shares of 55% and 45% respectively. “We have arranged for the money to be shared among the participants as soon as it comes,” said the Salut leader. However, according to Yuri Yeliseyev, the participants have already closed the issue of sharing the work on some engine components (approximately 50/50), though it remains to be seen who will work out the philosophy of the new engine for the PAK FA. “There are two variants,” says Yuri Yeliseyev, “an engine from Saturn based on the AL-41 engine and Salut’s offer – a brand-new engine developed from scratch”.

After the initial decision to have the engine developed for the PAK FA by NPO Saturn out of competition had been canceled, there was a tender issued, with two stages having been

passed by now. At the first stage, Saturn and Salut had presented certain details of the future engine by November 2008, and the second one, which was completed in June 2009, required a demonstration of complete assemblies. “There are the findings of the committee on Saturn’s engine,” emphasizes Yuri Yeliseyev, “stating that we have done the job as well as anyone abroad would do, at the least.

The results of our job done have been recommended for use in the designing of the fifth-generation engine”.

However, the third stage of the tender that was supposed to start in the third quarter of 2009 has never been started yet. Taking into account the statements about the work sharing between UEC and Salut, the stage may well be cancelled or performed by the announced co-developers within the corporation. However, Salut has already submitted a conceptual design of the engine pronounced by the 30th Central Research Institute of the Russian Defence Ministry and Central Research Institute of Aero Engine-building (TsIAM) as meeting the requirements specification. “The results indicate that we can guarantee compliance with the requirements specification”, says Yuri Yeliseyev.

According to Yuri Yeliseyev, the design bureau of Salut could make a major contribution to the development of such elements of the fifth-generation engine, as the lowpressure compressor, combustion chamber, high-pressure turbine, all-aspect thrust vector control nozzle that has logged 800 hours, and control system used in the AL-31F-M2 engine.

Meanwhile, one of the most important fields the Salut operates in is the improving of the engines of the AL-31F family. According to Yuri Yeliseyev, the purpose of the improvement is an aspiration “to stick it out on the market”.

At the first stage of the upgrade, the designers succeeded in increasing the thrust of the AL-31F-M1 variant by 1,000 kgf to 13,500 kgf and in extending the time between overhauls from 500 to 1,000 hours and the specified life from 1,500

to 2,000 hours. In December 2006, the engine passed its official tests and was productionised as AL-31F Series 42. According to Salut’s head, a regiment of upgraded Sukhoi Su-27SM fighters has been equipped with the engines of the type since April 2007, and the results of their use are positive. In the future, Sukhoi Su-34 tactical bombers will be equipped with AL-31F Series 42 engines, too. The tests displayed that the use of the upgraded engine has increased the rate of climb, payload and service ceiling of the aircraft by more than 1 km and reduced its life cycle cost, which has resulted in a 10–15% increase in the combat effectiveness of the aircraft. According to Yuri Yeliseyev, the programme is being financed perfectly under the governmental defence procurement programme, and the government has started advancing money for the AL-31F Series 42 delivery programme to fit new Su-27SMs. Deliveries of engines of the type to fit Su-34s are expected to kick off in 2011.

The next version, the AL-31F-M2 with a thrust of 14,500 kgf, is being bench-tested now (in particular, a trust of 14,600 kgf has already been achieved) to be followed by the emerging AL-31F-M3 capable of a thrust of 15,000 kgf. The most important thing is that all of the Salut-developed AL-31F upgrades are interchangeable and can easily be installed on the Su-27 family’s aircraft with the existing air intakes.

“Thus, we can achieve two goals – to increase the thrust-to-weight ratio of the Su-27 family and introduce elements of the fifth-generation engine into production aircraft”, says Yuri Yeliseyev. For instance, the AL-31F-M1 version is equipped with an improved low-pressure compressor, the AL-31F-M2 with an advanced combustion chamber and a turbine, and the AL-31F-M3 with a drastically novel three-stage lowpressure compressor. Moreover, the AL-31F upgrade is being paid for

by Salut out of pocket, and the AL-31FN has found a niche for itself on the Chinese market to equip J-10 fighters.

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Andrey Fomin

Chernyshev steps up RD-33MK production

A prominent position at the joint stand of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) during the Engines 2010 show in Moscow in April was occupied by the display of the Moscow-based Chernyshev company exhibiting two of its engines – the RD-33MK turbofan and TV7-117SM turboprop.

The RD-33MK’s full-scale production by Chernyshev using the Klimov joint stock company’s drafts has been underway since 2007. Compared to the productionstandard RD-33, the RD-33MK

has a 700-kgf increase in thrust, which totals 9,000 kgf in full afterburner, and a far longer service life, while having the same dimensions and virtually the same weight. The engine is equipped with a digital automatic control system, an advanced low-pressure compressor, an improved highpressure compressor, an enhancedcooling turbine and a sophisticated smokeless combustor.

Chernyshev Director General Alexander Novikov told Take-off

that the company had made and delivered 28 RD-33MK engines by April this year to fit the MiG-29K/ KUB fighters delivered to India under the contract awarded in 2004. The remaining eight engines under the deal are slated for delivery this year. However, a contract for 29 more MiG-29K/KUB fighters for the Indian Navy was signed on 12 March 2010 during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India. Hence, Chernyshev landed an order for about 60 RD-33MKs more.

In addition, the company is gearing up for delivery of engines of the type to fit the MiG-29K/KUB aircraft the Russian Navy is going to order in the near future, too. Alexander Novikov estimates the volume of the contract at 58 RD-33MKs. He said that the Russian Defence Ministry had not ordered new engines from Chernyshev but there had been positive changes recently, with the company having delivered 12 RD-33 series 3 engines to the Russian Air Force for use as backups for the MiG-29SMT fighters adopted by RusAF for service in 2009.

The first RD-33MKs are to be made for the Russian Defence Ministry late this year.

It is also important that the RD-33MK is part of the powerplant of the Gen. 4+ MiG-35 fighter competing in the Indian Air Force MMRCA tender for 126 medium multirole fighters. RusAF is going to order the MiG-35 too. In addition, Chernyshev exports the RD-33’s lowmounted accessory gearbox version, the RD-93, to China to power the FC-1 (JH-17) fighters. The first contract for 100 RD-93 for China is to be fulfilled this year, according to Alexander Novikov. The Chernyshev chief estimates the total output rate of RD-33-family turbofans in the coming six year at 360 units.

Motor Sich proposes MS-500V construction in Russia

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AI-450. The new engine will be much more powerful than the AI-450. For instance, its power in cruising mode at +35°C will be 450 hp with a specific power consumption of 0.294 g/hp·hr and 630 hp in continuous power mode at +35°C with a fuel burn of 0.260 g/hp·hr. The MS-500V’s dry weight will be 140 kg.

The MS-500V is supposed to be used, among other things, as part of the powerplant of the Ansat light multipurpose helicopter from Kazan Helicopters, which is now powered by the Pratt&Whitney Canada turboshafts.

The Russian-made Ansat is not only popular with foreign customers, but acquired by Russian companies and the military as well. The Russian Air Force took delivery of the first six

Ansat-U trainers last year. Therefore, Motor Sich proposes the production of the engines to power them should be launched in Russia. According to Motor Sich President Vyacheslav

Boguslayev, the MS-500V production could be launched by the Kazan Engine Production Association (KMPO) that has cooperated with its Zaporozhye counterpart, Motor Sich, before.

Andrey Fomin

The Motor Sich joint stock company, previously a manufacturing plant, has been repeatedly trying its hand at developing aircraft engines of late. The company’s ambitions in this field have been highlighted by the emergence of the MS abbreviation in the designations of aircraft engines. One of the first products from Motor Sich was the AI-450-MS auxiliary powerplant derived from the Ivchenko-Progress AI-450 turboshaft engine to power the An-148 regional airliner. The next step has been the advanced MS-500V helicopter engine with a takeoff power of 630 hp (710 hp in the emergency power rating for 2.5 min at +15°C). Motor Sich is developing the engine, building on its experience in productionising the

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industry | news

EXPERIENCE & INNOVATION

Welcome to Hall 1, Russian Pavilion, D-17 at Farnborough 2010, 19-25 July

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industry | interview Late in June, the Mil Helicopter Plant held a mock-up review of an upgraded helicopter design given the in-house designation Mi-171M. It is symbolical that the actual kick-off of the programme on the upgrade of a most popular medium helicopter in the world took place on the verge of an anniversary: 35 years since the maiden flight of the Mi-8MT, later designated as Mi-17, will be marked in August 2010. The Mi-8/17 is the world’s most widespread Russianbuilt helicopter produced by two manufacturers – the Kazan Helicopters (Mi-8MTV-1, Mi-8MTV-5, Mi-17-1V, Mi-17V-5, Mi-172) and Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (Mi-8AMT, Mi-171). We asked Mil’s Designer General Alexey Samusenko to shed light on the key approaches to upgrading the machine.

The current upgrade of the truly worldfamous Mi-8 helicopter family was announced as far back as last year, during the HeliRussia 2009 helicopter show. What is the status of the programme now?

Indeed, we began to devise a programme on a heavy upgrade of the Mi-8 family’s helicopters last year, having been given the green light by the Russian Helicopters holding company. We believe the time has come for a radical improvement of the characteristics of the helicopter. To date, the development of an upgraded Mi-8 variant is high on the priority list of the prime developer of Mil helicopters, the Mil Helicopter Plant.

We stake on the baseline Mi-171, whose upgraded version has been dubbed Mi-171M tentatively and will be re-designated as Mi-171A2 once it has been certificated. The first Mi-171M prototype is to be made by the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in 2011. We expect the development work, tests and certification of the new helicopter to be completed prior to late 2012, with the Ulan-Ude plant to launch its full-scale production in 2013.

Now, the engineering and performance specification have been devised under the upgrade programme. A mock-up review has been held recently to consider the preliminary design of the future machine. The programme is planned to be phased, and virtually all of the helicopter’s components to be upgraded in the end.

What will be features of the upgraded helicopter?

The new helicopter will feature cutting-edge design solutions refined on the Mi-28N and Mi-38 helicopters. Overall, the Mi-8 upgrade is aimed at enhancing the aircraft’s technical and economic characteristics and expanding its operating envelope. Over 80 innovations are to be introduced to the machine.

As to the key upgrade approaches, the airframe dimensions is to increase, the

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Mi-171M new life of venerable helicopter

rotor system is to be modernised through introducing composite rotor blades and modified main rotor hub. In addition, the advanced X-shaped tail rotor is going to be made of composites too.

The Mi-171M’s powerplant will comprise two VK-2500 engines rated 2,400 hp at take-off and 2,700 hp in emergency power conditions. The TA-14 or Czech-made Safir will serve as the auxiliary power unit. The main reduction gearbox is slated for testing for the ability to operate for 30 min without lubricants and to transfer 2,400 hp from a single engine. The air intakes will be fitted with more efficient dust filters featuring an air purification degree of 95%.

An advanced, more streamlined cockpit transparency is to be introduced. The upgrade also will cover the hydraulic and power supply systems and other helicopter equipment. The fuel tanks will be modified and the fuel system capacity will increase

up to 3,400 litres, with the supply tank and combustion units under the cabin floor to be discarded.

The improvements will extend the maximal range to 1,200 km and enable the helicopter to fly at a cruising speed of 265 km/h, with its maximal speed to be 280 km/h. The machine’s static ceiling is to account for 4,000 m and the service ceiling for 6,000 m. The -50/+50°C operating temperature bracket will enable the helicopter to operate in various climes. The machine will be maintained on-condition, with the service life of the basic units to grow up to 12,000 h, time between overhauls up to 3,000 h and the helicopter’s service life up to 30 years.

Composites have been introduced to aircraft on an ever-increasing scale of late. You have mentioned that the blades of the main and tail rotors would be made of them. What is the share of composites in the new machine going to be? www.take-off.ru

industry | interview

As you realise, any aircraft requires a reasonable combination of structural weight and structural strength to ensure its sortie rate. The art of designer consists in optimising these parameters. However, this cat won’t jump unless advanced materials, sophisticated calculation techniques and cutting-edge design solutions are used. Time dictates its rules.

For this very reason, priority is given to composites during aircraft development, and the Mil Helicopter Plant applies such innovations on a large scale. Back to your question. We estimate the upgraded Mi-8 to comprise a total of 20–30% of composite parts and units.

How will the upgrade influence the machine’s lifting capacity?

The basic weight characteristics of the upgraded helicopter will remain the same, namely: the normal take-off weight will remain 11 t and the maximum take-off weight will be 13 t with the weight of under-slung cargo standing at 5 t. However, we have plans to increase the payload volume of the cabin and develop two variants of the rear section of

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the cabin. One will have a clamshell doors and the other a loading ramp. The customer will decide which he prefers.

In addition, the cargo cabin will be able to be converted to the passenger one, in which case it will seat 21 passengers.

Would you tell our readers about the planned upgrade of the avionics suite? Will the upgraded helicopter differ from its predecessors radically in this respect?

I would like to stress that we are going to fit the machine with a drastically novel avionics suite, the so-called glass cockpit, and introduce automatic monitoring of the systems’ parameters, which will reduce flight planning time and the in-flight workload on the crew. Automated controls and up-to-date navaids and comms will allow a crewmember reduction from three to two, with the Mi-171M to be flown by two pilots. The flight mechanic will remain as a crewmember but will no longer be part of the aircraft control loop.

Owing to the above, the cockpit layout will be modified as far as the controls of the systems are concerned. The latter

will become more accessible and easier to use. The LCDs used in the glass cockpit offers huge opportunities for displaying any information – graphics, video, etc. Such displays are both reliable and have virtually an unlimited service life and a far lighter weight compared with electromechanical instruments.

Overall, I would like to emphasise that the introduction of the PKV-171 digital flight control system and multifunction avionics will meet the latest standards.

Are a weather radar and night vision systems going to be introduced?

Yes, we are going to fit the upgraded helicopter with a weather radar as well as a surveillance station and a night vision system.

Whom do you see as the launch customer for the upgraded helicopter? The Defence Ministry?

No, we work on a commercial machine so far. However, a version of the Mi-171M may be of interest, say, to the Russian Emergencies Ministry and Ministry of Interior, in which case we would fit the machine with relevant gear.

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industry | interview

Russian Helicopters

Korshun

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unmanned helicopter development being in full swing in some other countries as well.

Development of an aircraft as an unmanned system platform is easy to Russian Helicopters in technical terms. The principal problem is to get reliable automatic control system and develop its operating algorithms.

It is this technical task that is high on our priority list. It also is important to ensure reconfiguration of the control system in case of a failure and backing it up as well.

What is going to be done in the coming two to three years specifically?

The Russian Helicopters joint stock company is ready to launch development of several unmanned helicopter systems next year, if there are relevant orders, on which we count very much. The company has launched a research programme of its own, dubbed Outlining the technical characteristics of a

UNMANNED RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS

Ka-117 (left) and Ka-135

Russian Helicopters

In recent years, the Russian Helicopters joint stock company has repeatedly displayed at international shows various helicopter-type unmanned aerial vehicles ranging from light to heavy ones. Models of the future Mi-34BP heavy unmanned helicopter (a derivative of the Mi-34S1), MRVK future robotised helicopter system based on the technical solutions embodied in the future Mi-X1 high-speed helicopter, and several designs from the Kamov company, including the Ka-37 and Ka-137 developed as far back as the ‘90s were exhibited many times.

This month full-size mock-ups of the future helicopter-type UAVs – the Ka-135 and Korshun – were unveiled during the Unmanned Multipurpose Vehicle Systems 2010 show held as part of the Machinebuilding Technologies 2010 forum from 30 June to 4 July this year. These are two of the four basic helicopter-type UAVs that are high on the priority list of Russian Helicopters company. On the eve of the show, Take-off Editor Yevgeny Yerokhin met Gennady Bebeshko, Unmanned Helicopter Systems programme manager of the Russian Helicopters JSC, and asked him to elaborate on the status of the helicopter-type UAV development in Russia and the plans of the Russian Helicopters in this field.

What is your view of the state of affairs in helicopter-type UAV development as a whole and what urgent tasks are facing the Russian Helicopters joint stock company in this sphere?

Helicopter-type UAV development is a new line of work in the UAV field, which has been evolving fast over the past 5 to 10 years. Vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) systems used lag behind aeroplane-type UAVs due to their greater complexity and problems with automatic control system development. Several countries have resolved those problems and been working hard on developing VTOL UAVs. Some US and European programmes have produced good results (Boeing’s YMQ-18 Hummingbird, an unmanned variant of the Kaman K-Max helicopter, Northrop Grumman MQ-8B Fire Scout, Schiebel S-100 Camcopter, etc.), with

medium-range unmanned helicopter system.

The programme provides for development of a prototype system ensuring the automatic operating mode for the unmanned helicopter under a preset programme. The research programme is designed to hash out the characteristics of the automatic control system exercising automatic control throughout the flight, including creation of a mathematical model and control algorithms and an operating prototype as well.

The Patrul light helicopter developed in the city of Kumertau has been selected as the baseline platform for the flying testwww.take-off.ru

industry | interview Kamov Ka-135 short-range UAV developed in 300 kg class which full-scale mockup was unveiled at UVS Tech 2010 exhibition in late June 2010

Yevgeny Yerokhin

Yevgeny Yerokhin

bed designed to test the automatic control system, ground control system and mission payload. The Russian Helicopters holding company pays for the work out of pocket.

The preparations are being completed, and plans are being coordinated with the subcontractors selected.

Unfortunately, non-military organisations are in no rush to finance the development but are ready to buy ready UAVs once they have been developed.

When the efforts go into the R&D stage, Russian Helicopters is to select subcontractors operating in the fields of

Medium-range 500kg-class Korshun UAV derived in Kumertau from Patrul light helicopter also debuted in a form of full-scale mockup at UVS Tech 2010 exhibition in late June 2010

engine, instrument, radio-technical, radar and composites development to tackle all aspects of the unmanned helicopter system development.

What is the current VTOL UAV line from Russian Helicopters made of? What programmes are priorities?

The Russian Helicopters company has limited itself to four baseline types of aircraft intended to ensure a competitive offer on the global market. Since the work is underway for uniformed services in the first place and based on analysis, nature and peculiarities of the missions to be handled by VTOL UAVs, the future family will comprise advanced systems designed for recce, attack, transport, relay and special-purpose missions.

The short-range VTOL UAV class will be represented by the 300-kg Ka-135 unmanned helicopter system with a range of 100 km. It is going to be a cutting-edge coaxial-rotor piston-engine UAV with a ski-type landing gear. www.take-off.ru

Two aircraft are being considered for the medium-range VTOL UAV niche. One is the Korshun, a Patrul helicopter derivative weighing 500 kg and having the 300 km range and 100 kg payload. The other is a heavier Ka-117 with a flight weight of 1,500 kg, a payload of 500 kg and a range of 400–500 km. It will be a multirole unmanned helicopter system capable of a wide range of tactical missions.

The basic long-range aircraft will be the Ka-126BV – an unmanned singleengine derivative of the Ka-226 helicopter, weighing 3,500 kg and operating out to 1,000 km.

All of these UAVs will be dual-purpose and capable of as many diverse missions as possible. There are to be three or four detachable modular payloads. The design modularity of the baseline VTOL UAVs and detachable payloads, coupled with automated pre-flight preparation gear, minimises such important characteristics

as assembly of the UAV from the travelling configuration to the operational one, preflight preparation time and time between flights.

What about the Mi-34BP, MRVK and other designs displayed at air shows?

You also have not mentioned short-range lightweight VTOL UAVs. We can offer various unmanned helicopters, including those that has not been part of the VTOL UAV family yet, those to feature characteristics requested by the customer. However, to reduce development risks, costs and time, it makes sense to develop unmanned helicopters being based on the existing manned helicopters.

As for short-range VTOL UAVs able to fly out to 25 km, we deem it impractical to develop them now, because battlefield and tactical-level recce missions can be accomplished by aeroplane-configuration UAVs in a more effective and cheaper manner. take-off july 2010

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military aviation | news

Victor Drushlyakov

Production-standard Ka-52 undergo trials

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Ka-52 combat aircraft and Ansat-U trainer. The committee resolved that the Ka-52 prototypes had passed another stage of its official trials.

This allowed the tentative conclusion recommending the manufacturing of a low-rate initial production batch to be issued.

In January last year, Progress company Director General Yuri Denisenko said three more Ka-52s of the LRIP batch were being assembled at the moment and slated for delivery before the end of the year. “We need to obtain a positive conclusion as to the Ka-52’s official trials and launch full-scale production in late 2009”, Denisenko said then. He had said earlier that an agreement had been reached on delivery of a total of

approx 30 Ka-52s to the Russian Defence Ministry.

Progress built 10 helicopters for the Russian Defence Ministry in 2009, according to the 1 March 2010 official report by the Russian Helicopters JSC on the results produced by the Russian helicopter-making industry in 2009. Apparently, three of them are the above-mentioned early production Ka-52s. In all probability, the remaining seven machines are the Ka-52s that were being completed and tested in Arsenyev.

Far Eastern news agency PrimaMedia reported in February this year that the manufacturer’s plan for 2010 made provision for building seven Ka-52s, because “the company made a commitment

to deliver about 25 Ka-52 Alligator helicopters to the Russian Army.

The aircraft maker’s gain from selling seven helicopters and Moskit antiship missiles in 2010 alone is to account for 8 billion rubles (over $250 million)”.

The Ka-52 also features good exportability. The RIA Novosti news agency has quoted the Progress plant’s Director General as saying that three foreign countries had ordered the Ka-52. For example, according to the media, the acquisition of Ka-52 helicopters was high on the agenda during Libyan Defence Minister AbuBaqr Younis Jaber’s visit to Russia in late January 2010. Early deals on exporting the Ka-52 might be clinched before year-end.

Victor Drushlyakov

Production-standard machines joined the official test programme of the Kamov Ka-52 advanced multirole combat helicopter this spring. The first three of them serialled 51, 52 and 53 were built by the Progress aircraft company in Arsenyev last year and, following debugging and ground tests

by Kamov out of Moscow, were ferried in March to the Russian Air Force’s Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre (CCTC) in Torzhok for further tests. The machines were used in the preparations for the Victory Day parade, and one of them, No 53, flew over Red Square in Moscow on 9 May 2010 along with a pre-production Ka-52 (No. 063).

Three prototype and preproduction machines have been involved in the Ka-52 official test programme until recently. The first flying prototype (serial 061) was built by Kamov as far back as 1996 and then has undergone several phases of upgrade. The second prototype Ka-52 serialled 062 was made by Progress two years ago and flew its maiden sortie on 27 June 2008. The preproduction machine (serial 063) took off in Arsenyev in October 2008.

On 26 December 2008, the Flight Test Complex of the Russian Helicopters joint stock company in Chkalovsky, Moscow Region, hosted the final phase of the enlarged meeting of the governmental committee considering the outcome of the official trials of the advanced Mi-28N and

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military aviation | news

Mi-28 fielding under way Mi-28Ns that could be fielded with line units in the coming years. The Armed Forces requirements in the Mi-28N are estimated at 300 aircraft.

In addition, talks with a number of foreign countries are under way.

Experts name Algeria and Venezuela as the most probable foreign launch customers for Mi-28NE helicopters.

By the way Mi-28NE is now taking part in a tender for 22 combat helicopters announced by Indian ministry of Defence.

At the same time with productionising the Mi-28N, a further upgrade programme of the helicopter has been launched in support of both the domestic customer and potential foreign buyers. Under the programme, the machine will be fitted with more effective cutting-edge avionics and weapons.

Alexey Mikheyev

A most important result produced last year by Russian combat helicopter makers is the kick-off of the deliveries of production-standard Mil Mi-28N helicopters to the Russian Defence Ministry.

According to the defence minister’s spokesman talking to the media about Anatoly Serdyukov’s visit to the Rostvertol joint stock company late last year, the company made and delivered 10 production-standard Mi-28N helicopters to the Russian Air Force in 2009. Last spring, the first six of them entered the inventory of the independent helicopter regiment (now dubbed air base) in Budyonnovsk, with four more machines following suit a bit later (the side numbers of the ten ranged from 01 to 10).

According to the Kommersant daily, RusAF ordered almost 50

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than in a month, on 13 March, the Yak-130 (side number 92) followed suit, as the lead production aircraft (side number 90) did later. In April, the plant delivered the third aircraft with side number 93. As Sokol Director General Alexander Karezin told in late May, the plant was to execute the whole of launch order on delivery of 12 aircraft before the end of November this year.

Along with Sokol producing the Yak-130 for the Russian Air Force, the Irkut corporation’s Irkutsk Aircraft Plant continues the full-rate production of aircraft of the type for the Algerian Air Force. The first Yak-130 under the Algerian contract for 16 aircraft was built in Irkutsk

in August 2009. Irkut plans to start deliveries to Algeria this year and finish it next year. In addition, it became known in February that the Irkut corporation had landed

another export contract for six Yak130s for the Libyan Air Force. The first two of them are expected to be sent there in 2011, with the four remaining in 2012.

Yevgeny Yerokhin

The advanced Yakovlev Yak-130 combat trainer aircraft made its debut at the Victory Day parade in Moscow on 9 May 2010. The Russian Air Force recently started receiving the aircraft of the type.

Four Yak-130s jointly flew over Red Square in a parade air formation with an Il-78M aerial tanker and two Su-24M tactical bombers.

As is known, under the launch order of the Russian Defence Ministry for 12 aircraft, the first productionstandard Yak-130 (side number 90) was produced by the Sokol aircraftbuilding plant in Nizhny Novgorod last year and performed its maiden flight on 19 May 2009. It was handed over to the Russian Air Force in late July, actually still undergoing a special test program.

Before the New Year, Sokol had assembled two more production aircraft and almost finished the work on the fourth one. Delivery to the Air Force started in February. The Yak-130 serialled 91 was the first aircraft of the type to be handed over to the Lipetsk-based Combat and Conversion Training Centre (CCTC) of the Russian Air Force. On 18 February, it was ferried to Lipetsk and received officially there. Less

Alexey Mikheyev

Air Force receives Yak-130s

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industry | results

558 ARP is always open for business cooperation

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Basis of production program of the 558 Aircraft Repair Plant is overhaul and modernisation of Su-27, MiG-29, Su-25, Su-17 (Su-22) combat aircraft and Mi-8 (Мi-17), Mi-24 (Мi-35) helicopters. Besides, overhaul of An-2 civil aircraft is provided. The important direction of work of the Plant is modernisation of aviation materiel of the fourth generation. The 558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC is the only enterprise in Belarus, and one of the few companies in CIS which have such a wide range of services for repair and modernisation of aircraft. Whole complex of offered services allows to guarantee high reliability of the repaired aviation materiel.

The 558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC offers to develop the Center of logistical support and service for aircraft and helicopters during whole lifetime in the Customer’s territory.

To organise the work of the Centre a group of highly qualified specialists of the 558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC with all necessary equipment to perform diagnostic and operwww.take-off.ru

ational commissioning of failed on-board equipment items will be forwarded to the Customer.

A new direction in this area is to develop a mobile service center, an advantage of which is possibility of service of aviation materiel in the field.

Center for logistical support and service is equipped with measuring and test equipment required for search and elimination of malfunctions in products of onboard equipment of aircraft and helicopters.

One of the 558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC advanced products is Satellite system of aircraft radio engineering protection which have

commercial

successfully passed tests. Nowadays it is the unique device for jamming surface-to-air and air-to-air missiles with active homing heads.

Functional concept of Satellite system is based on creation of disturbances for enemy radars of interceptors and anti-aircraft missile systems, as well as homing missiles in the channels of angular data measurement.

Satellite system has small weight and dimensions, installation requires a minimum modification of the object, is much more reliable than existing systems, requires no special tools and ground equipment, and is extremely easy to use. Installation of Satellite system is available in the container or in a conformal version. Deliveries of Satellite equipment to foreign customers have already begun.

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Sergey Kuznetsov

miltary aviation | event

GENERATION 5 RUSSIAN MOVE PAK FA UNDERGOING TESTS Andrey FOMIN

The first flying prototype of the Sukhoi PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft performed its maiden flight in Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 29 January 2010. It is a prototype of the T-50 aircraft developed by the Sukhoi company under the Russian fifth-generation fighter development programme. According to Russian Premier Vladimir Putin speaking at a session of the government on that day, aircraft of the type are to be issued to the Air Force Combat and Conversion Training Centre (CCTC) in Lipetsk in 2013, with combat units to start accepting production PAK FA fighters starting from 2015.

Russia and the United States launched their fifth-generation fighter programmes almost three decades back. The US programme resulted in the F-22A Raptor that has been in USAF inventory since 2005. Another US-built fifth-generation fighter, the lighter F-35 Lightning II is to enter service a couple of years from now. In Russia, MiG Corp. and Sukhoi made their experimental fifthgeneration fighter prototypes – the MFI multirole fighter (1.44) and S-37 (Su-47) swept-forward wing demonstrator respectively – in the mid-‘90s. The programmes were discontinued due to the dire economic situation in Russia at the time and a change to the requirements to the aircraft of the type. However, about a decade ago, Sukhoi started the development of another fifth-generation fighter embodying all of the latest advances of the Russian aircraft industry in terms of aircraft design, material science, technology, powerplant, avionics and weaponry. The programme came on top in the Air Force-held tender and was given the green light in 2002. Having completed all phases of the development, Sukhoi managed to make three T-50 prototypes last year and kick off the flight tests earlier this year. The flight trials have been running at the Zhukovsky airfield in the Moscow Region since April 2010.

On 17 June, the PAK FA was unveiled in flight to the media people covering the governmental delegation led by Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. The demonstration flight on 17 June was the 16th mission of the T-50’s flight career.

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www.take-off.ru

military aviation | hot topic Russian fifth generation fighter: second try Given the forecasted economic situation in Russia in the early 21st century, a decision was taken to develop the future tactical fighter in the so-called medium class. It was to wedge in between the Mikoyan MiG-29 and Sukhoi Su-27 in terms of dimensions; hence, its takeoff weight was set at 20–22 t. It was to be able to beat the F-35 and advanced Western Gen. 4+ fighters, including their future upgraded versions, and be on a par with the F-22 at the least, while having the multirole capability to handle most of the missions facing a tactical fighter. A new platform realising the so-called 3S principle (stealth, supermanoeuvrability and supercruise) inherent in fifth-generation planes and cutting-edge integrated avionics and weapons suites were to be developed.

Based on these requirements, the Defence Ministry issued a tender in 2001 for the development of the PAK FA aircraft, with both traditional Russian fighter developers, MiG Corp. and Sukhoi, competing.

Having scrutinised both proposals and considered Sukhoi’s better financial standing owing to its active Su-30MKfamily fighter exports, which proceeds could be used for the fifth-generation aircraft development along with direct governmental financing, the Air Force opted for its T-50 project. Thus, Sukhoi was selected as prime contractor for the PAK FA in April 2002 and launched the designing of the new fighter. Alexander Davidenko was appointed chief designer to run the programme.

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The PAK FA’s preliminary design was completed and submitted for the customer for approval in autumn 2004. The Air Force approved it in December of the same year. The next stage – the technical design – was completed in 2006, after which implementation engineering and productionising preparations kicked off.

The manufacturer plant in Komsomolskon-Amur was earmarked to build prototypes and, further down the line, launch full-scale production of the fifth-generation fighter.

A provision also was made that some of the parts and units would be made by another of Sukhoi’s subsidiaries, the Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association named after Valery Chkalov (NAPO). Manufacture of composite parts and panels (composites are aplenty in the fighter’s design) was assigned to the Technologiya company in Obninsk, which Sukhoi had known well in the wake of the S-37 (Su-47) programme.

Development and manufacture of systems and bought-in components were handled by a large number of subcontractors, mostly the same that had been involved in other Sukhoi programmes pertaining to the Su-27 family (NPO Saturn and UMPO for the powerplant, MNPK Avionika for the flight control system, Tikhomirov-NIIP and GRPZ for the AESA fire control radar, UOMZ for the IRST, RPKB and Avionika concern for the navigation suite, integrated computer system and display systems, Tactical Missiles Corp. for weapons systems, etc.).

Manufacture of T-50 prototypes began in 2007. Six prototypes, including four

flying ones, were slated for construction.

Interestingly, Sukhoi Director General Mikhail Pogosyan said as far back as August 2005 that the flight test programme was to start in 2009. The developer virtually managed to remain on schedule, with the prototype rolling out to the airfield and starting its taxi runs in December 2009, which is unprecedented for the present-day Russian aircraft industry. This was achieved owing to the effective organising of the whole work by the prime contractor and, of course, almost uninterrupted financing of the programme.

Maiden flight Three prototypes of the advanced fighter had been under construction at KnAAPO by early last year. Summer 2009 saw the completion of the static test airframe of the so-called Prototype Zero (T50-0) and its handover to the Sukhoi design bureau. Two more prototypes were to be finished soon.

One, which was dubbed ‘integrated full-scale testbed’ (T50-KNS), was intended for ground tests of basic aircraft systems – the advanced KSU-50 integrated flight control system, new powerplant of two engines designated as Item 117, and hydraulic, electrical, fuel and other systems in the first place. Actually, the T50-KNS had virtually the same design and onboard systems as the subsequent flying prototypes had. Having been fitted with the organic powerplant, the aircraft began its shop tests and airfield runs last autumn.

It is the plane that performed the first taxi runs at KnAAPO’s airfield on 23 December 2009, which became the key landmark on the way to the PAK FA’s first flight. Test pilot Sergey Bogdan tested all onboard systems of the T50-KNS all the way to deploying the drogue chutes at the end of the runway, with all operating like clockwork.

The first flying prototype, the T50-1, was assembled soon after the T50-KNS. Ground tests of the systems with the use of the T50-1 began last autumn too. KnAAPO’s and the Sukhoi design bureau’s teams worked on it virtually round the clock, with a short break taken for a couple of day only to celebrate the New Year Day. The T50-1 was rolled out of the assembly shop in January, and Sergey Bogdan used it to make taxi runs on 21 January 2010. On the same day, there was the first flight of the Su-27M No 710 flying testbed at Gromov LII’s airfield in the Moscow Region used for testing the PAK FA’s powerplant. An advanced Saturn 117 engine was mounted on it instead of one of its organic AL-31Fs. In line with the rules, the maiden flight of the advanced aircraft powered by the new powerplant had to be preceded by several take-off july 2010

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flight tests of a same-type engine on board the flying testbed. On Saturday, 23 January, Sergey Bogdan performed in Komsomolskon-Amur several series of taxi runs and highspeed runs on the first T-50, with the last of the series wrapped up with accelerating to the rotation speed and subsequent drogue chute-retarded deceleration.

All was ready for the maiden flight, but by tradition, it had to be cleared by Gromov LII’s methodological council. The council convened in Zhukovsky on Monday, 25 January. Having reviewed all of the materials submitted, including the results produced by the ground tests and early taxi runs of the T50-KNS and T50-1, endurance tests of the T50-0 static test prototype, bench and flight tests of Engine 117 and other aircraft systems (other aircraft, including the Su-27M No 708 and S-37 Berkut, were used as flying testbeds to gauge the systems for the future PAK FA), the council cleared the T-50 for flight trials.

The morning of the last Friday of January came. The T50-1’s cockpit was occupied

by Honoured Test Pilot of Russia Sergey Bogdan, who flight-tested another of Sukhoi’s plane, the Su-35, two years before.

The engines were roaring, all systems were go. A Su-27UB twinseater escort took off.

It was the historical event thousands of employees of Sukhoi and its numerous subcontractors had striven for, the one everybody had anticipated.

Sergey Bogdan took the PAK FA prototype off the runway for the first time at 11 h 19 min on 29 January 2010 local time. The plane takes to the air easily and quickly and heads for the

Sukhoi

military aviation | hot topic

Sukhoi’s test pilot Sergey Bogdan reports Mikhail Pogosyan after PAK FA’s maiden flight, 29 January 2010

testing area without retracting its landing area, escorted by the Su-27UB. Having vanished from sight of hundreds of its creators who had gathered at the airfield to see their creature off on its maiden flight, the prototype is to test its key systems, retract and extend its landing gear for the first time and pull of its early manoeuvres. Onboard instruments register thousands of parameters, with the escort plane’s screw filming the new fighter and taking its pictures. All goes to plan, and about three quarters of hour later, the two fighters – so closely related, yet so different at the same time – reappear over the factory airfield. Buzzing over the runway, a pattern, and the T50-1’s wheels gently touch the runway at 12 h 06 min local time. The 47-min maiden flight

Sukhoi

Sukhoi T50-1 during its speed taxi test, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 23 January 2010

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military aviation | hot topic is a success – the first flight of a fifthgeneration fighter.

“We have performed the initial assessment of the aircraft’s controllability, operation of the engine and key systems. The plane retracted and extended its landing gear smoothly. It performed well throughout the flight and was easy and comfortable to control”, test pilot Sergey Bogdan said after the landing.

Gearing up for full-rate production Congratulating the PAK FA designers on the aircraft’s maiden flight, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin unveiled its service entry schedule in public. “The first batch is to be delivered to the Armed Forces in 2013, with series acquisition to start in 2015”, the Russian Prime Minister said.

“The low-rate initial production (LRIP) batch should be delivered to CCTC in Lipetsk so that pilots can start training on them in 2013”.

On 1 March, Premier Putin held a visiting government session on the Sukhoi company’s premises, which was dedicated to military aircraft development. Prior to the session, Vladimir Putin had been shown the static prototype of the fighter (T50-0) undergoing static tests and the design, computer modelling and test rigs for testing the integrated flight control system and avionics of the fighter. In his opening

Sukhoi

Sukhoi

PAK FA first flying prototype in its maiden flight, 29 January 2010

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military aviation | hot topic remarks, the Prime Minister shared his impression of what he had seen, “We have seen the fifth-generation aircraft and been told how the work on it progresses. I would like yet again to congratulate the designers, engineers, workers and pilots who jointly let the aircraft take to the air. There have been three test missions flown. However, over 2,000 such sorties have to be performed until the aircraft enters full-rate production – quite a job to do, quite a job! Still, judging by how it has progressed and how it has been organised, I am certain that we will go all the way down this path on schedule. Our armed services, the Air Force, will receive this up-to-date unique aircraft”.

Following the conference, Sukhoi Director General Mikhail Pogosyan told the media that three more flying prototypes were to join the trials to do the job on so tight a schedule. The second flying prototype, which is being assembled now, shall have flown until year-end 2010 to be followed by the third and fourth prototypes in 2011. In all, the test programme provides for the four flying prototypes to log upwards of 2,000 test sorties in Komsomolsk-on-

NIIP

Tikhomirov-NIIP AESA radar designed for PAK FA at manufacturer’s test rig

Inflight refuelling probe bay doors

Wide-angle HUD Sliding backward cockpit canopy

Electro-optical sensor mockup; production aircraft probably will have here a module of integrated optronic sighting system developed by UOMZ Ural Optical and Mechanical Plant named after E.S. Yalamov

0-0 class ejection seat developed by NPP Zvezda named after G.I. Severin Electro-optical sensor mockup; production aircraft probably will have here a module of integrated selfdefence system detecting missile launches

PAK FA first flying prototype general layout Drawing by Alexey Mikheyev

Radio transparent panel which will probably cover side-looking X-band AESA Moving LERX Twin-wheel controllable nose landing gear Pitot tube with pitch and yaw angles vanes (prototype aircraft only)

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All-metal radome of the first flying prototype. Production aircraft will feature radio transparent radome housing forward-looking X-band AESA of the multifunctional integrated radar system developed by Tikhomirov NIIP

Supersonic variable air intake

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military aviation | hot topic

Fuselage centre section housing main fuel cells and weapon bays

PAK FA’s cockpit interior (avionics integration testbed at Sukhoi Design Bureau)

Andrey Fomin

Amur and Zhukovsky and at the Defence Ministry’s test ranges, where the fighter’s tactical capabilities will be gauged.

As of 17 June, the T-50 prototype has logged 16 flights. Since late April, it has been tested in Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region. The aircraft flew for the first time there on 29 April, three months sharp after its historic maiden flight in Komsomolskon-Amur. The T50-1 prototype and the T50-KNS integrated full-scale testbed were airlifted to Sukhoi’s flight test facility in Zhukovsky on 8 April by an An-124 Ruslan military transport to continue the tests.

Prior to that, the T50-1 had flown six missions from KnAAPO’s airfield. Following its historic first flight on 29 January and a subsequent brief lull needed for the designers to analyse the data gathered and have the aircraft painted, the plane flew two more missions on 12 and 13 February and then entered the scheduled debugging phase. Sergey Bogdan conducted three more flights on the T50-1 in Komsomolskon-Amur in later March.

The acceptance test programme at the manufacturer’s airfield was completed on

All-movable tail fin

Wing slat which will probably incorporate L-band AESA Air cooling system inlet

Stabiliser actuator fairing

Brake chutes bay door

Main landing gear bay doors

Main landing gear with 1,050x365 mm wheel

Underwing fairing probably housing smaller weapon bay for short-range air-to-air missile

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NPO Saturn 117 turbofan with take-off thrust of 15,000 kgf

All-movable stabiliser

Thrust vector control nozzle

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military aviation | hot topic

T50-1 in demo flight, 17 June 2010

Sergey Kuznetsov

26 March, and preparations for ferrying the aircraft to Zhukovsky followed then.

The prototype was airlifted by a Ruslan transport, to which end the fighter was partially disassembled.

Upon its arrival at Sukhoi’s flight test facility in Zhukovsky and subsequent assembly, the aircraft underwent another series of ground tests and checks and then kicked off another flight test stage late in April. It was flown out in Zhukovsky on 29 April after it had been reassembled.

Then two more flights followed on 14 and 25 May, with the 3 June flight becoming the 10th sortie of the Russian fifth-generation fighter.

According to Mikhail Pogosyan, all test flights have been successful. As planned, the in-flight testing of their onboard systems, powerplant, flight control system, navigation suite, stability, controllability and manoeuvrability started.

Mikhail Pogosyan confirmed that the flight test programme was designed for over

2,000 flights and the schedule and specific tasks at every stage of the programme could be adjusted jointly by the customer and developer depending on the results produced and actual state of completion of the advanced equipment and weapons intended for the future production-standard PAK FA. In line with the worldwide rule, early flights do not provide for testing a number of special onboard systems and weapons. The flight tests of the AESA fire control radar, electro-optical sighting systems, self-defence suite and weapons will begin later, onboard subsequent prototypes.

“The purpose of the first two aircraft is to test the aerodynamic, stability, controllability and strength characteristics, because it is wrong to test the radar until one has made certain that the aircraft can operate within the whole altitude and flight speed bracket and has ensured safety”, Mikhail Pogosyan said on 17 June, having emphasised that the full-scale trials of all of the onboard systems has been under way with the use of ground test rigs, including the T50-KNS integrated full-scale testbed that is in Zhukovsky now.

Flying testbeds in the form of the Su-27 fighters, serialled 708 and 710, and a Su-47 Berkut are used heavily as part of the PAK FA tests and debugging. A new ejection seat designed for the PAK FA is

Effective brake-parachute-assisted landing after flight demonstration to Russian Premier in Zhukovsky

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Sukhoi

miltary aviation | event

Test pilot Sergey Bogdan acquaints Vladimir Putin with PAK FA’s cockpit

Sukhoi

Russian Prime-minister Vladimir Putin greets Sergey Bogdan after demo flight, 17 June 2010

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undergoing tests at a special rocket facility of GKNIPAS in Faustovo (Moscow Region).

Zvezda NPP Director General and Chief Designer Sergey Pozdnyakov said in May that the tests of the advanced ejection seat were to be completed before year-end. By then, the tests of other systems developed

by Zvezda for the PAK FA (pilot’s gear, oxygen system and life support system) are supposed to be finished.

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The testing of the AESA radar being developed by Tikhomirov-NIIP is in full swing. The first AESA radar prototype unveiled during the MAKS 2009 air show in August last year is undergoing a series of laboratory rig tests designed to debug the radar’s components and software.

By late last year, Tikhomirov-NIIP had made the second AESA radar that has completed most of its rig tests now.

A decision has been made recently to conduct its advanced tests on board the third example of the T-50. In addition, the company has built the third AESA radar that is being fine-tuned now and will be mounted on the next PAK FA. Speeding up the cutting-edge radar’s trials will also speed up the debugging of both the radar itself and the whole of the avionics suite of the fifth-generation fighter. “The third and fourth aircraft will be equipped with all the systems specified by our customer”, Mikhail Pogosyan told the media.

Once the remaining three prototypes have been built, KnAAPO and its subcontractors are to launch, next year, the construction of the first low-rate initial production (LRIP) planes that could be given to the Air Force Combat and Conversion Training Centre in the city of Lipetsk in 2013 to learn the ropes on the new fighter and work out piloting and combat recommendations.

At the same time, the official trials will continue, with their completion expected in 2015, according to Mikhail Pogosyan.

Then production aircraft will be cleared for service entry with the Russian Air Force.

According to the First Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin, who spoke with the media in Zhukovsky on 17 June, the State Armament Programme for the Period throughout 2020, which is being devised currently, makes provision for an initial acquisition of “more than 50 fifth-generation fighters”. “The precise number hinges on the price”, he said. “The State Armament Programme is being worked out to determine, among other things, a pricing policy”.

Vladimir Popovkin specified that the fielding of the fighter with combat units would start in 2016, until which time a LRIP batch of “six to ten aircraft” will have been bought.

Satisfied with what he had seen, Russian Premier Vladimir Putin said on 17 June he was certain that the PAK FA would be superior to its US rival, the F-22A Raptor, in terms of characteristics and combat capabilities and would cost much less. Putin said that about 30 billion rubles (in the neighbourhood of $1 billion) had been spent on the PAK FA development programme, with as much to be allocated soon. As is known, the overall cost of the development and production of 187 F-22As is estimated at $62 billion, of which the development, tests and debugging alone claimed about $28 billion. Under the latest FY2007–09 contract, the Raptor was $142.6 million a pop, while the Russian fighter is expected to be far more affordable.

According to the First Deputy Defence Minister Vladimir Popovkin, the PAK FA “will not differ much from our current aircraft fleet” in terms of price. www.take-off.ru

military aviation | hot topic

Т-50 First flying prototype Drawing by Alexey Mikheyev

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Yevgeny Yerokhin

military aviation | weapons

Peter STONE

ADVANCED WEAPONS FOR ADVANCED WARPLANES

Development of a new generation of precision guided munitions is nearing completion Late January 2010 saw the maiden flight of the Sukhoi PAK FA Future Tactical Aircraft. In one of his interviews, Boris Obnosov, Director General of the Tactical Missiles corporation, the key supplier of weapons for the fifth-generation fighter, said that the development of air-launched weapons for the aircraft were on schedule. The corporation is completing the development of 14 types of advanced missiles and smart bombs spanning virtually the whole spectrum of air-launched weapons. The emphasis has been placed on air-to-air and air-tosurface guided missiles.

New air-to-air missiles The latest air-to-air missiles under development include short-, medium- and long-range ones and are being developed by the Vympel design bureau, a Tactical Missiles subsidiary.

The RVV-MD short-range air-to-air missile is designed for use by fighters, attack aircraft and combat helicopters. The cuttingedge missile, fitted with an upgraded all-aspect two-mode heat-seeking head, features a 30% increase in the range over the R-73E dogfight missile it is designed to replace. The new weap-

on’s enhanced powerplant and combined aerogas-dynamic controls enable the RVV-MD to use higher angles of attack than the R-73E can, with the former’s target designation angles ranging ±60 degrees. It also can eliminate threats manoevring at as much as 12 g.

The highly lethal RVV-SD medium-range missile is intended to deal with aerial threats, e.g. hostile fighters, attack aircraft, bombers, airlifters, helicopters and cruise missiles.

Compared with the RVV-AE missile, the RVV-SD features a big increase in maximal

Yevgeny Yerokhin

RVV-MD and RVV-SD AAMs

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range – up to 110 km. The RVV-SD kills targets jinking at up to 12 g at any time of day and night, attacking them from any aspect in the face of electronic countermeasures (ECM) in the look-down mode, including the multipletarget launch-and-leave attack capability.

Air-to-ground missiles The design of the latest AGMs is heavily modularised. The approach has been embodied in the advanced Kh-38ME multi-purpose missile able to mount a number of combined guidance packages, including the inertial guidance system and terminal precision-guidance package variants wrapped around laser, thermal-imaging and radar or satnav homing heads. The missile can pack a formidable blast/ fragmentation or penetrator warhead, with a cluster-type warhead being an option. The dual-pulse solid-fuel rocket motor develops a velocity exceeding the sonic speed by more than twice.

Table 1 offers a comparison of the basic characteristics of the Kh-38ME and the widely-known previous-generation Kh-25M AGM (the data pertaining to the Kh-38MLE and Kh-25ML laser beam-riding missiles).

According to the table, the Kh-38MLE is virtually four times more effective than the Kh-25ML in terms of maximum range and warhead weight. www.take-off.ru

Yevgeny Yerokhin

military aviation | weapons Table 1. Basic characteristics of general-purpose air-to-ground missiles Kh-38MLE Kh-25ML Missile launch 299±8 up to 520 weight, kg Warhead weight, kg up to 250 86 Range, km - from H=50 m 3–10 3–40 - from H=5,000 m 8–10 Launch altitude 50–5,000 200–12,000 bracket, m inertial + semisemi-active laser Guidance system active laser beambeam-riding riding

Kh-38ME

The Kh-59MK2 air-to-ground missile has been developed to deal with a wide spectrum of stationary ground targets. It is effective against targets with the known grids, including the targets lacking the radar, IR and optical signatures. The missile is a fireand-forget weapon using the autonomous recognition of the terrain adjacent to the target. The Kh-59MK2’s enhanced range accounts for 285 km and its formidable penetrator or cluster-type warhead has been increased up to 320 kg and 283 kg respectively.

The Ovod-ME multi-purpose missile system wrapped around the Kh-59M2E guided missile eliminates surface targets identified visually by the weapon systems officer on the multifunctional display. The Kh-59M2E missile-based Ovod-ME system has the round-the-clock capability, including the ability to kill targets in low visibility.

Multirole PGMs also include guided bombs.

The offer to foreign customers includes a whole series of smart bombs furnished with satellite navigation and laser beam-riding capabilities.

Antiradiation and antiship missiles More advanced antiradiation and antiship missiles, Kh-31PD and Kh-31AD respectively, are being derived from the high-velocity Kh-31P/A missiles fitted with a combined powerplant of a ramjet sustainer and a solid-fuel booster motor.

The advanced missiles of the type are far superior to the similar-purpose missiles of the previous generation in terms of performance. See Table 2 for the comparison of the characteristics of the export versions of the Kh-31-family weapons.

The new-generation Kh-31PD/AD missiles are equipped with more accurate cutting-edge guidance systems and feature a two-plus times increase in range and a warhead lethality hike of at least 15–20% over the previous models.

Table 2. Basic characteristics of high-velocity antiship and antiradiation missiles of the Kh-31 family Kh-31AD Kh-31A Kh-31PD Kh-31PK Kh-31P Launch weight, kg 715 610 715 605±10 600 Warhead weight, kg 110 94 110 88±2,5 87,5±2,5 Maximum range from H=15,000 m, 120–160 70 180–250 up to 110 up 110 M=1.5, km Missile maximum (average) velocity, 1,000 1,000 1,000 >1,000 >1,000 m/s (600–700) (720–750) (600–700) inertial + interchangeable interchangeable inertial + active autopilot + active Guidance system wideband passive passive radar passive radar radar homing radar homing radar homing homers homers

Yevgeny Yerokhin

Kh-35UE

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The evolution of subsonic sea-skimming antiship missiles has embodied in the Kh-35UE missile featuring considerable aerodynamics and powerplant improvements and more capable guidance and control systems compared with the previous-generation Kh-35E antiship missile. Refer to Table 3 for a comparison of the characteristics of the advanced Kh-35UE antiship missile and its predecessor Kh-35E. The new missile features a twofold increase in the maximum range. Its combined guidance system reliant on the inertial-guidance satnav active/passive radar homing capabilities allows the Kh-35UE a higher degree of precision and countermeasures immunity and a wider spectrum of targets it can take out, including those it can kill in the face of ECM. The target acquisition range of the advanced missile has more than doubled, with the Kh-35UE having the same dimensions the Kh-35E has, which makes them interchangeable.

Developing and producing the new generation of PGMs calls for a design and technology level drastically different to that inherited from the previous century. The Tactical Missiles corporation is running a purposeful gradual upgrade of its technological capabilities to this end. At present, the corporation is running 17 programmes on updating and reconstructing its production capabilities. This enabled it to launch a series of development efforts on sophisticated PGMs. Special attention is being paid to refining the ground test facilities to enable them to ensure a high degree of sophistication of development work, thus slashing the number of flight tests.

The work is currently right on schedule.

Table 3. Basic characteristics of subsonic antiship missiles of the Kh-35 family Kh-35UE Kh-35E Launch weight, kg - plane-launched missile 550 ~520 - helicopter-launched missile 650 ~610 145 145 Warhead weight, kg Range bracket, km 7–260 5–130 Sea-skimming altitude, m: - cruising leg 10–15 10–15 - terminal leg 4 ~4 Velocity (Mach) 0.8–0.85 ~0.8 Max post-launch horizontal turn ±130 ±90 angle, deg. inertial + inertial + satnav + Guidance system active radar active/passive homing radar homing Homing head’s maximum target 50 >20 acquisition and lock-on range, km

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contracts and deliveries | news

Victor Drushlyakov

In April, Russia hosted the final stage of the demonstration tests of the advanced MiG-35 aircraft standing in the tender for 126 medium multirole fighters to be supplied to the Indian Air Force (IAF) under the MMRCA programme.

18 sorties had been flown from the Zhukovsky and Akhtubinsk airfields from 4 to 24 April, during which the operation of the fighter’s weapons suite, including the Zhuk-AE AESA radar, were evaluated and the plane’s performance with all warload variants possible were proven. The sorties were flown with the use of the MiG-35D two-seater serialled 967 and derived by MiG Corp. last year from the MiG-29KUB carrierborne fighter prototype serialled 947. The aircraft was flown by mixed crews of MiG Corp. test pilots in the back seat and IAF pilots in the front seat.

The Russian test pilots were Mikhail Belyayev and Stanislav Gorbunov.

The demonstration tests’ final stage culminated in the live firing at the missile range, where an RVV-AE medium-range active radar homing air-to-air missile launched by the MiG-35 hit a Dan aerial target and KAB-500Kr TV-homing bombs eliminated ground targets. The Indian pilots praised the operation of all of the systems, particularly the AESA radar that they had tested in various operating modes.

The MiG-35D (side number 967) used in the demo tests carries

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Sergey Lysenko

Indian pilots test MiG-35

a demonstration example of the Zhuk-AE radar with the AESA measuring 500 mm in diameter and featuring 680 transmit-receive (T-R) modules. The Phazotron-NIIR corporation is the radar’s developer.

The smaller AESA diameter of the radar is due to the layout peculiarities of the MiG-35 (serial 154) demonstrator, for which it was manufactured in 2007 and displayed on board the fighter at the air show in Bangalore. Later on, the aircraft performed several ground and flight tests of this variant of the Zhuk-AE radar. The tests showed its smooth operation in various modes.

After the return of the two MiG-35s (serials 961 and 967) from India

where they performed demo tests from Indian airfields in October last year, including high-and-hot tests, the radar was mounted on the fighter serialled 967. IAF pilots flying the fighter in Russia in April saw that the radar operated smoothly in the most of its modes, including fighter-sized target acquisition out to 120–130 km.

Even a higher performance will be featured by the Zhuk-AE version with an AESA diameter of 620 mm and 1,016 T-R modules. The radar, which is going to be organic for the production-standard MiG-35, is being developed by Phazotron-NIIR. It is to feature a range increase of 160–170 km with an insignificant

weight increase from 200–210 kg to 260–280 kg. The radar is expected to be mounted on the MiG-35 (serial 967) and demonstrated during the next Bangalore air show slated for next February.

The April tests involving IAF pilots crowned the flight evaluation of the MiG-35 as part of the MMRCA tender.

After similar evaluation of the rest of the contenders has been conducted, the parties will begin to negotiate the commercial and organisational aspects of the deal. The “cheapest of the options meeting the IAF requirements” will be selected in the end. A final decision is due in 2011. According to a number of experts, the strongest contenders are the Russian-made MiG-35 and US-built F-16IN, but the United States is known to be reluctant to transfer some systems production technologies, including the software codes, to the Indians. This beefs up the chances of the MiG-35, but a number of pundits deem it possible that India can decide to acquire both types.

As is known, the MMRCA programme provides for IAF to get 126 fighters (86 singleseaters and 40 twinseaters), of which 18 are to be delivered by the best bidder, with the rest to be assembled by Indian corporation HAL. The deliveries are to kick off within three years from the date of clinching the deal and be complete within four years.

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contracts and deliveries | news

Russian aircraft makers landed another contract for Su-30-family fighters in March. The Irkut corporation will launch the delivery of 16 Sukhoi Su-30MKI(A) warplanes to Algeria in 2011.

The deal stemmed from the 2006 contract, under which the Algerian Air Force received 28 aircraft of the type in 2007 through 2009.

Satisfied with the capabilities and quality of the aircraft acquired, the Algerian authorities decided to turn 16 options into firm orders. The contract was made in Algeria in mid-March, with the Rosoboronexport government-owned corporation

appointed prime contractor. The signature of the new contract proved that the unfortunate failure of the MiG-29SMT fighter delivery to Algeria did not hamper the bilateral military technical cooperation. This year also will see Irkut starting deliveries of another of its aircraft, the Yak-130 combat trainer, to Algeria.

Under another Sukhoi export contract signed in February 2010, Vietnam will get 12 more Su-30MK2 multirole two-seat fighters in 2011–12. The planes will be manufactured by the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Production Association (KnAAPO).

Forcesdz.com

More orders for Sukhoi fighters

The Vietnamese Air Force has been operating four Su-30MK2V fighters since 2004. Last year Russia landed another contract for eight aircraft of the type to be delivered in 2010–11. Thus,

VietAF will have a fleet of 24 Su-30MK2s once the current contract is fulfilled. In addition, the service flies 12 Su-27SK and Su-27UBK fighters imported in the ‘90s.

Another A-50EI AWACS aircraft built for Indian Air Force

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the airfield of the Beriev aircraft company in Taganrog for the first time. On 20 January 2008, it was ferried to Israel for being equipped with the radar system, debugged and tested. The maiden flight of the complete aircraft took place in Tel-Aviv on 5 June 2008. It had been tested in Israel up to last spring. Then, on 25 May 2009, it flew to India, and three days later, on 28 May, there was an official ceremony of including the aircraft into the inventory of the Indian Air Force. The ceremony took place at

Palam Air Force Base in the suburbs of New Delhi. The aircraft received side number KW-3551.

The second A-50EI aircraft under the contract completed its maiden mission in Taganrog on 11 January 2009. When the manufacturer’s tests had been completed, it flew to Israel on 24 June 2009 to be equipped with the radar system. The work had lasted for about nine months, and then the aircraft flew to the customer on 25 March this year and entered service with the Indian Air Force under side number KW-3552.

The third aircraft, which first flew in Taganrog in June, left for Israel this summer after having been painted. According to the ARMS-TASS news agency, the aircraft can be delivered to the Indian Ministry of Defence prior to 2011.

The successful entrance of the first A-50EIs into the inventory of the Indian Air Force has made it possible to step up the negotiations on delivery of an additional batch of three to six aircraft of the type to IAF.

Beriev

The third Beriev A-50EI AWACS aircraft performed its maiden flight in Taganrog on 9 June 2010. The aircraft had been produced by the Beriev aircraft company under the contract on delivery of three aircraft of the type to India.

The A-50EI airborne warning and control system was produced under the international contract among Russia, India and Israel, signed early in 2004. The system is based on the Ilyushin Il-76TD transport aircraft equipped by the Beriev aircraft company with advanced PS-90A-76 engines, developed and produced by the Perm Motors group, and the Israeli Falcon AEW&C system assembled by the manufacturer, ELTA. In addition, the aircraft is equipped with a data-link system from Russian radio-engineering corporation Vega.

The first Il-76TD (No. 21727), subject to be converted to the lead A-50EI aircraft, arrived at Taganrog from the Tashkent-based plant in April 2005, and two more planes (No. 21730 and No. 21736) followed suit in June and July 2005, respectively. Equipping the first aircraft with PS-90A-76 engines, radar cowls, the in-flight refueling system and other airframe updates under the A-50EI project was completed in autumn 2007. On 29 November 2007 it took off from

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First Russian-made AW139 to be assembled in 2011

On the first day of HeliRussia 2010, the parties signed a requirements specification for an assembly shop to make AW139 helicopters in Russia.

The document was signed by Oboronprom Director General Andrey Reus and AgustaWestland Executive Director Giuseppe Orsi.

The ground for the assembly shop in Panki was broken on 22 June 2010, and the first AW139 might have been assembled in Russia by late 2011. Speaking at the signing ceremony, Andrey Reus said that cooperation between Russian and foreign helicopter makers would increase: “We have been increasingly becoming partners, rather than rivals”.

The ceremony also was attended

by Sergey Barkhatov, Director General of the Aviaservice company that had been the first Russian company awarded by AgustaWestland a contract for an AW139 to be delivered before yearend 2010. An Italian-made AW109 Grand helicopter has been operated by the company since 2008. Apparently, Aviaservice is to take delivery of an Italian-built AW139, because deliveries of

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Alexey Mikheyev

Russian-assembled machines of the type will begin in a year and a half at the earliest. The AW139 has not obtained a Russian certificate of the type yet. It is expected to have been certificated by IAC’s Air Registry this year.

The production facilities of the Panki assembly centre are designed to roll out up to 20 AW139s annually.

According to Andrey Reus, talks are underway with launch customers that prefer their names not to be mentioned at this stage. “The Russian helicopter market has been growing year in, year out, and we are certain for this reason that there will be a niche for the AW139”, he said.

The AW139 is very popular on the global market. Since its deliveries commenced in 2003, AgustaWestland has landed firm orders for more than 430 units. Thirty countries, including major European states, as well as the United States, Japan, Australia, South Africa, etc., operate over 200 aircraft of the type. According to the media, the AW139 goes at about $21 million.

The helicopter is designed to seat 12–15 passengers or perform SAR, patrol, fire-suppressant and

medevac missions. The VIP version of the aircraft is especially popular (it is a helicopter in this variant, which flew in to be displayed at HeliRussia 2010). The AW139 is powered by a pair of PT6C-67C turboshafts each rated at 1,680 hp.

It is fitted with a five-blade main rotor 13.8 m in diameter. Its streamlined 13.77-m-long fuselage is equipped with wide sliding doors.

The helicopter’s maximal take-off weight stands at 6,400 kg (the empty weight is about 3,600 kg), maximal cruising speed accounts for 306 km/h and service ceiling equals 6,100 m. The machine covers a distance of 1,250 km and has an endurance of almost 6 hr when on extra fuel tanks.

As is known, the AW139 is very similar to Kamov Ka-62 in terms of dimensions, with the Russian Helicopters intent on productionising the Ka-62 at the aircraft factory in Arsenyev in the coming years. A similar seating

capacity, albeit a lower take-off weight and power, was supposed to be featured by the Mil Mi-54, which was under development.

However, the Russian Helicopters JSC does not mention it as part of its line of models at present.

Asked by reporters why Russian Helicopters decided to promote a foreign-built helicopter on the domestic market, Oboronprom Director General Andrey Reus replied that aircraft in that class had not been produced in Russia yet, though there had been demand for them. In addition, AW139s will not be just imported as a complete product, but assembled in Russia, which will “create new jobs in the high-tech production sphere in this country”. Hopefully, along with learning to assemble the AW139 in Panki, Russian Helicopters will retain its own future machine in the same class and the Ka-62 will roll out of the Progress plant in Arsenyev sooner or later.

Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

The most interesting full-scale display at the HeliRussia 2010 air show held at the Crocus Expo exhibition centre in Moscow late in May was, probably, the AgustaWestland AW139 helicopter that had flown in from Italy on its own. Participants in the show and the public attending the event were very keen on the aircraft not only due to its nice appearance and excellent quality of manufacture and interior layout but also the fact that it was the model, which assembly is to kick off in Russia soon by a joint venture established in Panki, Moscow Region, by the Russian Helicopters joint stock company and AgustaWestland.

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contracts and deliveries | news

On 29 April, the Myasischev M-55 Geophysics high-altitude research plane (side No 55204) returned to its base in Zhukovsky following another long expedition dedicated to studying the upper atmosphere and conducted in support of European Union research organisations in the transpolar area.

From January to March this year, the aircraft had performed a series of sorties from an airfield at Kiruna, Sweden, to enable researchers to look into stratospheric clouds. Prior to going to Sweden in the autumn of 2009, the plane had been fitted with dedicated scientific atmospheric research instruments in Germany.

This expedition of the Geophysics had been preceded by a rather long lull in its research operations abroad, caused by the need for having its avionics upgraded and the service life of its PS-30V-12 engines extended. The job was done last year. The aircraft performed its previous scientific mission as far back as November through December

Sergey Krivchikov

M-55 back from another expedition

2005 in Australia. Until then, the M-55 No 55204 had performed five series of experiments in the upper atmosphere in Finland (December 1996 through January 1997), Seychelles (February–March 1999), Argentina (September–October 1999) Sweden (January–March 2003) and Brazil (January–February 2005).

The use of the M-55 Geophysics aircraft contracted by EU research organisations is an important line of work of the plane’s developer, the

Myasischev experimental plant, which was transformed from a federal unitary enterprise to a joint stock company in late April 2010, with the government owning 100% of its stock. Myasischev is to become part of the Special Aircraft Division of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).

Today, Myasischev has two M-55s (No 55203 and 55204). The latter, which was built in 1991, is the one contracted under foreign research programmes. The other has seen its airworthiness expire. In all, the

Smolensk Aircraft Plant made four flying M-55s, of which the very first one (No 01552), which completed its maiden flight on 16 August 1988, was lost to a crash in Zhukovsky in May 1995, while another (No 55205) crashed in Akhtubinsk in November 1998. The Smolensk Aircraft Plant has never launched the planned full-scale production of the aircraft of the type.

The M-55 Geophysics high-altitude aircraft is fit for experiments at an altitude of up to 21,500 m while carrying up to 2,000 kg of instruments.

TV3-117VMA-SBM1V provides record-breaking rate of climb

Andrey Fomin

Probably, the head-turner among the aircraft engine manufacturers’ stands at the HeliRussia 2010 show was the exposition of Ukrainian corporation Ivchenko uniting the Motor Sich joint stock company and Ivchenko-Progress state-owned company. Among the six full-scale helicopter engines ranging from the small enough AI-450 and MS-500V to the world’s most powerful AI-136T, Motor Sich Chairman of the Board Vyacheslav Boguslayev drew everybody’s attention to the upgraded TV3-117VMA-SBM1V turboshaft and for a reason. A Mi-8MTV powered by a pair of such engines took off from the airfield of the Konotop Aircraft Repair Plant in the run-up to the show, on

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19 May. During the trials, it climbed at 8,100 m in mere 13 min, thus setting a new world record.

Earlier, the engine had been tested on board a Mi-24V attack helicopter of the Ukrainian Air Force. The machine managed to climb to 5,000 m in 9 min, i.e. 2.5 times faster than usual. Last year, the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V passed its official rig tests, which allowed the Ukrainian Air Force to adopt it for service and use it to replace organic TV3-117Vs as part of the Mi-24 helicopters used by combat units. The May flights in Konotop graphically proved the expediency of mounting the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V on Mi-8MTV helicopters as well.

The TV3-117VMA-SBM1V turboshaft is a derivative of the TV3-117VMA-SBM1 turboprop powering the Antonov An-140 regional aircraft. Owing to certain advanced technical solutions ensuring a considerable service life increase, the engine has a number of considerable advantages over the production-standard TV3-117VMA and VK-2500.

The certification efforts included a series of endurance rig-tests and special tests, including those involving TsIAM’s thermal pressure chamber.

They proved the engine’s operability at an altitude of up to 9,000 m, within the -60/+60°C ambient temperature bracket and at a speed of up to 400 km/h. The tests also included engine start-ups at an altitude of up to 6,000 m and proved a power maintenance temperature and altitude. The flight tests of the engine on board the Mi-24 and Mi-8MTV proved the design characteristics and displayed a considerable improvement in the machine’s flight performance. Owing to the automatic control system’s ability to be reset,

the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V’s takeoff power is 2,000, 2,200 or 2,500 hp depending on the type of helicopter and can be maintained for 30 min. If an engine fails, the other goes into an emergency power rating of 2,800 hp for 2.5 min. The modified engine is fully interoperable with the organic TV3-117V/VM/VMA versions.

Vyacheslav Boguslayev has repeatedly drawn the attention of Russian Air Force command to these advantages of the TV3-117VMA-SBM1V. However, as is known, a decision has been taken to launch full-rate production of the VK-2500 engine that has a shorter service life and a shorter endurance in takeoff and emergency power rating modes (2,000–2,400 hp and 2,700 hp respectively). In the near future, the UMPO joint stock company is to launch production of the engine in three variants – the VK-2500-01 designed for the Ka-52 helicopter (take-off power – 2,400 hp), VK-2500-02 to power the Mi-35 and Mi-28N (2,200 hp) and VK-2500-03 to fit the Mi-17-V5 (2,000 hp).

take-off july 2010

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contracts and deliveries | company Su-35

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

A WORLD OF OPPORTUNITIES

FOR ROSOBORONEXPORT

Rosoboronexport plans to present advanced air systems at Farnborough, one of the world's largest air shows held since 1948 on this aerodrome.

Air systems and airborne munitions currently account for nearly 50% of the overall Russian defence exports.

Yet market demand for them is continuously rising year by year despite the harsh competition. The Director General of Rosoboronexport Anatoly Isaykin says that the corporate order book is estimated to amount to more than USD 38 billion by the end of this June. One can distinguish among major buyers of Russian air systems such countries as India, Venezuela, Algeria and Malaysia.

At present foreign customers focus their attention on the latest Su-35 fighter featuring the 5th generation technologies, Yak-130 combat trainer as well as MiG-35, MiG-29K and MiG-29M multi-role fighters. Helicopters, such as Mi-28NE, Ka-52, Mi-26T2, Ka-226T, Mi-17V-5 and Mi-171Sh, arouse keen interest. Each aircraft is distinguished by a set of unique performance characteristics providing considerable advantages over competitors.

Special mention should be made of the expanding geographical reach of exports.

For instance, Russia is steadily developing cooperation with Latin American countries thanks to a proactive marketing policy realised by Rosoboronexport. Supplies of the Mi-8/17 and Mi-35M helicopters to several countries in the region are good evidence

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of the progress. Helicopter designers have made sure that these rotorcraft inherit a wealth of experience gained by the preceding modifications operated in dozens of countries all over the world under varied natural and climatic conditions. We have succeeded in putting relations with a number of states in the Middle East, SouthEast Asia and Africa into a higher gear.

The quality of supplied arms maintenance and the level of specialist training proficiency are increased. Rosoboronexport implements a flexible pricing policy with the application of diverse payment schemes depending on economic potentials of importers, such as offset programmes and barter deals. The outcome of these activities is convincing: this year the amount of only helicopter exports are expected to increase by 30% compared with 2009, and will total more than USD 500 million.

More than half of all orders for helicopter systems fall to the Mi-8/17 type helicopters.

Last year they were delivered to more than 20 countries. It is also appropriate to mention the US experts’ high appraisal of these helicopters procured by the United States for the Afghanistan's armed forces. Brigadier General Michael R. Boera, the U.S. Air Force general in charge of rebuilding the Afghan air corps, acknowledged that "it is a very reliable and dependable aircraft".

Never stops cooperation with our longstanding partners – India and China.

Rosoboronexport is now bidding in major

tenders invited by Delhi for the delivery of 22 combat helicopters (with the Mi-28NE), 15 heavy-lift helicopters (with the Mi-26T2) and 197 observation and reconnaissance helicopters (with the Ka-226T). But no doubt all eyes are turned to the big contest for the delivery of 126 medium multi-role fighters in which the Russian MiG-35 equipped with the newest Zhuk-AE active electronically scanned phased array (AESA) radar stands good chances of success. Indians also show interest in additional procurement

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contracts and deliveries | company of the Su-30MKI fighters, impressed by their advanced technical and tactical performance.

Moscow and Delhi also see global prospects for joint research and development of new technologies, such as, for instance, the MTA military transport aircraft.

Even though the value of China's imports of military aircraft from Russia for the Chinese Air Force has declined to a certain extent, cooperation in transferring Russianmade aero-engines is always continuing.

As an example, in January 2009 another contract was signed for the delivery of 122 AL-31FN turbofan engines to be installed on the J-10 fighters. There are also contracts being implemented for the delivery of the Ka-28 and Ka-31 helicopters.

The latest trend in arms markets demonstrates a growing influence of

Yak-130

Ka-52

MiG-35

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the globalisation on military technical cooperation. It relates primarily to joint research and development projects.

International cooperation provides opportunities for Russian enterprises to satisfy to the maximum ever increasing customer requirements as well as to acquire new technologies and borrow the best achievements from the world-class manufacturers.

Rosoboronexport has established steady relationships in the field of aircraft-building industry with a number of well-known companies specialised in developing and manufacturing avionic equipment, aeroengines and other components. Their list includes Thales, Safran, Elettronica, Selex Galileo and Selex Communications, MBDA, Denel Dynamics, ATE, just to name a few. The Su-30MKI and Su-30MKM combat aircraft, Russia's bestselling fighters in recent years, represent

one of striking examples of successful cooperation. The Ka-28 helicopter which is now being upgraded and Mi-28NE combat helicopter planned for export are equipped with onboard avionic systems made by leading European companies, whereas the Ka-226T helicopter is powered by French Turbomeca Arrius 2G turboshaft engines.

Another example of such cooperation is the A-50EI early warning aircraft delivered to India after being upgraded in cooperation with Israelis.

In general, upgrading of military equipment, including air systems, is still one of the most important lines of military technical cooperation. Soviet and Russianmade defence systems are in service with armed forces in dozens of countries all over the world; and it has been proven in practice that the best results are achieved if Russian specialists take part in their upgrading.

Rosoboronexport offers integrated modernisation programmes tailored to meet customer requirements, including those for compliance with NATO standards. Such cooperation is advantageous for ex-Warsaw Pact member-countries, for instance.

Besides qualitatively new capabilities gained by equipment, its upgrading provides substantial cost savings for pilot conversion training and allows retaining established servicing structures.

Aviation has always been and still is a prime-mover for the development of our national industry, the more so that the growing demand abroad for Russian-made equipment favours development of modern systems satisfying most stringent customer requirements. Rosoboronexport therefore aims to do good work during Farnborough 2010, which must eventually bring in new contracts and uphold dynamic development of the industry. take-off july 2010

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contracts and deliveries | report The official service entry ceremony was held for the first batch of Russian-built Mil Mi-35M helicopters at Brazilian air base Porto Velho on 17 April 2010. The choppers became the first type of Russian-made combat aircraft to enter the inventory of the armed services of the Latin American nation. The contract for 12 Mi-35Ms for Brazil was made on 23 October 2008, and the Rostvertol joint stock company soon launched the assembly of the first Brazil-ordered machines of the type. The first of them flew its maiden mission in Rostov-on-Don in August last year, and October saw the kickoff of the flight segment of the conversion training given to Brazilian aircrews. The first three Mi-35Ms were delivered on 16 December 2009.

RUSSIAN HELICOPTERS OVER AMAZON Mi-35M enters service with Brazilian Air Force The April ceremony dedicated to the service entry of the first three-ship Mi-35M batch at the Porto Velho air base was attended

by Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim, Brazilian Air Force commander Lt.-Gen. Juniti Saito, Russian Security Council secretary Nikolay Patrushev, Russian Ambassador to Brazil Sergey Akopov, Rosoboronexport Director General Anatoly Isaikin and Rostvertol Director General Boris Slyusar.

Mr. Jobim said that Mi-35Ms were becoming “part of the property of the Brazilian people”. “The aircraft has bolstered our helicopter units”, said the defence minister who ‘christened’ the Mi-35M that was assigned the Brazilian designation AH-2 Sabre.

The newly-bought helicopters will be stationed at the Porto Velho air base, state of Rondonia, and operated by the resident 2nd Poti squadron of the 8th air group of the Brazilian Air Force. Four other squadrons of the air group fly US-made UH-1H and UH-60 helicopters and H-34s (Brazilian designation of the French-built AS332 Cougar) and H-55s (AS355 Ecureuil-2 licenceproduced by Helibras as HB-355) as well.

According to the Brazilian media, the arrival of the Russian-made Mi-35Ms furnished the Brazilian Air Force with its first dedicat-

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ed combat helicopter. It had not had such machines until then, with attack missions handled by H-50 Esquilos (HB-350L1), the armed version of the French AS350 Ecureuil, licence-produced by Helibras.

The newly-delivered helicopters feature a whole range of capabilities Brazil aviators could only dream of previously. For instance, the Mi-35M handles a wide range of missions, including attacking with smart and dumb weapons under good and partially adverse

weather conditions. The machine is armoured and equipped with a 23-mm two-barrel cannon and APU-8/4-U multiple launchers for Shturm and Ataka (9K113K) antitank guided missiles. Its avionics suite includes the OPS-24N day/night surveillance/targeting system comprising the GOES-342 gyrostabilised electro-optical system. The cockpit lights of the Mi-35M are adapted for using Russian- and Western-made night vision goggles (NVG). www.take-off.ru

contracts and deliveries | report

Photo report by Tina SHAPOSHNIKOVA

At the ceremony dedicated to the Brazilian Air Force service entry of the first Mi-35M helicopters at Porto Velho air base, 17 April 2010. Brazilian Defence Minister Nelson Jobim (in the centre), Rosoboronexport Director General Anatoly Isaikin and FSVTS Deputy Director Alexander Fomin (to the right), Rostvertol Director General Boris Slyusar (first from left)

(2,700 hp in the emergency rating) and a digital control system.

A set of improvements has led to a considerable boost to the flight performance of the aircraft. This is especially true for its high and hot performance. Mention should be made that the Venezuelan and Brazil orders enabled Rostvertol to resume the Mi-35 production suspended as far back as 1989 when the last production-standard Mi-24Ps and Mi-35Ps were built.

“I have stopped being worried in flight”, says Lt. Leonardo Bezerra Salim, a pilot with Poti Sqn, who has converted to the Mi-35M. “This is a great leap in tactical operations, which has been long awaited by several generations of helicopter pilots in this country”.

According to the local press, the Sabre choppers will bolster the Brazilian Air Force’s threat response capabilities and facilitate the service’s presence in the eastern part of the Amazon delta. The area is of strategic importance to the country. The new aircraft are expected to be used for air patrolling and for supporting friendly forces countering violations in the border area. Hence, the Brazilian Air Force has redeployed Poti Sqn from Recife, state of Pernambuco, to Porto Velho.

“We will protect the Amazonian region for ourselves and the whole of the world, and the world knows that”, said the Brazilian defence minister. “The Poti air squadron and its latest AH-2 Sabres will be a powerful tool of such protection. From this day on, we are prepared to stand to any threats”, Mr. Jobim emphasised.

Another Mi-35M batch is due in Brazil this summer, and the whole 12-helicopter contract is slated for completion by 2011.

At the same time, the local media have reported that, in addition to the Mi-35M acquisition by the Brazilian Air Force, the Army Aviation has displayed interest in the machine and is going to order a few Mi-35Ms more.

The Mi-35M’s design features include a X-shaped tail rotor enhancing directional control and reducing the machine’s acoustic signature. In addition, the Mi-35M is fitted with a main rotor with composite rotor blades boasting an extended service life and a better survivability. The powerplant is wrapped around a pair of VK-2500 engines differing from the TV3-117Vs, which powered the Mi-24 (Mi-35) earlier, in an enhanced power of 2,400 hp www.take-off.ru

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commercial aviation | news

First Tu-214PU flown

The first flight of the new aircraft was performed by the crew made up of test pilots A.I. Zhuravlyov (pilot) and D.Yu. Vyazankin (co-pilot), flight engineer E.B. Volkov, navigator Ye.A. Kudryavtsev and leading test engineer V.N. Filimoshkin.

The Tu-214PU has become the third plane built by KAPO for the Administrative Office of the Russian President. Last year, the Rossiya special air detachment took delivery of two Tu-214SR relay aircraft (RA-64515 and RA-64516).

They were ferried from Kazan to Rossiya’s base in Vnukovo airport (Moscow) on 1 June 2009. Overall, the order awarded to KAPO by the Administrative Office of the Russian President provides for construction of six specialised aircraft – two Tu-214SRs, two Tu-214PUs and Tu-214SUS airborne communications centres. All of them are to be powered

by PS-90A engines from the Perm

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Motors Group and are to feature a range extended to 10,500 km through installation of extra fuel cells under the cabin floor.

The two Tu-214SRs in service with the Rossiya special air detachment ousted obsolete relay aircraft based on the turboprop-powered Ilyushin Il-18D, which supported the flights of Air Force 1. The advanced Tu-214PUs will be used by the national leaders along with the existing Il-96-300PU and Il-96-300PU(M). The first Tu-214PU (RA-64517) is expected to be delivered to Rossiya special air detachment this year to be followed

by RA-64520 next year. KAPO also is to deliver two Tu-214SUS planes in 2011–12.

In addition to KAPO-built aircraft, Rossiya’s aircraft fleet will incorporate several aircraft from other manufacturers in the coming years. For instance, the Ulyanovskbased Aviastar-SP corporation

is building two Tu-204-300As (c/n 64057 and 64058) that may be delivered in 2011 (according to a recent statement by UAC head Alexey Fyodorov, the Administrative Office of the Russian President is supposed to issue a firm order for them late this year or in early 2011). Aviastar Director General Sergey Dementyev said in May that the customer was going to order four more aircraft like that to be delivered in 2012–13.

In addition, in his interview with the

RBC news agency in May, UAC’s Alexey Fyodorov said that the Voronezh plant (VASO) would make and deliver two Il-96-300s more to Rossiya special air detachment and that the Administrative Office of the Russian President was expected to order several An-148 planes from VASO. Along with building planes for the presidential admin office, KAPO caries on working on Tu-214-family aircraft ordered by the Defence Ministry. For instance, a specialpurpose aircraft (c/n 64511) has been tested in Kazan since December 2009. It could be delivered before year-end. In addition, the first Tu-214-ON (RA-64519) ordered by the Defence Ministry under the Open Skies programme is being built. The Tu-214 (c/n 64521) airliner, which was earmarked for the Transaero airline previously, is planned to be completed in support of the military.

It is expected to be delivered to the 223rd Air Detachment to be used along with its current Il-62Ms and Tu-154s for airlifting officers and generals.

Tupolev

Tupolev

Ildar Valeyev

On 12 May 2010, the airfield of the Kazan Aircraft Production Association named after S.P. Gorbunov (KAPO) saw the maiden flight of a new aircraft ordered by the Administrative Office of the Russian President. The plane in question is the Tupolev Tu-214PU (RA-64517) airborne command post. The aircraft is designed for the top Russian leaders – the President and Premier – to fly throughout the country and on foreign visits and is fitted to this end with relevant means of comfort and communications and control gear.

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commercial aviation | news

Late in May, the Volga-Dnepr airline started commercial operation of a new Il-76TD-90VD (RA-76952) transport aircraft built this year by the Tashkent Aviation Production Corp. named after V.P. Chkalov (TAPC). The first commercial flight of the new aircraft, which is the third aircraft of this version in the aircraft fleet of the Volga-Dnepr Group, took place on 25 May 2010. It is the first of the three Il-76TD-90VDs delivered under the contract between the Volga-Dnepr Leasing company and United Aircraft Corporation – Transport Aircraft company, signed at the MAKS 2007 air show in August 2007. Under the contract, delivery of the two remaining aircraft is planned for 2011–12.

The Il-76TD-90VD aircraft is equipped with PS-90A-76 engines from the Perm Engine Company, the Kupol-IIIМ upgraded navigation suite from the Kotlin-Novator company and a number of other updated systems allowing the unrestricted use of aircraft of this version all over the world. As is known, due to their excessive noisiness and pollutant emission, Il-76TDs powered by D-30KP2 engines have been banned for several years now from flying in some regions of the world, including several European countries and the United States.

The variant powered by PS-90A-76s

Volga-Dnepr

Volga-Dnepr received its third Il-76TD-90VD

meets all current and future ICAO requirements and has no limitations like that. In addition, it is notable for its improved efficiency, and its modernised avionics allows a reduction in navigation costs and in the number of crewmembers down to four.

The first flight of the new aircraft (c/n 94-06) took place in Tashkent on 5 March this year. All of the hand-over tests were completed by TAPC in late March, the aircraft was officially handed over to the customer on 8 April and it flew to Ulyanovsk on 9 April for customs clearance, relevant paperwork execution and being painted in brand colours of the Volga-Dnepr airline. On 21 May, the new aircraft was included into the Aircraft Operator Certificate and was able to start its commercial flights.

The Volga-Dnepr group launched an Il-76TD aircraft upgrade

programme in 2002. In July 2002, it made an agreement with the Perm Engine Company on the delivery of engines for the new plane. In 2003, the Ilyushin Aviation Complex and TAPC joined the upgrade programme. In 2004, the VolgaDnepr-Leasing company was set up to promote the programme.

The first Il-76TD-90VD (RA-76950, c/n 93-05) aircraft was produced

by TAPC in summer 2005 and performed its maiden flight in August of the same year. On 12 January 2006, an aircraft noise certificate was obtained, certifying that the standard design of the Il-76TD90VD meets the requirements of ICAO’s Chapter 4, Annex 16. In June 2006, the three-year-long work on constructing and testing the new version was complete, and the first Il-76TD-90VD started its commercial flights. The second Il-76TD-90VD

(RA-76951, c/n 93-06) was handed over to Volga-Dnepr and came into commercial operation in October 2007. By this summer, the VolgaDnepr airline has performed more than 600 flights to 87 countries all over the world, including Australia, Japan and the United States, using its two Il-76TD-90VDs. “Obtaining the third Il-76TD-90VD is another step in the implementation of the Volga-Dnepr Group aircraft fleet development strategy, implying an increase in the aircraft fleet of the type up to 15–20 units by 2020”, said Andrey Pakhomov, Director General of the Volga-Dnepr Leasing company. “It is of prime importance that the third aircraft is entering service amid an increasing restriction on the use of ‘old’ Il-76 aircraft all over the world. Delivery of next two airliners is expected in 2011–12”.

RA-41253. When its updating (equipping with the terrain collision avoidance system in particular) was over, it arrived at the Krasnodar division of the Yakutia company on 11 June. The other aircraft (c/n 03-07, still in Mariupol in the colours of the previous user and with Ukrainian

registration number UR-14007) will follow it this summer. As Yakutia Deputy Director General Pavel Udod told a Take-off correspondent in April, both aircraft are going to be based in Krasnodar and operate the carrier’s routes throughout the south of Russia.

On 11 June 2010, the Yakutia air carrier took delivery of another Antonov An-140 turboprop regional airliner. In the near future, it is going to get one more airliner of the type, bringing the number of the An-140s owned by the carrier up to five. Unlike the first three airliners delivered to the Yakutia company under a financial leasing contract with Financial Leasing Company (FLC) directly from Russian manufacturing plant Aviakor in Samara (the first one was obtained in 2006 and two more in 2007 and 2009 respectively), these two An-140-100 were bought form Ukraine. They were produced in 2004 by the Kharkov

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State Aircraft Manufacturing Company (KSAMC) and delivered to the Ilyich Avia air company of the Mariupol Metallurgical Complex in the same year. A year ago, when the carrier ceased its operations, both An-140-100s (UR-14007 and UR-14008) were put up for sale. The contract for them to be delivered to the Yakutia air company was signed by Yakutiya and the Sberbank Leasing company.

In May, one of them (c/n 03-09, operated by the Ilyich Avia company under registration number UR-14008) was painted in the colors of the Yakutia company and received Russian registration number

Vitaly Zayets

One more An-140 for Yakutia

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commercial aviation | news

Gelenjik airport is finally open years has been 5.86 billion rubles (about $200 million). They built a new runway (01/19) 3,100 m in length and 45 m in width, able to receive aircraft of almost all types, a taxiway and the apron as well as water sluices and land drainage water treating facilities, the air traffic control tower, emergency rescue

Valdimir Karpenko

On 29 May 2010, the new Gelenjik airport (ICAO code – URKG; IATA code – GDZ) received an A320 – the first regular passenger flight from Moscow, performed by Aeroflot. The official formal opening of Gelenjik airport took place on 5 June, but before that, several other domestic air carriers had performed their

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station, maintenance workshops and electrical and lighting flightsupport facilities. Gelenjik airport is now equipped with brand-new lighting, radio and meteorological equipment, including a modern automatic radio direction-finder, an aerodrome surveillance radar, a separate homer station and an up-todate radio-beacon landing system. A modern system of radio-technical flight support means provides full radar and radio-navigation data and aircraft radio communications required for flight operations and air traffic control.

The first technical flight using the new runway of Gelenjik airport for landing and take-off took place on 25 December 2008 and was

performed by a Yak-42 airliner of Kuban Airlines. However, opening the airport officially and launching regular commercial flights took almost a year and a half.

Take-off from and landing on Gelenjik airport are possible in one direction only (sea direction). The terminal handling capacity is only 140 passengers per hour now. At

holding company (it runs airports in Krasnodar, Sochi, Anapa and Gelenjik as well as the Kuban Airlines air company). The handling capacity of Gelenjik airport after coming into operation is considered to be up to 500,000 passengers per year (600 passengers per hour, including 100 passengers on international flights).

Kuban Airlines

maiden flights there. On 30 May, the first A320 of the Avianova discounter carrier arrived from Moscow, on 1 June – an A320 of the Ural Airlines company, on 3 June – a Yak-42 of the Gazpromavia airline, on 5 June – a Boeing 737-500 of the Rossiya state transport company from St. Petersburg. The UTair company started Tu-134 flights from Moscow on 12 June.

Thus, Gelenjik airport controlled by the Basel Aero holding company and located on the western shore of the Gelenjik Bay of the Black Sea near Cape Tonky has come into operation after almost a five-year construction period and many delays. It should be noted that it is the first airport built in Russia over the past 25 years.

Formerly, the popular Black Sea resort had a small airport with the 03/21 runway measuring 1,500x40 m, capable of receiving Antonov An-24 and Yakovlev Yak-40 regional airliners only. It was closed down in autumn 2004 and construction of a new international-class airport nearby started soon afterwards, with the airport to be able to receive aircraft of almost all types under any meteorological conditions.

According to Russia’s Federal Agency of Air Transport, the federal investment in construction of the airfield infrastructure over the five

Valdimir Karpenko

Valdimir Karpenko

present, passengers are serviced in a temporary terminal arranged in the building initially designed for a cargo terminal. It is going to handle passengers from domestic flights only. A new passenger terminal is planned to enter service three to four years at the soonest. The construction of the terminal is to be financed by the subsidiaries of the Basic Element corporation owning the Airports of the South

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According to the Biblic legend the ancient architectures of the Tower of Babel couldn’t complete their grand project because they used different languages between themselves and didn’t understand each other.

After several thousand years in XX century language divide could become an insuperable obstacle for international aviation passenger network creation. It couldn’t be safe to use it if English language hasn’t been chosen as an international language in aviation. The main factor of safe flights is a radio communication in English. Any misunderstanding is at a high price. There is a sad statistics of aviation accidents saying that communication failure between pilots and air controllers became the cause of a crash.

AIR ENGLISH education programmes will help you to learn the real aviation English!

NITA NEW INFORMATIONAL TECHNOLOGIES IN AVIATION 15 A, Vzlyotnaya str., St. Petersburg, 196210, Russia Tel.: + 7 (812) 704-18-72, fax: + 7 (812) 704-18-13 http://www.nita.ru

Andrey Fomin

commercial aviation | project

MC-21 AS FUTURE OF RUSSIAN COMMERCIAL AVIATION With the programme on development of Russia’s advanced regional airliner Sukhoi Superjet 100 nearing its completion and the aircraft expected to launch operations this year, aviation specialists turned their eyes on another latest Russian commercial aircraft programme – the development of the Irkut MC-21 family of short- and medium-range airliners. According to the developer, the family will feature a wide spectrum of operating capabilities, will be designed for the Russian and global markets and able to help carriers to achieve a radical improvement in operating efficiency, including doing so through slashing their direct operating costs by 15% compared to the existing airliners in the class. At present, the MC-21 programme is at the stage of detail engeneering and signing contracts with subcontractors. The results of the competitions held indicate that the MC-21 is to become a graphic example of cooperation between the Russian aircraft industry and major Western avionics, engine and aircraft system developers, as the Sukhoi Superjet 100 did.

A full-scale mock-up of the MC-21’s cockpit and passenger cabin is to be unveiled at the current Farnborough air show. The cabin meets the latest comfort and safety requirements. A number of important news pertaining to the programme is to be announced at Farnborough as well, including, possibly, the announcement of the early agreements on MC-21 deliveries to launch customers.

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The MC-21 short- and medium-haul airliner family comprises three baseline models – the MC-21-200, MC-21-300 and MC-21-400 with seating capacities of 150, 181 and 212 in the single-class layout. Each of the baseline models is to have a number of variants differing in range. The baseline models will have the 5,000–5,500-km range, but provision was made for extended-range (ER) versions and, as far as the MC-21-200 model is concerned, a long-range (LR) variant. The MC-21-200 prototype is slated for its maiden flight in 2014, and the completion of the certification tests and kickoff of deliveries for 2016.

The MC-21 programme, jointly promoted by the Yakovlev design bureau and Ilyushin aviation complex, won in 2003 the tender issued by the Russian authorities for developing an advanced short- and medium-haul passenger aircraft designed to oust the Tu-154M fleet gradually and put up stiff competition to the Boeing 737 and A320 that have been increasingly demanded

by Russian air carriers. The financing of the MC-21’s conceptual designing began in 2005. By then, the prime developer, Yakovlev design bureau, joined the Irkut corporation (the official acquisition of Yakovlev took place in April 2004).

Two years later, Ilyushin pulled out of the programme, having focussed on transport aircraft development, with Irkut appointed prime contractor for the MC-21 programme as part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in July 2007. Given the importance

of the MC-21 programme to the United Aircraft Corporation, Oleg Demchenko, president of the Irkut corporation and Director General of the Yakovlev design bureau, was appointed UAC vice-president for the MC-21 programme in July 2008 and then was put in charge of UAC’s new division, UAC – Commercial Aircraft. The new division will develop and produce all Russian airliners.

Having analysed the results produced by the first stage of the programme, UAC took a decision in August 2007 to keep on pursuing the programme. Thus, the MC-21 passed its first gate.

Prototype and production-standard MC-21s will be built by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant of Irkut Corp., while the customisation of the airliners produced, including painting, fitting the cabins, etc., is expected to be handled at Aviastar plant in Ulyanovsk. In addition to prime developer Yakovlev, other players of the aircraft industry are taking part in designing the aircraft. For instance, Irkut’s subsidiary Taganrog-based Beriev company is tasked with developing the tail section (Compartment F5), horizontal and vertical tails, auxiliary power unit (APU) compartment as well as control, air conditioning, fire-suppressant and hydraulic systems.

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft was subcontracted to develop the composite wing. The initial design stage (the so-called second gate) was passed in September 2008, after which Irkut launched the preliminary design stage and selection of key systems suppliers. The third www.take-off.ru

commercial aviation | project

Marina Lystseva

Vladimir SHCHERBAKOV

Irkut announced the signature of the first firm contract with an MC-21 systems supplier on 2 April 2010. The deal was clinched with Pratt&Whitney, a division of United Technologies. It stipulates development, manufacture and testing of the PW1400G geared turbofan, in which development and production Russia’s United Engine Corporation could take part. PW1400G will become the baseline powerplant for MC-21 family intended for domestic and international markets. By the way another type of the powerplant, PD-14 new generation turbofan family, is under development for MC-21 airliners by Russia’s United Engine Corporation (with a leading role of Perm Engine Company).

These engines when ready could be used on some versions of MC-21 airliners for domestic and specific international customers.

The fourth gate for MC-21 programme is planned for April 2011. Request for certification by Russian aviation authorities was issued by Irkut this year with the respective

gate, providing for the approval of the preliminary design was passed in the late 2009 – early 2010, and Irkut commenced frontend engineering and began to contract the system suppliers selected.

The first 11 winners in the tenders for systems to fit the MC-21 were named almost a year ago, on 20 August 2009. They include suppliers of the landing gear, APU, air conditioning system, electrical system, cabin interior, hydraulic, fuel, oxygen, anti-icing, inert gas and fire-suppressant systems. The suppliers of the key systems, e.g. the powerplant, avionics suite and integrated control system, had been selected by the end of the year, when Irkut announced the completion of the relevant tenders on 10 December 2009. The tenders for most of the MC-21 systems were won by major US and West European manufacturers who had submitted their proposals in cooperation with Russian companies. www.take-off.ru

request for European certification is due to be passed to EASA in March 2012.

Current plans provides for the maiden flight of the first MC-21 prototype in 2014 with the type certification of the baseline model by the Russian aviation authorities in 2015. EASA certification programme is to be finished in 2016 when the deliveries to launch customers could begin.

14 subcontractors for the MC-21 programme

By July 2010 Irkut announced that it had selected first-tier suppliers of 14 key systems of the MC-21. The winners of the completed tenders were as follows: • avionics suite – the Avionics Concern, Russia, in cooperation with Rockwell Collins, USA, with the Irkut Corp. as the avionics integrator; • integrated flight control system – Aviapribor Holding, Russia, in cooperation with Goodrich AS, France, and Rockwell Collins, USA; • powerplant – Pratt&Whitney (the United Technologies Corporation division), USA; MC-21 programme will also use the prospective engines designed by United Engine Corp., Russia; • landing gear – the Gydromash JSC, Nizhny Novgorod, Russia; • APU – Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; • integrated air conditioning system – Nauka scientific and technical association, Moscow, Russia, in cooperation with Hamilton Sundstrand (the United Technologies Corporation division) and the Hamilton Sundstrand/Nauka joint venture; • electrical system – ECE, Zodiac Aerospace Corporation, France, in cooperation with Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; • interior layout – C&D, Zodiac Aerospace, USA; • fuel system – Intertechnique, Zodiac Aerospace, France • oxygen generation system – Intertechnique, Zodiac Aerospace, France; • inert gas system – Intertechnique, Zodiac Aerospace, France, in cooperation with Hamilton Sundstrand, USA; • fire suppressant system – Kidd Technologies corporation (Hamilton Sundstrand), USA; • hydraulic system – Eaton corporation, United States, that will order over 50% of hydraulic system parts and units from Russia manufacturers Voskhod, Teploobmennik, Znamya and Tekhpribor; • wing anti-icing system – Hamilton Sundstrand, USA.

MC-21 basic design data MC-21-200

MC-21-300

150

181

212

2x12.5

2х14

2х15.6

Length, m

35.9

41.5

46.7

Wingspan, m

35.9

35.9

36.8

Height, m

11.4

11.5

12.7

Maximum takeoff weight, t

67.6

76.18

87.23

Seating capacity (singe-class layout, 812 mm/32 inch pitch) Powerplant thrust, tonnes

Maximum cruising speed, km/h (Mach)

850 (0.8)

Maximum ceiling, m Range with max seating capacity, km

MC-21-400

12,000 5,000

5,000

5,500

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Sergey Popsuevich

commercial aviation | programme

ADDITION TO

AN-148 FAMILY An-158 trials kick off in Kiev while new Voronezh-built An-148s enter service

The maiden flight of the An-158 (registration number UR-NTN) continued 01 h 45 min.

Following its landing at Kiev-Antonov airfield in Gostomel, there was an after-action review, during which the pilot, Test Pilot 1st Class S.M. Troshin, co-pilot, Test Pilot 1st Class A.V. Spasibo, and test engineer N.V. Sidorenko

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informed Antonov’s Designer General Dmitry Kiva that the mission had been a success. “We climbed to 8,600 m. The plane was stable and controllable at all altitudes”, said Sergey Troshin. “The crew is satisfied with the plane’s performance. All onboard systems performed well. As was expected, the An-158 is very easy to control”.

The An-158’s maiden mission was attended by representatives of the partners under the programme, airlines and national leaders headed by Ukrainian President Victor Yanukovich. Congratulating Antonov staff on the accomplishment of another phase of the An-158 programme, the President said: “This is a landmark event, a cause for celebration to all of the programme participants developing and building the aircraft, including 34 Ukrainian companies, 120 Russian ones and partners from 13 other countries”.

Designer General Dmitry Kiva emphasised, “Now, we are faced with certification and productionising of the plane. Carriers are anticipating it already, because it benefits an operator to use a family of aircraft – the An-148, An-158 in this case – that feature a high degree of commonality while differing in the seating

capacity. This means that they have a common aircrew training, maintenance and repair system”. The Antonov head added that the An-158 certification test programme was to be completed by year-end 2010, after which fullscale production and deliveries may begin.

Andrey Fomin

A new 99-seat An-158 regional jet completed by Antonov this spring took off for its maiden flight from the company’s Svyatoshin airfield in Kiev on 28 April 2010. The airliner is a stretched variant of the 68–75-seat An-148-100B regional plane in production in Russia and Ukraine. It is designed to facilitate the meeting of the requirements of air carriers ordering An-148-family aircraft.

There were other important events in the An-148 production programme in the recent months as well. The first production-standard An-148-100B assembled in Kiev made its first flight from the manufacturer’s airfield, the Rossiya state transport company launched operation of its third and fourth VASO-built airliners of the type, and VASO goes on with the next An-148s production.

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commercial aviation | programme

Winglets became a distinguishing feature of the An-158 stretch

Andrey Fomin

Andrey FOMIN

and submitted it for flight tests. The aircraft uses c/n 40-01 component set (F3 fuselage section, empennage, wing high-lift devices, other composite parts, etc.) supplied by Russian aircraft manufacturer VASO. The production An-148, built in Kiev and given registration number UR-NTC, flew its maiden mission on 10 April. In May, it launched commercial operations as part of the aircraft fleet of the Aerosvit carrier that had leased it from its owner, Ukrainian leasing company Leasingtechtrans.

The first An-148 (c/n 01-01, UR-NTA) has been flying Aerosvit’s regular services since June 2009. Meanwhile, the Antonov manufacturing plant is completing the second Kiev-built An-148-100B (c/n 01-10, VASO’s component set c/n 40-02) earmarked for delivery before the end of this year. That the aircraft is nearing completion is indicated by the fact that the engines have been mounted on it. Further production-standard An-148s are under construction. As is known, Aerosvit is intent on operating a total of 10 airliners of the type, including five An-148-100Bs and five An-158 ‘stretches’.

Parallel to launching the An-158 trials and supporting the An-148-100 production by the aircraft plants in Kiev and Voronezh, Antonov carries on working on new versions of the baseline model. The new variants include a version with an enhanced comfort cabin to carry VIPs. The

The An-158 prototype, which was previously designated as An-148-200, was converted from the second An-148-100 (c/n 01-02) that had registration number UR-NTB. The conversion began last autumn. The fuselage was stretched by 1.7 m, which allowed an addition of 18–24 extra seats in the cabin. Now, the aircraft seats 99 passengers in the single-class configuration (12 comfortable seats in the business class in the 2+2 layout and 74 in the economy class in the 2+3 layout with a pitch of 787 mm). At the same time, the wing was modified, having acquired winglets on its wingtips.

Despite an increase in its takeoff weight, the An-158 is powered by D-436-148 engines, the same that power the production-standard An-148-100B. The only difference lies in the settings of the digital engine control system configured for higher thrust (the same FADEC settings are planned for use on the extendedrange version, the An-148-100E).

According to the developer, the An-158 seating capacity increase and design optimisation will allow a 9% drop in specific fuel consumption per passenger-mile and a 12% reduction in direct operating costs.

Not long before the rollout of the An-158, the Antonov manufacturing plant, A aas the former Kiev-based Aviant plant is known now, assembled the long-awaited k first production An-148-100B (c/n 01-09) fir

Andrey Fomin

Andrey Fomin

An-158’s passenger cabins interiors

The first An-158 is ready for roll-out from the Antonov’s production plant assembly hall, 20 April 2010.

The second production An-148-100B of Kiev-assembly (c/n 01-10) seen to the left

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version is designated as An-168 in Ukraine and ABJ (Antonov Business Jet) in Russia. A next step might be development and construction of the An-148C cargo version fitted with a side cargo door and then the An-148T-100 advanced freighter that has recently been dubbed An-178 in Ukraine. The latter is to have a loading ramp and a wider fuselage. Its lifting capacity is to increase to 20 t, which will call for an advanced higher-thrust engines. Zaporozhye-based engine makers Ivchenko-Progress and Motor Sich are mulling over it now.

Meanwhile, another production An-148-100Bs made in Voronezh continue to enter service in Russia. On 14 April, the Rossiya state transport company received its third airliner of the type (RA-61703, c/n 40-05), built earlier this year in Voronezh. In the same month it entered service and handles flights from St. Petersburg to Moscow, Samara, Rostov-onDon, Ufa, Arkhangelsk and Mineralnye Vody. take-off july 2010

47

The first production An-148-100B assembled in Kiev (c/n 01-09, UR-NTC) which maiden flight took place on 10 April 2010 is now in service with Aerosvit airlines of Ukraine

The aircraft was delivered to Rossiya on the financial leasing terms under the current contract with the Ilyushin Finance Co. leasing company (IFC). Six An-148-100Bs are to be built and delivered to the customer under the contract. The fourth aircraft under the contract (RA-61704, c/n 40-06) was rolled out by VASO in late April and delivered to Rossiya carrier

The fourth An-148-100B (c/n 40-06, RA-61704) received by Rossiya carrier from VASO plant on 22 June 2010

on 22 June. Its first commercial service from St. Petersburg to Moscow took place five days later, on 27 June 2010. There is a fifth plane (RA-61705, c/n 40-07) in the final assembly shop of VASO, with the final sixth aircraft under the IFC-Rossiya deal being due this summer.

Next customers for VASO-built An-148-100Bs are to be the Atlant-Soyuz and Polyot carriers. The former has ordered from IFC 15 An-148-100E extended-range aircraft, 10 An-148-200s (An-158) stretches and five An-148ABJ (An-168) business jets to be delivered from 2010 through 2012.

The other is going to take delivery of 10 An-148-100Bs during the same period. IFC and VASO are making efforts to launch deliveries to these air companies before yearend. At the same time, VASO has other urgent An-148 orders to fulfil, e.g. a couple of tailor-made aircraft of the type have been ordered by the Administrative Office of the Russian President for the Rossiya special air detachment and several more have been ordered by foreign customers.

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According to Yuri Grudinin, head of the Regional Aircraft Directorate of UAC, the growing demand for aircraft of the An-148 family in Russia, Ukraine and farther abroad will contribute to expanding the Russian-Ukrainian cooperation

in production of airliners of the type. For this reason, VASO is not going to cease to import components from Ukraine while deepening the localisation of the An-148 production in Russia (for instance, VASO has productionised the F1 fuselage section and is productionising the F2 section). Moreover, according to our sources in Kiev, the two companies are looking into dividing their areas of operations, with VASO to continue to make all An-148-100 versions and Antonov in Kiev to specialise in the An-158 stretch (An-148200). The companies will supply each other with commonised components they make, to boot.

Unified cockpit for all versions of An-148 and An-158 family

Sergey Popsuevich

Alexey Rebik

The third Voronezh-assembled An-148-100B (c/n 40-05, RA-61703) flies on Rossiya state transport company passenger routes since 23 April 2010

Sergey Lysenko

Sergey Popsuevich

commercial aviation | programme

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