to01

Victor Subbotin

about

RussianRegional Jet

programme

LAAD 2005exhibition

Sukhoi

Su-27SKM upgraded

fighter

combat trainer

of the new millennium

june 2005 • special edition for 46th Paris Air Show

YAK-130 COMBAT TRAINERCHOICE OF RUSSIAN AIR FORCE

NEW GENERATION

OF TRAINERS

AND COMBAT TRAINERS

LOW OPERATING COST –

HIGH EFFICIENCY

OF TRAINING

AND COMBAT OPERATIONS

Yakovlev Design Bureau

68, Leningradsky pr.,

Moscow, 125315, Russia

Tel.: +7 (095) 158-34-32

Fax: +7 (095) 787-28-44

E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.yak.ru

Irkut Corporation

68, bld. 1, Leningradsky pr.,


Tel./fax: +7 (095) 777-21-01

E-mail: [email protected]

http://www.irkut.com

Rosoboronexport

State Corporation

21, Gogolevsky Blvd.,


Tel.: +7 (095) 202-66-03

Fax: +7 (095) 202-45-94

http://www.rusarm.ru

YAK-130 COMBAT TRAINERCHOICE OF RUSSIAN AIR FORCE

00_COVER VZLET 6_engl 6/6/05 16:58 Page 1

Phazotron-NIIR Corporation JSC

1 Elektrichesky Pereulok, Moscow 123557, Russia

Phone: +7 (095) 253-5613,

Fax: +7 (095) 253-0495,

Telex: 412159 PHAZA RU

KAMOV8a, the 8th March St., Lyubertsy, Moscow Region, 140007, Russia

Tel. +7 (095) 700-30-71Fax +7 (095) 700-31-10E-mail: [email protected]://www.kamov.ru

00_COVER VZLET 6_engl 6/6/05 16:58 Page 3

June 2005

PublisherAeromedia Publishing House

Editor-in-ChiefAndrey Fomin

Deputy Editor-in-ChiefAndrey Yurgenson

ColumnistsAlexander VelovichVladimir Shcherbakov

Special correspondentsAndrey ZinchukAlexey MikheyevVictor DrushlyakovPiotr ButowskiYury PonomarevSergey Popsuyevich

Marketing managerNadezhda Kashirina

Design and pre-pressGrigory Butrin

Web supportGeorgy Fedoseyev

Translation Yevgeny Ozhogin

Published with support from Russian Knights foundationExecutive directorYury Zheltonogin

Cover photoAlexey Mikheyev

Dear readers,

You are holding special Le Bourget

supplement to the new magazine Vzlyot

(Take-off), Russia's first national monthly

aerospace publication. The Take-off pro-

ject was launched in late 2004 by a like-

minded team of editors, columnists and

managers of the Russian English-lan-

guage magazine Air Fleet headed by its

editor-in-chief.

The name of our magazine is symbolic.

What has happened to Russian aero-

space industry over the decade since the

USSR's collapse can hardly be called anything but an uncontrolled spin. But

now certain positive tendencies have finally emerged. The first buds of indus-

trial integration are striking through, new aircraft development programmes

have been reanimated, the average annual flying time of military pilots is

growing, and Russian aerospace businesses have secured milestone inter-

national contracts. The industry definitely shows signs of improvement, so we

have every right to state that Russian aviation is taking wing again.

We see our mission in providing the Russian-speaking part of the global

aviation community with current and comprehensive information about the

latest developments in Russian and CIS aerospace industry, activities and

performance of military and civil aircraft operators, and key trends in space

technology. Major international aviation events are also given proper atten-

tion. Our magazine brings to our readers aviation-related news, review and

analysis of aerospace technology development and operation, and inter-

views with key industry newsmakers.

With six issues of Vzlyot (Take-off) published to date, we are now launch-

ing an English-language supplement. The first issue will coincide with the

Paris Air Show, the most authoritative and prestigious parade of aviation

achievements in the world. Our aim in producing this issue was to provide

objective and exhaustive coverage of the major aviation programmes cur-

rently under development in Russia and the CIS, with a special focus on

those to be presented at Le Bourget this year. One of the articles that you

will find in this issue is dedicated to the Sukhoi Su-27SKM upgraded fighter,

which is being actively promoted to overseas markets. This particular aircraft

will be first revealed to general public at Le Bourget this year.

The Paris Air Show is historically an excellent venue for strengthening and

expanding international cooperation in aerospace technology. This year's

exhibition will serve as a backdrop to the signing of numerous international

aviation contracts. One of the largest-scale examples here is the RRJ

Russian Regional Jet programme under joint development by Russian,

French, US and other companies. An interview with Viktor Subbotin, Director

General of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and RRJ programme Director, will bring you

up to date with the progress of the RRJ programme. Other Russian aviation

efforts availing of foreign participation are the Mikoyan MiG-AT and Yakovlev

Yak-130 jet trainer programmes. Our feature article will familiarise you will the

Yak-130 aircraft.

We would like to wish all participants of the 46th Paris Air Show interest-

ing meetings, useful contacts and advantageous contracts; not least, a

thrilling eyeful of air displays in the skies over Paris. We hope that you will

find our magazine helpful in guiding you through the Russian exposition at

the show, and look forward to meeting you at further aviation exhibitions all

over the world!

Sincerely yours,

Andrey Fomin

Editor-in-Chief

News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial

staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press releas-

es 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.avia.ru, www.aviaport.ru,

www.lenta.ru, www.gazeta.ru, www.finmarket.ru, www.strana.ru,

www.regions.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru, www.strizhi.ru,

www.armscontrol.org, disarmament2.un.org web sites

The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision

of observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and

protection of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation.

Registration certificate PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004

© Aeromedia, 2005

P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, RussiaTel. +7 (095) 198-60-40, 798-81-19Fax +7 (095) 198-60-40E-mail: [email protected]://www.take-off.ru

01_pomin-english.qxd 6/6/05 16:07 Page 1

take-off june 2005 w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u2

c o n t e n t s

EVENTS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

Victory Air Parade over Red Square

Tu-204-300 awarded Type Certificate

Belarus celebrates Victory Day and demonstrates upgraded aircraft

Su-27UBM1 debuts near Minsk

COMMERCIAL AVIATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8Second An-148 prototype joins flight test programme

RRJ to first fly in autumn 2006

An-140 operated in three countries now

A380 makes first flight

Airbus considers outsourcing A350 development work to Russia

Boeing promoting 787 to Russian market

Viktor Subbotin:

The aircraft we are developing will meet the highest western standards

The Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) project, under development by Sukhoi company subsidiary Sukhoi Civil Aircraft,

is one of the most dynamic aviation programmes - and certainly the most ambitious one - in the newest history of

Russia. It sets quite a number of precedents in contemporary Russian aircraft industry, what with its heavy reliance

on western partners, the plan to promote the airplane in the western market, and the unusually tough self-imposed

timeframe. Quite understandably, the RRJ programme faces many sceptics in Russia. We asked Viktor Subbotin,

Director General, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and RRJ Programme Director, to update our readers on the status of the pro-

gramme and explain the reasons behind the developers' optimism

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Russian 2004 arms sales topped $5.6 billion

Su-30MKM replace US fighters

Flying testbed for China

Russian helicopters for Venezuela

India waits for three A-50Es

Mi-171A obtains Brazil's Certificate

Spain takes in two more Ka-32s

IAF MiG-21bis upgrade contract fulfilled

KSAMC plans new An-74 deliveries to Africa

Kiev resumes An-32 production

Paris debut of Su-27SKM Warplanes developed by the Sukhoi design bureau have long been known to participants and visitors of the world's

leading air show at Le Bourget. As far back as 1989, production Su-27 and Su-27UB fighters made their debut

here. 1993 saw the Su-30MK multirole fighter's demonstrator unveiled here, 1995 - the Su-32 (Su-34) multirole

tactical strike aircraft and 1997 - the Su-37 super-manoeuvrable fighter. The Su-30MKI super-manoeuvrable fight-

er arrived to Le Bourget in 1999 and the Su-30MKK in 2001. Alas, the latter's full-scale demonstration was dis-

rupted by legal claims of Swiss company Noga. The aircraft had to return home urgently. There were no Sukhoi

fighters at the 45th Le Bourget air show for the same reason. Now that all legal claims have been settled, Sukhoi

again demonstrates a combat aircraft of its own in the skies of Paris. This time it is the Su-27SKM upgraded sin-

gleseat multirole fighter.

The RusAF has recently reinducted the first Su-27 fighters upgraded to Su-27SM standard. Simultaneously, Russia

has begun international promotion of the Su-27SKM version. Andrey Fomin reviews the Su-27SM upgrade pro-

gramme and details the new capabilities of the RusAF's advanced single-seater and its export mate, which will be

displayed at this year's Paris Air Show for the first time

18

20

12

4

june 2005

02-03_contents_engl 6/6/05 16:08 Page 2

3take-off june 2005w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u

c o n t e n t s

AIR FORCE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26RusAF CINC on 2004 results and objectives for 2005-06

Spring is time for training

The Kuznetsov again to sea

Su-34 production launched

RusAF to receive new Ka-50s

RusAF can get about 50 Mi-28Ns by 2010

MiG-29OVT undergoing tests

China tests AWACS

Yak-130: combat trainer of new century A second production-configuration aircraft of prospective combat trainer Yakovlev Yak-130 has entered the

flight trials in April this year. Work is underway under the contract with the Russian Air Force that selected the

Yak-130 for service with its flight schools. In May, the new aircraft was submitted for the official trials slated

to wrap up next year, after which the aircraft will be fielded. Under the concept of the Yakovlev design bureau,

the Yak-130 designed for advanced flight training of military pilots, as well as for training them in combat tac-

tics, is an element of the training complex comprising the Yak-152 (Yak-52M) primary trainer, a ground sim-

ulator and a computerised classroom.

Having landed the contract with RusAF, Yakovlev is concurrently promoting the Yak-130 on the global market

in cooperation with the Irkut company, with the Rosoboronexport state-owned company as an intermediary.

India, Malaysia and, possibly Algeria, as well as some other countries, are believed to be potential buyers of

the advanced combat trainer. The Yak-130 is promoted on the market along with the Irkut-manufactured

Su-30MK multirole fighters. Thus, the customer is offered a set of a world-best fighter and a full set of train-

ing hardware for pilots to fly it. Of the hardware, the key thing is the Yak-130 combat trainer that can be used

as a light combat aircraft, if need be.

Andrey Yurgenson and Andrey Fomin review the RusAF trainer contest in which Yak-130 became an eventual

winner, dwell on Yakovlev's cooperation with Aermacchi, end describe the parameters and market prospects

of the Yak-130

INDUSTRY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40Tu-334 to be built in Kazan

Ansat goes into series production

R-R and Turbomeca for Kamov

Mi-38 testing continues

Redesigned Su-80 preparing for trials

Be-103 setting off for long road

Il-114 flying testbed

First Il-76TD re-engined with PS-90s

Burlak accomplishes first ground testing phase

LAAD 2005 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44Not on coffee alone. Notes from LAAD 2005Brazil's role in the contemporary world is increasing by the year. Suffice it to mention that the country is current-

ly seeking permanent membership of the UN Security Council, alongside Germany, India and Japan. This makes

the LAAD (Latin America Aero & Defence) exhibition, held in Rio de Janeiro every odd spring, all the more impor-

tant. Our observer Alexander Velovich was among the few Russian aviation journalists to visit this year's LAAD. In

this article he shares his impressions of the event.

COSMONAUTICS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48New crew at ISS

Baikonur marks 50th anniversary

26

30

42

44

48

02-03_contents_engl 6/6/05 16:08 Page 3

take-off june 2005 w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u

e v e n t s

4

On 9 May, Russia and many other

countries solemnly celebrated the

60th Anniversary of the Victory in

WWII. For the first time in the past

several decades, RusAF warplanes

took part in the traditional Red

Square Victory Day parade in

Moscow. The air parade comprised

a nine-ship Su-27 and MiG-29 for-

mation of the RusAF Russian

Knights and Swifts display teams

with the Kubinka-stationed 237th

Aircraft Demonstration Centre, and

also three Su-25 ground attack air-

craft with the Buturlinovka-sta-

tioned 899th Regiment. A diamond

formation of five Su-27s and four

MiG-29s was led by Colonel Igor

Tkachenko, Commander of the

Russian Knights. The three Su-25s,

fitted with smoke generators spe-

cially for the occasion, trailed white,

blue and red smoke to match the

colours of the Russian flag.

To ensure security of the cele-

brations in Moscow, which were

attended by numerous foreign del-

egations with respective heads of

state, fighters at air bases of the

Moscow Military District were put

on heightened alert. More than

two dozen Su-27, MiG-29 and

MiG-31 fighters as well as Mi-24

and Mi-8 helicopters were

patrolling the airspace of the

Moscow region. An eight-strong

MiG-29 group of the Andreapol-

based 28th Fighter Regiment was

redeployed to Kubinka, from

where it guarded the Moscow

skies for nearly two weeks.

Victory air parade over Red Square

On 14 May, the Interstate Aviation

Committee granted Tupolev Type

Certificate No. ST238-Tu-204-300

for the Tu-204-300 long-haul pas-

senger aircraft. Powered by two

PS-90A turbofans, the type is

intended for carrying 142 passen-

gers, baggage, mail and freight on

domestic and international short-,

medium- and long-haul routes.

The type certificate acknowl-

edges the Tu-204-300's compli-

ance with the requirements of the

certification basis specified by the

AP-25 Airworthiness Standards for

Transport Category Aircraft, with

Amendments 10-4. The AP-25

standards are harmonised with the

EU CS-25 and US FAR-25 regula-

tions. In addition, the Tu-204-300

was on 6 December 2004 awarded

Noise Type Certificate No. SSh149-

Tu-204-300, which acknowledges

the aircraft's meeting the AP-36

standards and the environmental

noise standards of ICAO Chapter 3

Annex 16, thus clearing the type for

unrestricted operations into the EU

and USA.

The Tu-204-300 is a 6m (20ft)

shrink of the Tu-204 baseline model.

With a maximum range of 8,500km

(4,590nm), the modification can fly

non-stop from Moscow to

Vladivostok. The first prototype

(RA-64026) made its maiden flight on

18 August 2003, the second one

(RA-64038) first flew on

25 November 2004. Ulyanovsk-based

Aviastar-SP factory has launched

series production of the Tu-204-300

for Vladivostok Air, on order from

Ilyushin-Finance Co. leasing compa-

ny. A week after certification, on

20 May, the first aircraft (RA-64038)

was delivered to the customer.

Overall, Vladivostok Air is to receive

four Tu-204-300s during 2005.

Tu-204-300 awarded type certificateV

ad

im G

oyd

enko

04-07_EventsNews_engl 6/6/05 16:09 Page 4

AVIASALON Joint Stock CompanyM.M. Gromov Flight Research Institute

Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, 140182, Russia

Phone: +7 (095) 787 6651 +7 (095) 556 7786

Fax: +7 (095) 787 6652+7 (095) 787 6654

e-mail: [email protected]



e v e n t s

6

The Belarusian Air Force (BAF) held a

large-scale air parade on 9 May in Minsk

in commemoration of the 60th

Anniversary of the end of WWII. Despite

poor weather, all types of combat aircraft

in service with the BAF flew over down-

town Minsk.

The parade opened with a flypast of two

Mil Mi-8MT helicopters trailing Belarusian

state flags. The No. 24 lead helicopter was

an upgraded version of the Mi-8MT featur-

ing a chin-mounted gyro-stabilised optron-

ic turret and an upgraded avionics suite

which includes colour multifunction dis-

plays. Belarusian Mi-8MT helicopters are

upgraded to this standard by Baranovichi-

based 558 Aircraft Repair Plant with assis-

tance from Russian specialists; the mod-

ernisation programme is generally similar

to that used in upgrading Russian Mi-8MT

helicopters to the Mi-8MTKO standard. The

May 9 air parade was the first time that the

Belarusian Mi-8MT upgrade was revealed

to general public.

The helicopters were followed by four-

ship formations of Mil Mi-2, Ilyushin Il-103

and Yakovlev Yak-52 trainers. After these,

formations of army aviation transports and

combat helicopters – Mi-8MTs and

Mi-24Ps – flew over the centre of Minsk.

Then came the turn of formations of

Sukhoi Su-24M, Su-25 and Mikoyan

MiG-29 supersonic warplanes, and a pair

of Sukhoi Su-27s. The No. 64 lead Flanker

was a upgraded Su-27UBM1 multirole

fighter shown to general public for the first

time. The eight-minute air parade ended

with a flypast of a BAF Ilyushin Il-76MD

transport bearing civilian registration

(EW-78802), escorted by a pair of

Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters. All the aircraft

proceeded over Minsk at an altitude of only

200m (650ft), at a speed of 600km/h

(325kt). The lead airplanes were piloted by

the commanders of all the eight BAF air

bases.

Piotr BUTOWSKIphotos by the author

Belarus celebrates Victory Day and demonstrates upgraded aircraft



e v e n t s

The 17-20 May MILEX 2005 exhi-

bition in Minsk included a capability

demonstration of the upgraded

Sukhoi Su-27UBM1 fighter at a

practice range near the capital of

Belarus. The Belarusian Air Force

(BAF) has recently launched a pro-

gramme to upgrade its fighter fleet.

MiG-29 fighters with the 61st fighter

base in Baranovichi were the first to

undergo upgrades (four such

MiG-29BM upgraded fighters were

first revealed to public during a July

2004 air parade in Minsk). The BAF

then decided to similarly upgrade

the Sukhoi Su-27 fighters operated

by the same air base. Documents

related to upgrade of Belarusian

MiG-29s and Su-27s were first made

available at the MILEX exhibition.

The Su-27 upgrade programme,

which is being carried out by

Baranovichi-based 558 Aircraft

Repair Plant jointly with Russian

Avionics Co., includes introduction

of an improved information man-

agement system, digital aircraft

and engine control system, real-

time information analysis system,

video flight data recorder and

expanded armament capabilities.

The upgraded fighter can use

KAB-500Kr and KAB-500L guided

bombs, Kh-29T, Kh-29L, Kh-31A

and Kh-31P air-to-surface missiles

and also RVV-AE air-to-air mis-

siles. The original monochrome

radar/IRST TV display is replaced

with a large-screen colour liquid

crystal MFD with bezel keys.

The relatively inexpensive addition

of advanced computers, new software

and separate new modules to the

basic avionics suite of the production

aircraft offers a significant improve-

ment in precision of the aiming sys-

tem, extends functionality of the navi-

gation system and enables utilisation

of a wide range of guided and unguid-

ed weapons. In addition, new radar

modes improve the detection range

for ground and airborne targets: the

upgraded N001 radar can detect a

tank at a distance of 40km (22nm), an

airborne helicopter at 70km (38nm), a

cruise missile at 80km (43nm), a rail-

way bridge at 100km (54nm), a fight-

er at 200km (108nm) and an aircraft

carrier at 350km (190nm).

A similar programme is offered to

upgrade Belarusian MiG-29 fighters

to the MiG-29BM standard. The air-

craft is additionally fitted with a port-

side non-retractable air refuelling

probe. The MiG-29BM's upgraded

N019 radar detects a fighter at

150km (81nm), a bridge at 100km

(54nm) and an aircraft carrier at

350km (190nm).

As part of the MILEX 2005

exhibition, an upgraded

Su-27UBM1 fighter performed a

capability demonstration at a

practice range near Minsk. The

warplane released KAB-500L

laser-guided bombs and launched

S-8 rockets. All the targets were

successfully hit, demonstrating

high efficiency of the upgrading

solutions.

Mik

ha

il A

lekseyev

Mik

ha

il A

lekseyev

Mik

ha

il A

lekseyev

Mik

ha

il A

lekseyev

Su-27UBM1 debuts near Minsk



c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | i n b r i e f

8

The second prototype of the

Antonov An-148-100 regional pas-

senger jet made its first flight on

19 April. The aircraft, registered

UR-NTB, took off from the

Svyatoshin airfield in Kiev at 12:19

local time, and landed uneventfully

at Antonov's Gostomel Flight Test

Centre airstrip 37min later. The

crew consisted of Captain

S.M. Troshin, co-pilot A.V. Spasibo

and test engineer N.V. Sidorenko.

The aircraft, whose construction

was completed on 7 April, is the

second flying prototype to join the

An-148 certification tests. The first

airplane (UR-NTA) first flew on

17 December 2004 and had per-

formed 75 flights by 19 April. The

An-148's two-class cabin arrange-

ment seats 68 passengers (eight in

the 2–2 business class, equipped

with seats by Italian company

Geven, and 60 in the 3–2 economy

class seating configuration).

The first An-148 prototype has

by now successfully passed two

essential certification phases. The

high AoA tests were accomplished

on 6 April: a set of nine flights

included intentional stalling at var-

ious altitudes and in various flap

and gear configurations. Test pilots

reported clearly identifiable natural

stall warning in almost all configu-

rations; in separate cases the air-

craft exceeded the stall angle by

5–6deg. The aircraft's stall and

recovery behaviour proved benign

and within specifications.

On 9 April, the first An-148-100

prototype was repositioned from

Kiev to Arkhangelsk for icing tests.

The machine performed 14 flights

for a total duration of 40.5h. The

purpose of the icing trials was to

test deicing and anti-icing operation

of the wing, empennage and engine

air intake anti-ice system, verify

effectiveness of the windshield anti-

icing system, check correct opera-

tion of ice detectors and anti-ice

subsystem control units, and study

effects of anti-icing measures on

the shape and size of wing and

empennage icing. The An-148's

aerodynamics were tested in flight

with the anti-icing system engaged

and disengaged. The icing trials

were completed on 29 April.

An-148 equipment and systems

are undergoing parallel certifica-

tion tests. The new Ivchenko-

Progress D-436-148 turbofan has

already demonstrated high relia-

bility and performance. The

engine was developed from the

D-436T model, certificated in

2000 as the power plant for the

Tu-334 and Be-200 aircraft. The

D-436-148's take-off thrust is

somewhat derated as compared to

the baseline (depending on the

settings of the power control sys-

tem, it is 6,400kgf (14,100lb) for

the short-range An-140 version or

6,830kgf (15,050lb) for the long-

range executive modification,

while the D-436T1 and D-436TP

engines have a take-off thrust of

7,500kgf (16,500lb)). This thrust

reduction extends service life of

the engine and reduces fuel con-

sumption. The An-148's under-

wing engine configuration forced

the developer to redesign the

accessory gearboxes and other

reversers. High commonality with

the certificated D-436 and D-36

engines (the latter has long been

operated on An-72, An-74 and

Yak-42 aircraft) will ensure

prompt and problem-free certifi-

cation of the D-436-148 modifi-

cation. Production engines will be

built by Zaporozhye-based Motor

Sich enterprise and two Russian

plants: MMPP Salut (Moscow)

and UMPO (Ufa).

Meanwhile, the first An-148

customers have emerged. Under a

28 April agreement, KrasAir will

take ten An-148-100V baseline,

68-seat aircraft on financial lease

from Ilyushin-Finance Co, with an

option for five An-148-100E modi-

fications with the maximum range

extended from 3,500km (1,890nm)

to 5,000km (2,700nm). KrasAir will

take the first five An-148-100Vs in

2006, and the remaining five on

firm order will follow during 2007.

If the carrier firms up the option,

the five longer-rangers may be

delivered in 2008. Kommersant-

Daily estimates the contract value

to be slightly over $270 million,

which yields a mean unit price of

about $18 million ($17.85 million

per An-148-100V and $18.35 mil-

lion per An-148-100E). KrasAir

Director General Boris Abramovich

said at the rollout ceremony for the

second An-148 prototype that the

airline is already slotting the new

aircraft into its 2006 schedule of

operations.

Two aircraft manufacturing

facilities are preparing for An-148

production entry: Kiev's Aviant

plant and the VASO factory in

Voronezh, Russia.

Second An-148 prototype joins flight test programme

Anto

no

v

An

ton

ov

08-11_News_GA_engl 6/6/05 16:10 Page 8



On 29 March, Azerbaijan's state-

owned company AZAL received its sec-

ond Antonov An-140-100 regional air-

craft under a four-ship order placed with

Kharkov State Aviation Manufacturing

Company (KSAMC) in 2004. The first

aircraft was delivered to the company in

late November 2004; the remaining two

An-140s on order will enter service with

AZAL's subsidiary Azerbaijan Hava

Yollari within several months. Apart

from Azerbaijan, An-140s are currently

operated in Ukraine. In November

2004, Iran's Safiran Airlines launched

scheduled passenger operations with

two IrAn-140 aircraft built by national

aircraft manufacturer HESA with partic-

ipation of KSAMC. Safiran will shortly

add two more Iranian-assembled airlin-

ers of the type. The first An-140 assem-

bled at the Samara, Russia-based

Aviacor plant will take off this summer.

The aircraft will later be delivered to a

Russian carrier.

On 25 March, four large Russian

banks – Vneshtorgbank,

Vneshekonombank, Russian

Savings Bank and Roseximbank –

signed an agreement with Sukhoi

company on funding the Russian

Regional Jet (RRJ) programme run

by the aircraft manufacturer's sub-

sidiary Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. The

banks agreed to grant Sukhoi syndi-

cated loans, including 2.7 billion

rubles (about $100 million) against

the government guarantees stipu-

lated in the 2005 federal budget.

Sukhoi Director General Mikhail

Pogosyan said at a media briefing

after the signing ceremony that

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft has already

received a deposit from Russian

carrier Sibir Airlines, the RRJ

launch customer, which ordered

fifty 95-seat regional airliners in

July 2004. Such advance payment

from a commercial carrier for an

aircraft that is still being developed

is viewed as a precedent-setting

move for Russia.

According to Sergey Drobyshev,

deputy Director General of the

KnAAPO aircraft building factory

which will build the first RRJ proto-

types and the batch for Sibir, the

enterprise received the first design

documents from Sukhoi Civil

Aircraft this spring and has already

launched production of separate

aircraft parts (wing and fuselage

components). In early February

2005, KnAAPO received over

300 digital models of such parts; by

early May the number of models

received amounted to about 600.

The factory has identified suppliers

and signed contracts for delivery of

additional equipment to support the

existing production capacities.

KnAAPO has detailed all processes

to be used in RRJ production,

including concurrent engineering,

jiggles assembly, precise manufac-

turing of wing and fuselage struc-

tures etc. These technologies will

reduce workload and cut unit pro-

duction time to one year.

On 8 March, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft

and French company Sogitec agreed

to jointly develop specifications and

guidelines for the creation of interac-

tive electronic technical publications,

with participation of all RRJ suppli-

ers, as part of aftersale support.

In the meantime, the PowerJet

joint venture of NPO Saturn and

Snecma Moteurs is building the

first SaM146 engines for the RRJ,

and testing separate components.

Assembly of the first prototype

began in France in April. The engine

will enter ground tests early in the

fourth quarter of 2005, to coincide

with the beginning of ground tests

on the first Saturn-built example.

On 3 March, Snecma Moteurs

and Gromov Flight Research

Institute signed an agreement on

developing an Ilyushin Il-76-based

SaM146 flying testbed. The first

flight of the Russo-French engine is

scheduled for March 2006.

Pogosyan confirmed at the

briefing that the first RRJ proto-

type is expected to fly in the fourth

quarter of 2006; the previously

announced plan for service entry in

late 2007 also remains on target,

he added.

RRJ to first fly in autumn 2006

An-140 operated in three countries now

And

rey F

om

inK

SA

MC

08-11_News_GA_engl 6/6/05 16:10 Page 9



10

In the morning of 27 April the

Airbus A380 world's largest long-haul

passenger aircraft took off for its first

flight from Toulouse Blagnac airport

in France. The crew consisted of

Claude Lelaie, Senior Vice President

Flight Division, and Chief Test Pilot

Jacques Rosay. Also on the crew

were Fernando Alonso, Vice

President Flight Division, and Flight

Test Engineers Jacky Joye, Manfred

Birnfeld and Gorard Desbois.

The No 001 prototype, registered

F-WWOW, took off at 421,000kg

(927,300lb). The aircraft, powered by

four Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines,

carried an instrumentation package

on both desks to record thousands of

parameters for further detailed per-

formance analysis. The flight test

engineers monitored aircraft per-

formance from workstations installed

on either deck.

Prior to the first flight, A380

No 001 was put through a series of

ground tests. Testing began in the

summer of 2004, when the proto-

type's systems were first powered up.

Since then, Airbus specialists had

been busy meticulously testing all

onboard systems. The A380 was for-

mally revealed on 18 January, fol-

lowed by airfield tests of the first fly-

ing prototype in early spring. High-

speed taxi trials began on 20 April,

only one week prior to the maiden

flight.

Five A380 prototypes will partici-

pate in the flight testing programme.

Together, they will spend 2,500h in

the air. After the FAA and EASA certi-

fications have been obtained, in the

second half of 2006 the first A380s

will enter service with launch cus-

tomer Singapore Airlines.

Fifteen airlines have by now

together ordered 154 A380s (127 air-

liners in passenger version and 27 in

cargo configuration). The first A380F

freighters are expected to enter serv-

ice in 2008.

A380 makes first flight

In December 2004 Airbus heeded

to airlines' requests and started devel-

oping the A350 airliner, a longer-

range derivative of the A330-200

long-haul passenger aircraft.

Airbus aims for a 8,000kg

(17,620lb) decrease in airframe

weight against the baseline model

through application of advanced tech-

nologies, including profound use of

aluminium-lithium alloys in fuselage

and wing ribs, a modified horizontal

stabiliser, extensive employment of

carbon fibre-reinforced plastics and

introduction of laser-beam-welded

lower fuselage structures. Other

improvements include a more aero-

dynamic wing and more efficient,

new-generation General Electric Genx

72A1 engines. These innovations will

extend the new model's range to

15,900km (8,585nm) for the

A350-800 variant (with 245 passen-

gers in standard three-class cabin

layout), and 13,900km (7,500nm) for

the A350-900 version (with 285 pas-

sengers in three classes).

One of the measures planned by

Airbus to reduce A350 development

costs is expanding cooperation

with Russian aviation manufactur-

ers. The annual turnover of servic-

es between the European manufac-

turer and Russian aviation industry

reached $80 million in late 2004;

this figure might amount to

$110 million by 2007. Cooperation

may also be promoted to a higher

level if Airbus implements its cur-

rent plan to outsource part of A350

development and production work

to Russian enterprises. It remains

for a special workgroup to decide

on the amount of possible out-

sourcing, but the manufacturer

believes such collaboration will

provide Russia with ”revenues for

the entire period of A350 produc-

tion and operation”.

A350-800 deliveries are planned

to start in mid-2010; the first

A350-900 aircraft may enter opera-

tion later that year.

Airbus considers outsourcing A350 development work to Russia

Airb

us

Airb

us

08-11_News_GA_engl 6/6/05 16:10 Page 10



Boeing's massive 16 May elec-

tronic presentation in Moscow

was dedicated to its major

prospective passenger project, the

Boeing 787 Dreamliner. The event

was attended by Boeing

Commercial Airplanes executives

who had arrived in Russia for the

occasion: the 787 programme

Director Michael Bair, Vice

President, Manufacturing and

Quality, Scott Strode and 787 pro-

gramme Financial Director Craig

Saddler.

Attending journalists were

shown a multiscreen promotion

film, which included 3-D models

of the 787 airframe and cabin inte-

rior to highlight the advantages of

the airplane. Posters deployed in

the lobby presented Boeing's joint

projects with Russian enterprises,

including products made with

assistance of Russian specialists

or from Russian raw materials,

such as Russian-made titanium.

Bair told attending journalists

that the presentation had previ-

ously been staged in Berlin and

Dubai. To all appearances, the

event was targeting potential cus-

tomers and partners in Russia

rather than the press. The 'target

audience' was invited to arrive at a

later hour, and the journalists

failed to witness the most interest-

ing part of the presentation.

Said Fred Jones, Boeing

Commercial Airplanes specialist

responsible for sales in Russia and

CIS: "We have a strong competitor

in Europe, but truly advanced

products can only be created in a

strong competitive environment.

The 787 is our largest and most

outstanding programme. It is an

absolutely new product." Jones

added that the Russian market had

managed to survive through years

of 'depression', showing an unin-

terrupted annual growth of 15–20

per cent even during those hard

times. Boeing predicts a Russian

and CIS market for around 1,500

passenger aircraft, including 400

widebodies, over the next 20

years. The company hopes that

local carriers with prior experience

of operating widebody passenger

airliners, such as the Boeing 767,

will get interested in the 787. An

additional factor here is that the

currently high fuel prices show no

sign of dropping, and the

Dreamliner promises 20 per cent

fuel efficiency over its predeces-

sors.

Boeing is developing three

members of the 787 family. The

B787-8 baseline will carry

223 passengers to 15,700km

(8,500nm) at a cruise speed of

about 900km/h (485kt, M=0.85).

The B787-9 stretch will have a

capacity of 259 passengers and a

range of 15,400km (8,300nm),

whereas the B787-3 'short-haul'

version will seat 296 passengers

and have a range of 6,500km

(3,500nm). The three family mem-

bers will share a twin-aisle cabin

layout; the baseline and stretch

will offer a three-class cabin,

whereas the shorter-range modifi-

cation will seat passengers in two

classes. The B787 will have a

5.74m (18.8ft) diameter fuselage

cross-section, 56m (183.6ft)

length (62m (203.3ft) for the

B787-9 stretch) and 60m (196.7ft)

wing span (50m to 52m (164 to

170ft) for the B787-3 modifica-

tion). The B787-8's cargo hold will

accommodate five standard pal-

lets or LD3 containers. The maxi-

mum take-off weight will be 217.7t

(479,500lb) for the B787-8 and

226.8t (499,500lb) for the B787-9.

Boeing especially stresses the

Dreamliner's efficiency, projecting

a 20 per cent reduction in mainte-

nance costs and a 10 per cent

improvement in operating cost per

passenger-kilometre over existing

same-class airliners. The new air-

craft will be more environment-

friendly due to a 20 per cent cut in

emissions. It will offer a cabin

width enlargement for 350mm

(1.2ft) at eye level than contempo-

rary same-class airplanes; econo-

my-class aisles will be 550mm

(1.8ft) wide and business class

aisles 650mm (2.1ft) wide.

Economy class seats will measure

470mm (1.54ft) in width. Cabin

design will help passengers to

relax after airport bustle. A bright-

ly lit doorway, high ceilings, wide

bulkhead archs, sky-blue floor

covering and large windows will

add to the overall passenger com-

fort. Cabin pressure at the cruise

altitude of 13,100m (43,000ft) will

correspond to that at 1,800m

(5,900ft), and humidity levels will

be set high enough for dry throat

prevention. Cabin climate will be

controllable by the crew.

The first B787 flight is planned

for 2007; certification of the

B787-8 baseline model is expect-

ed in 2008, after which deliveries

will begin. Service entry of the

B787-3 version is scheduled for

2010, and that of the B787-9 ver-

sion for 2012. The market volume

for the family is estimated by

Boeing as 3,500 aircraft over the

next 20 years; the entire pro-

gramme will cost over $400 bil-

lion. The list price for the B787 is

about $120 million.

Twenty carriers from four conti-

nents have already ordered the

Dreamliner (see table).

Andrey YURGENSON

Boeing promoting 787 to Russian market

Boeing 787 orders (as of late May 2005)

Carrier (country) Order placed in Aircraft ordered*

All Nippon Airways (Japan) April 2004 50 (50)

Air New Zealand (New Zealand) June 2004 2 (2)

Blue Panorama (Italy) July 2004 4 (4)

First Choice (UK) July 2004 6 (6)

Primaris (USA) October 2004 20

Japan Airlines (Japan) December 2004 30 (30)

Continental Airlines (USA) December 2004 10

Vietnam Airlines (Vietnam) December 2004 4

Air China, China Eastern Airlines,

China Southern Airlines,

Hainan Airlines, Shanghai Airlines,

Xiamen Airlines (China) January 2005 60

Ethiopian (Ethiopia) February 2005 5

Icelandair (Iceland) February 2005 2 (2)

Korean Air (Korea) April 2005 10

Air Canada (Canada) April 2005 14

Air India (India) April 2005 20

Northwest Airlines (USA) May 2005 18 (18)

Total 255 (112)

* firm orders in brackets

And

rey Y

urg

enso

n

08-11_News_GA_engl 6/6/05 16:10 Page 11


The first order for the RRJ was announcedat the Farnborough International 2004 exhibi-tion, almost one year ago. How has the pro-gramme progressed since then? What is itscurrent status?

Since the initial contract with Siberia

Airlines, the RRJ programme has successfully

completed two important stages. In autumn

2004 we passed Gate 4 (under the Boeing-rec-

ommended development and construction

technology, the entire programme will com-

prise of eight such stages, or gates), and start-

ed large-scale production launch of proto-

types. In late March – early April 2005, fol-

lowing an unanimous go-ahead from the tech-

nical board, we passed Gate 5. This is the stage

in the programme at which all the major tech-

nical decisions have already been made, most

systems have been integrated, and detailed

designing ensues. Past Gate 5, no further radi-

cal changes can be introduced into the project.

We still have the so-called critical review

ahead of us – the stage in development when

the digital mock-up is 90–95 per cent ready.

We need the critical review to take a last look

at the general design, define all critical issues,

eliminate all defect, improve the digital mock-

up if necessary, and minimise the number of

further changes to the design. This stage is

scheduled to begin in mid-July, when Boeing

specialists arrive in Russia. By then we should

have handed documentation on all embedded

parts – around one thousand digital models –

over to the manufacturing plants.

How long will it take you to finish the elec-tronic mock-up?

Last February we began handing docu-

mentation on embedded and long-produc-

tion-cycle parts over to Komsomolsk-on-

Amur Aviation Production Association

(KnAAPO). We sent out about 300 digital

models then. By mid-May we had brought

that figure up to 600. We will deliver the last

package by July, but KnAAPO has already

begun manufacturing components for the

first prototypes. They will assemble the first

fuselage section by year-end. In the mean-

time, we continue to work with system sup-

pliers and potential customers. We are work-

ing to finalise Siberia's order, discussing their

preferences for each aircraft on order and

detailing the delivery schedule.

What other Russian carriers are you negoti-ating with?

Our most tangible contract at this point is

with Siberia Airlines. Among potential cus-

tomers are Aeroflot and FLC leasing compa-

ny. We are discussing the pricing and per-

formance parameters with these two. I hope

we will eventually sign contracts with them.

The fact that we have started selling an air-

craft that is still being developed is a prece-

dent in Russian aircraft construction.

Following the examples of major aircraft

manufacturers, we have set up an airline

council consisting of such leading Russian

and foreign carriers as Siberia, Aeroflot,

Pulkovo, UTair, Air France, SAS,

SN Brussels and many others. Regular meet-

ings and consultations help us to define all

requirements and recommendations of

potential customers while still developing the

aircraft. We consider such recommendations

and make corresponding changes to the

design if necessary. This way we will launch

production of an aircraft that is best opti-

mised to meet the requirements of our poten-

tial customers. We also remember that an air-

c o m m e r c i a l a v i a t i o n | i n t e r v i e w

12

The Russian Regional Jet (RRJ)

project, under development by

Sukhoi company subsidiary Sukhoi

Civil Aircraft, is one of the most

dynamic aviation programmes –

and certainly the most ambitious

one – in the newest history of

Russia. It sets quite a number of

precedents in contemporary

Russian aircraft industry, what with

its heavy reliance on western part-

ners, the plan to promote the air-

plane in the western market, and

the unusually tough self-imposed

timeframe (Sukhoi Civil Aicraft and

its parent company say the first pro-

totype will enter testing in late 2006,

and that deliveries may start in late

2007). Quite understandably, the

RRJ programme faces many scep-

tics in Russia. We asked Viktor

Subbotin, Director General, Sukhoi

Civil Aircraft and RRJ Programme

Director, to update our readers on

the status of the programme and

explain the reasons behind the

developers' optimism.

12-15_Subbotin_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:10 Page 12


craft has a long life cycle and must therefore

meet both current and future requirements.

So we base the main parameters, capabilities

of each system, economic criteria and after-

sale support system on prospective require-

ments of airlines.

Have you already defined the final composi-tion of RRJ's avionics suite? Have you identi-fied the requisite vendor systems? Who areyour major suppliers?

The specification has already been defined;

otherwise we would not be marketing an air-

plane that still remains on the drawing board.

As for avionics and suppliers, we are working

with leading foreign companies. Virtually all

equipment and systems will be of western

manufacture. However, a number of well-

known foreign companies have partners here

in Russia. Thus, Liebherr Aerospace cooper-

ates with Teploobmennik, so the RRJ's air

conditioning system by Liebherr will include

parts made by Teploobmennik. One of these

days we will sign the avionics contract with

Thales; the contract will be announced at the

Paris Air Show. Thales will integrate the RRJ

avionics. We have deliberately chose to order

a turnkey avionics solution, and I believe it

will save us money. If we were to integrate all

systems on our own, we would first have to

test them and have them certificated; then,

post-integration, we would have to obtain

another certificate. But we have decided to

order a ready avionics suite.

The RRJ power plant is being developed by

Snecma Moteurs (Safran Group) in partner-

ship with Russia's NPO Saturn. The two

companies have recently set up the PowerJet

joint venture for this purpose. The fly-by-wire

system will be a joint product of Liebherr and

Russian design bureau Voskhod. The APU

will be by Honeywell, fuel system by

Intertechnique, fire protection by Autronics

and electrics by Hamilton Sundstrand. The

landing gear will be a joint product of Messier

Dowty and Aviaagregat, the hydraulic system

has been developed by Parker. The interior,

whose style will be uniform for the passenger

cabin and pilots cockpit, has been ordered

from B/E Aerospace. As we can see, several

Russian companies are subcontractors on a

number of systems, but the general responsi-

bility for deliveries of ready systems is with

western companies. We believe this will

ensure quality and reliability of the aircraft.

This fact allows us to hope for the RRJ's suc-

cess in the international market.

What are your relations with Boeing?Prior to launching the RRJ programme,

which was aimed at marketing the end prod-

uct in the international market, we were fully

aware of the necessity of cooperating with an

aircraft manufacturer that would enjoy sub-

stantial authority in that market. So we start-

ed negotiating with Boeing. As part of the

agreement on long-term cooperation signed

by Boeing and Rosaviakosmos on 13 April

2001, in March 2003 we signed an agreement

on long-term cooperation with Boeing

Commercial Airplanes. Under this agree-

ment, Boeing provides us with consultancy

services in the primary aspects of the RRJ

programme: in marketing, programme man-

agement, design and development, interac-

tion with suppliers, production and aftersale

support. More than 50 Boeing experts are

working closely with corresponding special-

ists of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft. We are currently

negotiating with Boeing its possible assis-

tance in organisation of the aftersale support

system, because we understand that inde-

pendently deploying a large-scale system in

the western market, within a short period of

time, would be a very difficult task. We are

therefore seeking a partner to assist us in this

field during the next three to four years, until

we have caught up on the process and devel-

oped our own full-scale RRJ aftersale support

capability. Participation in this process of a

well-known company like Boeing is called to

make potential western customers certain

that they will have no problems operating the

RRJ.

Who works for Sukhoi Civil Aircraft? Areyou fully outfitted with qualified personnel?

The prime contractor on the RRJ pro-

gramme is Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, which is

100 per cent owned by Sukhoi. However, we

also have access to resources of the parent

company. Sukhoi does part of work on the

programme. As for the personnel of Sukhoi

Civil Aircraft, most of our employees come

from Sukhoi; we also employ specialists of

Tupolev, Ilyushin and Yakovlev. When form-

ing task-specific teams of specialists we try to

bring together experienced personnel and

freshly graduated employees, to ensure conti-

nuity of expertise. This method has enabled

us to form a good team (about 1,200 employ-

ees now) which, on the one hand, has exten-

sive expertise in aircraft development, and on

the other hand can promptly grasp new infor-

mation and quickly adapt to advanced design

technologies.

We pay higher wages than the average levels

across Russian aircraft industry, because ours


THE AIRCRAFT

WE ARE DEVELOPING WILL MEET

THE HIGHEST WESTERN STANDARDS

And

rey F

om

in



is a commercial project, and working for it

must be prestigious and competitively waged.

Our employees know and understand this.

Nevertheless, the project is very dynamic,

and we do experience personnel shortages

from time to time. The programme is gaining

pace rapidly, and we are starting to feel the

need for certain structures but cannot man

them in time. Currently, some divisions of

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft are staffed by 30 to 40

per cent of the requisite level. We are there-

fore forced to charge the existing team with

extra tasks. Of course we reimburse such extra

work.

What sources are you currently drawingfunds from?

Until recently, all funding we got came

from Sukhoi. Our parent company had

invested about $70–75 million in the pro-

gramme by 2005. Now that we are preparing

for production launch and taking associate

re-equipment measures, in late May we got

access to several credit lines for the total of

about $200 million. A pool of four leading

Russian banks are also offering us additional

loans, so we have no financial problems

nowadays.

The production facilities that will

launch RRJ production are also contribut-

ing to the programme. KnAAPO has con-

tributed significantly by paying the greater

part of the $50 million's worth of new

equipment and reconstruction work.

Expenses related to pre-production and

production operations will be for us to

care about; we have allocated one of the

credit lines specifically for this purpose.

The Novosibirsk-based NAPO plant, the

other production facility to build the RRJ,

has purchased part of new equipment with

the loan it took out for this purpose. Once

centralised crediting is available, pre-pro-

duction operations will continue at an

even faster pace.

Is the programme on target, or are you run-ning late?

We are trying to be on schedule. We have

indeed experienced certain delays in several

aspects of the programme, but we do intend

to observe our schedule through speeding up

its delayed parts. This way we will make sure

that even if there is an overall delay it will not

exceed several months. As was previously

announced, we expect to begin flight-testing

the first RRJ prototype in late 2006. This is a

precedent-setting tight deadline for Russian

Industry. In my 30-year career in aerospace

industry I have never seen such a fast-paced

programme.

Indeed, the timeframe is unheard of in ourtraditional perception – and this is the maincause of many people's scepticism…

These people's doubts come from poor

understanding of contemporary technology,

which helps us skip separate phases of the tra-

ditional development process. Consider for

example the development of design docu-

mentation and its subsequent delivery to the

production enterprise. How was it done

before? You would make a wooden mock-up,

use it to try out various layouts of onboard

systems and mechanisms, rebuild the mock-

up many times in the process; then you would

compile drawings and hand them over to the

production facility, only to receive them and

be told to redesign – and this process would

repeat over and over again before the aircraft

would finally go into production. Quite a

waste of time and effort, wasn't it? Nowadays,

it's different. The digital mock-up enables us

to skip some of these lengthy and tiresome

stages.

Boeing mates the wing to the fuselage

inside an eight-hour shift – something that

would take a month to complete in Russia!

Herein lies the difference. Boeing relies on

digital technology, whereas we in Russia are

used to old techniques and do not accept new

solutions all too easily. There are also legal

hitches for the digital technology in this

country: it has not yet been authorised. A

paper drawing remains the only official doc-

ument determining the development process.

When we presented our project to the

Aviation Register of the Interstate Aviation

Committee we used our digital mock-up.

This was something completely new for them.

There were doubts at first, but after they had

worked with us for a week they all came to

like this way of interaction.

To return to your question, all the doubts

about our planned deadlines stem from poor

understanding of the new technologies that

we use. Digital technologies considerably

reduce the time and cost of project develop-

ment, pre-production processes and con-

struction of prototypes.

Marketing a brand-new aircraft type is def-initely a challenge. How are you planning toenlist customers, especially now when Antonovmay begin deliveries of production An-148 air-craft to Russian carriers from 2006?

We have strong advantages. We are devel-

oping a principally new aircraft with a new

power plant that meet both current and

future requirements. Depending on the RRJ

modification, the SaM146 engine will have a

noise margin of 9dB to 15dB against the

ICAO Chapter 4 limits. The aircraft will be

more fuel efficient, even as compared to

western analogues. It will offer 10 to 15 per

cent lower direct maintenance costs. We will

equip the airplane with integrated modular

avionics that will provide Cat IIIB landing

capability, will be easy to upgrade and will

enable further capability expansion. Carriers

have persuaded us to replace traditional

steering columns with sidesticks, thus reduc-

ing aircraft weight, making the flight deck

more ergonomic and expand the pilots'

workspace. The RRJ has better aerodynamic

characteristics than existing analogues. All

these advantages are proven by Boeing's

methods: as we pass every new stage of the

programme Boeing employs its evaluation

methods to verify our calculations. The pro-

grammes they use are fairly merciless: if you

are evaluating an absolutely new aircraft with

new engines, the risk level rises.


14



Nevertheless, the RRJ's design parameters

have been corroborated time and again.

Already at this point we are allocating sig-

nificant funds for the creation of an aftersale

support system that would meet the highest

standards of the international market.

Aircraft of the RRJ family are a combina-

tion of advanced technology, good perform-

ance and economic criteria, and also an

advanced customer support infrastructure.

We offer an integrated product that fully

meets the requirements of carriers.

Speaking of potential orders from westerncustomers: what is your perception of a foreignmarket for the RRJ? How many aircraft areyou planning to sell abroad?

Recent studies reveal an overall market for

about 800 RRJ aircraft over the next 15 to 20

years. Of these, 300 to 350 will be demanded

in Russia. The rest will be sold abroad. We

view Europe and America as our primary

foreign markets. We thoroughly study the

experience of our foreign rivals (and there

are not many), we know their weaknesses,

and target potential western customers with

an aircraft offering better fuel efficiency, bet-

ter comfort and even better performance in

separate cases. Just one example: we know

that the existing RRJ-class aircraft offer

insufficiently spacious overhead bins and

baggage holds, causing dissatisfaction of pas-

sengers. The RRJ will have no such

problem – we have collaborated with Boeing

to identify the optimal volume of bins and

baggage holds. And this is only one example.

We used feedback from carriers to repeatedly

revise the technical requirements, for the

sole purpose of best meeting the market

requirements. We look into the future too.

Contemporary RRJ-class aircraft can do

with Cat II landing capability, but we have

from the very start designed our aircraft for

Cat IIIA as the primary landing category.

Another advantage of the RRJ is that in the

western market it will be priced 10 to 15 per

cent cheaper than its rivals.

Thank you for this interview, and we wishyou every success with your programme!


Sukho

i



c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | i n b r i e f

16

Russian arms traders see last

year's results as successful.

According to Mikhail Dmitriyev,

head of the Federal Service for

Military-Technical Cooperation of

the Russian Federation, Russia's

arms exports in 2004 reached a sin-

gular record of $5.6–5.7 billion, sur-

passing the total of 2003 ($5.4 bil-

lion) by 4 to 6 per cent.

Russian military sales in 2004 pre-

served their traditional make-up by

equipment categories. Nearly half of

the total hard currency revenue was

earned through aviation exports,

mainly products of Sukhoi company

– the Su-30 family fighters. The last

year's largest aircraft batches were

delivered to China (a total of 24

Su-30MK2s in accordance with the

contract of 2003), India (the last 10

Su-30MKIs in conclusion of the con-

tract of 1996) and Vietnam (four

Su-30MK2Vs in accordance with the

contract of 2003). More than 15

Mikoyan MiG-29 fighters were

exported in 2004: 12 MiG-29SEs

were delivered to Sudan last summer

in completion of the contract, and

Yemen started to take delivery of

MiG-29SMTs in the second half-year.

Nearly 90 per cent of the hard cur-

rency earnings (some $5 billion)

from arms sales in 2004 came in

from contracts signed by the major

Russian special exporter –

Rosoboronexport State Corporation.

Its Director General Sergey

Chemezov notes, however, that there

is a 4 to 5 per cent decrease com-

pared to the previous year's total

when this state-owned intermediary

corporation had managed 94 per

cent of arms export takings.

One of the biggest arms sales

events in 2004 was Russia's signing

of a package contract on delivery to

India of the modernised Gorshkov

aircraft carrier and MiG-29K fighters

for its onboard air wing. The con-

tract has provided a solid workload

portfolio of many Russian enterpris-

es for years to come. 2005 will also

see implementation of the continu-

ing contracts with India on the

Su-30MKI license production, and

Malaysia – on the Su-30MKM fight-

er development.

Regretfully, the disaster that hit

the South East Asia late last year and

inflicted huge losses to a number of

states in the region, upset their plans

of military-technical cooperation

with Russia in 2005. Thus, it has

been announced that the signing of a

new contract on delivery to

Indonesia of additional batches of

Sukhoi Su-27SK/Su-30MK fighters

and Mil helicopters planned for this

year is postponed. Chances of con-

cluding a contract on delivery of

Su-30MK type aircraft to Thailand

are also largely diminished.

Nonetheless, some Russian special-

ists believe that after a while

Indonesia and Thailand will recover

and return to talks about Russian

aircraft procurement.

Nor is it improbable that in 2005,

new contracts on aviation materiel

deliveries to China may materialise.

Information agencies reported that a

protocol on Russo-Chinese cooper-

ation up to 2010 was signed last

December during the visit of the

Russian Defence Minister Sergey

Ivanov to China, providing, accord-

ing to some observers, in particular,

for conclusion, already in 2005, of a

contract on delivery to China of an

additional batch of the Su-30MK2

aircraft, as well as continuation of

deliveries of assembly sets from

Russia for licence production in

China of the Su-27SK fighters in

accordance with the contract of

1996 (probably in the Su-27SKM

upgraded version). As is known, the

latter contract has been suspended

some time ago in the middle of its

implementation. So it may well hap-

pen that Russia overcomes the

unfavourable tendency this year.

Russian 2004 arms sales topped $5.6 billion

On 4 March this year Malaysian

media published a statement issued

by the deputy Defence Minister of

Malaysia Zainal Abidin Zin that the

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF)

plans to phase out seven out of

15 Northrop F-5E US-made fighters

and replace them with the Sukhoi

Su-30MKM multipurpose fighters.

As is known, the contract on deliv-

ery to Malaysia of 18 Su-30MKMs

to be built by the Irkut corporation

was signed in August 2003. At pres-

ent the Sukhoi company is conduct-

ing research and development work

for the Su-30MKM project, and the

Irkut corporation is preparing for

their series production. There are

indications that pre-production

Su-30MKI No 05 might become a

prototype for the Malaysian

Su-30MKM (shown in the picture

taken at the LIMA 2003 aerospace

exhibition in the Malaysian island of

Langkawi). Deliveries of the

Su-30MKM aircraft are scheduled to

start in the middle of 2006 with the

implementation of the contract to be

completed by the end of 2007.

In the meantime, some experts

suppose that a certain underlying

reason exists for such an overt

announcement as made by the

deputy Defence Minister of

Malaysia. Malaysia is known to

have preferred in 2003 the

Su-30MKM to the US F-18F, and

being an importer who traditionally

diversifies its arms foreign suppli-

ers, it is also believed to plan pro-

curement of some number of the

US Super Hornets for the RMAF. In

this light the above statement of

the high-ranking Malaysian military

may be seen as an attempt to win

some concessions in future talks

with Americans about a possible

contract.

Anyway, the Su-30MKM con-

tract is already in force and,

according to Sukhoi's leadership,

“its implementation meets all mile-

stones”.

Su-30MKMs replace US fighters

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It has been revealed late last

March that the contract on delivery

of three Ilyushin/Beriev/IAI A-50E

airborne early warning (AEW) sys-

tems to the Indian Air Force (IAF)

signed before has finally obtained

all required endorsements and

come into force, with the Indian

Side having made all advance pay-

ments due. The AEW aircraft is

developed around the Ilyushin

Il-76TD airframe by a cooperative

effort of Russian, Uzbek and Israeli

teams (the Il-76 transport aircraft

is manufactured at Chkalov's

Tashkent-based Aircraft Production

Corporation (TAPC), Uzbekistan, in

accordance with the documenta-

tion provided by Ilyushin Aviation

Complex, Russia). The A-50E is

equipped with the new Russian

PS-90A-76 turbofans developed

and manufactured by Perm

Engines, and Israel’s Elta Phalcon

radar system featuring phased

array antennas in a fixed above-

fuselage disk-shaped radome.

Some of the A-50E's electronic

systems are supplied by the devel-

oper of the Russian early warning

radar system – Moscow-based

Vega Scientific and Production

Association (MNIIP). Taganrog-

based Beriev company is in charge

of the airframe modification, instal-

lation of the new engines and other

Russian-origin equipment, as well

as its adaptation to the new Israeli

radar system.

The history of an Indian

Il-76-based AEW aircraft began

more than 15 years ago. The first

A-50 AEW aircraft with the Shmel

radar operated by the then Soviet

Air Defence Forces was presented

to Indian experts as early as 1988.

Their positive evaluation might

have led to delivery of several such

systems to India, but a Soviet-era

version of the A-50 failed to meet

requirements of the Indian Side for

smooth interoperability with

India's ground-based air defence

systems and guidance of its Air

Force fighters. As a result, India

decided to develop an indigenous

AEW system based on the HAL 748

transport aircraft produced locally

under the British licence. Two pro-

totypes based on the HAL 748 air-

craft were built in the second half

of the 1990s, but after one of them

crashed the programme was even-

tually suspended, and the IAF sub-

sequently came to a decision to

review the Russian A-50 option.

In December 1999 the two Sides

agreed that India would receive one

Russian Air Force's A-50 to per-

form familiarisation flights over its

territory. The aircraft was hosted at

the Chandihang airbase in Pendjab,

India, in April 2000. Ten flights,

each of around six hours long,

were performed by the Russian

crew accompanied by Indian spe-

cialists who were satisfied with the

results in total. During the ensuing

talks the two Sides agreed on

developing a new AEW aircraft for

the Indian Air Force equipped with

a more advanced propulsion plant

and sophisticated radar system of

Israeli origin. The contract to this

effect was finally signed in 2003.

The delivery of the first A-50EI

AEW aircraft to the IAF is sched-

uled for June 2007. Market experts

estimate that the contract cost of

three such aircraft might be around

$1.1 billion, thus making some

$350 million per aircraft.

Vo

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India waits for three A-50Es

A new flying test-bed aircraft

intended for engine flight testing has

been developed on the basis of the

Ilyushin Il-76MD aircraft and flight-

tested in the LII Flight Research

Institute named after M.M. Gromov.

The flying test-bed is based on air-

borne command and tracking system

“976” No. 76456, built by the

Tashkent Aircraft Production

Corporation (TAPC) in the second

half of the 1980s and widely used

later on for new aircraft and missile

testing. The aircraft retrofit carried

out in 2004 included dismantling of

the radar system in the above-fuse-

lage radome, and mounting of a spe-

cial naccelle for test engines instead

of the left-wing inner D-30KP stan-

dard engine. After completing flight

testing in the Flight Research

Institute, at the end of this spring fly-

ing test-bed No.76456 was handed

over to the customer – China Flight

Test Establishment (CFTE), with its

logos painted on the aircraft sides.

Flying test-bed for ChinaA contract on delivery of

10 Russian-made helicopters to the

Ministry of Defence of Venezuela

was signed on 11 March this year by

Rosoboronexport's head Sergey

Chemezov and Venezuelan leaders.

The Brazilian Internet portal

www.defesanet.com.br informs that

this lot is made up of six Mil Mi-17V5

medium-class transport helicopters,

three Mil Mi-35M combat transport

helicopters and one Mil Mi-26T

heavy-lift helicopter, costing in total

as much as $120 million (whereas

the Russian Internet-publication

gazeta.ru has revealed different data:

nine Mi-17s and one Mi-26).

It has been reported that an agree-

ment on delivery to Venezuela of a

large batch of Russian weaponry,

including four dozen helicopters, esti-

mated at $0.5 billion was reached on

26 November 2004 during the visit of

the Venezuelan president Hugo

Chavez. The agreement has developed

thus far – to signing the first contract.

Eddie Rios, head of the Venezuelan

parliamentary commission on

defence, stated that in accordance

with the contract the first six helicop-

ters would be supplied in the nearest

half-year, and the remaining four by

the beginning of 2006. He believes

that during four years Venezuela will

be taking delivery of a total of 44 heli-

copters, costing some $500 million:

that is exactly what Presidents Chavez

and Putin agreed upon, when meeting

in Moscow last November.

The contract will be executed by

Russian joint stock company

OPK Oboronprom which combined

Mil helicopter designers and manu-

facturers from Russia. The

Oboronprom's head Denis Manturov

thinks that, given a minimal domestic

order, the export is the only means

for the enterprises of the holding to

survive and retain their industrial

potentials. That is why successful

accomplishment of this contract is

seen by both Russian helicopter

builders and, generally, defence

enterprises as extremely important

for their prospective contracts. Latin

America is one of the most promising

markets for Russia, and, thanks to its

specifics, a success with one country

of the region may encourage gainful

orders from others.

Russian helicopters for Venezuela




18

The Mil Mi-171A multipurpose

helicopter, designed by the

Moscow Mil Helicopter Plant and

manufactured by the Ulan-Ude

Aviation Plant (UUAZ), made the

news of the Russian exposition at

the LAAD 2005 Latin America

Aero & Defence Exhibition held in

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, this

April 26–29. Just prior to the

exhibition's opening, the helicop-

ter obtained Brazil's airworthiness

certificate, becoming the first

Russian aircraft officially certifi-

cated for flight operations in Latin

American countries.

The Mi-171A certification in

Brazil was assisted by the Aviation

Register of the Interstate Aviation

Committee of the Commonwealth of

Independent States (IAC) in line with

the working procedures of the

Technical Agreement on

Airworthiness approved by the IAC

and the Brazilian Aerospace

Technical Centre (CTA) on 28 April

1998. Following the above proce-

dures the CTA did not conduct a

“full-scale” certification but submit-

ted to the helicopter's designer the

Supplementary Specifications, thus

taking credit of evaluations and

summaries made by the IAC

Aviation Register during the

Mi-171A's initial certification in

Russia in summer 1997 (the heli-

copter obtained Airworthiness

Certificate No 132-171A dated

3 July 1997). The Supplementary

Specifications comprise a minimal set

of additional requirements taking

account of existing differences

between the certification systems of

the IAC Aviation Register and the CTA.

To meet the requirements of the

CTA's Supplementary Specifications,

a few modifications were incorpo-

rated into the standard helicopter

airframe as well as additional tests

performed. Thus, the Mi-171A-1

helicopter was fitted with two-

chamber actuators in the flight

control system, a separate engine

fuel supply system without a feeder

tank and with greater capacity

external fuel tanks, steel fire-resist-

ant engine cowls, a steel oil tank in

the engine oil system, modern

Western flight and navigation

equipment , as well as a separate

electric power supply wiring.

Mi-171A No 1311, built to these

requirements at the Ulan-Ude

Aviation Plant, made its maiden

flight on 11 August 2004 with the

flight crew headed by the test pilot

of the Moscow Mil Helicopter Plant

P.N. Akkuratov, and after that was

handed over for certification tests.

In accordance with the above-men-

tioned procedures, the IAC Aviation

Register evaluated compliance of

the standard helicopter airframe

characteristics with the require-

ments set by the Brazilian CTA. The

latter accepted test materials only if

they had been approved by the

Aviation Register. The certification

process was completed this April

when the Brazilian aviation authori-

ties issued the Type Certificate for

the Mi-171A-1 helicopter.

Leonid Belykh, Director General of

the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant, told our

magazine that the Mi-171A certifica-

tion in Brazil would open the entire

Latin American regional market to it.

The Brazilian airworthiness stan-

dards almost fully conform to

FAR-29 regulations of the US Federal

Aviation Administration and are rec-

ognized by all countries in the conti-

nent. Regional market capacity for

the Mi-171A's civilian version is

estimated to be several dozens of

helicopters at least, with first deliv-

eries expected in the coming

months. In addition to these, some

Latin American countries consider

its military version – the Mi-171Sh.

Mi-171A obtains Brazil's certificate

Ale

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The Spanish Helicopteros del

Sureste (HSE) Company took deliv-

ery of two more Kamov

Ka-32A11BC helicopters in accor-

dance with the delivery contract

signed late last year. The first two

Ka-32A11BC helicopters, supplied

to the HSE earlier, in July 2004,

have had opportunities to prove

their excellent fire-fighting capabili-

ties. It means that the four Kamov

helicopters will take part in fighting

future fires in Spain.

HSE's technical director Aurelio

Martinez Pillet claims that the year

2004 was one of the most fire-unsafe

periods – the two Ka-32A11BC heli-

copters logged more than 300 total

flight hours. The Kamov helicopter

has demonstrated its best qualities in

fire-fighting where it has no rivals, he

says. It should be noted that

Spaniards have a large practical

experience of carrying out combined

fire-fighting actions with the use of

Sikorsky and Mil helicopters.

Although now they give preference to

the Ka-32s. Aurelio Martinez insists

that the Ka-32 helicopter surpasses

all other helicopters of the same

class by its performance which is

corroborated by the helicopter's

operational records with the HSE

since 1995, when Kamov helicopters

won the tender. “Spaniards have

come to believe that Ka-32s are the

very helicopters they need”, says

Nikolay Melnik, HSE's representative

in East Europe. He is a test pilot, a

Hero of the Soviet Union, heading a

Spanish crew of first-class profes-

sional pilots.

The Ka-32A11BC helicopters,

certificated by international airwor-

thiness rules, are successfully oper-

ated in Canada, Switzerland, South

Korea and some other countries,

besides Russia and Spain, carrying

out most demanding tasks in harsh

weather and climatic conditions.

Spain takes in two more Ka-32s

Ale

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The Aviant Kiev State Aviation

Plant continues implementation of

the contract with Libya on produc-

tion of the Antonov An-32P fire-

fighting aircraft. After nearly a

decade-of-years' break Kiev

resumed series production of these

aircraft. An-32 assembly works

were suspended by the Aviant Plant

in the middle of the 1990s, with 337

aircraft already manufactured (most

of them exported to countries with

hot-air and mountain climates).

Altogether, four new An-32Ps for

Libya will be built in Kiev according

to the contract. The first Lybian

An-32P was flown on 25 January

this year from the Svyatoshino

plant's airfield in Kiev by the crew of

the test pilot Nikolay Misyuk.

In the first quarter of 2005,

Russian companies fulfilled the

1996 contract for upgrading

125 MiG-21bis fighters in service

with the Indian Air Force (IAF) to the

MiG-21-93 standard, dubbed Bison

by IAF. By early 2005, upgraded

Bisons had been fielded with at

least four IAF squadrons (3rd, 21st,

32nd and 51st Sqn), with the

Russian side having delivered a

total of 105 upgrade kits based on

the advanced Kopyo radar (means

Spear in Russian, see the upper

photo) from the Phazotron-NIIR

corporation. The last 20 upgrade

kits have been shipped to India this

spring, so the entire contract signed

in 1996 became finished.

Alongside with Kopyo radar fitted

with slotted array and having an

increased target detection capabili-

ties as well as air-to-surface modes,

the upgraded fighter received new

Russian-built guided weaponry

(including RVV-AE and R-73E air-

to-air missiles, KAB-500Kr TV-guid-

ed bombs, etc.), a French naviga-

tion system, an Israeli ECM system,

and a variety of Indian-made sys-

tems. The upgrade measures are

expected to preserve the MiGs'

combat potential and enable them

to efficiently counteract later-gener-

ation warplanes for at least ten

more years.

By the time, India is expected to

be able to decide on the upgrade of

another 50 MiG-21bis aircraft (now

about 85 planes of the type are in

use with six IAF squadrons).

Phazotron-NIIR is ready to offer

even more sophisticated radar, the

Kopyo-M, to fit them.

Kiev resumes An-32 production

IAF MiG-21bis upgrade contract fulfilled

The Kharkov State Aviation

Manufacturing Company (KSAMC)

plans delivery of five Antonov An-74

family light multipurpose transport

aircraft to Egypt and Libya in 2005:

three An-74T-200A upgraded trans-

ports are destined for Egypt, and

two An-74T-200C medical evacua-

tion aircraft for Libya.

The first An-74T-200A trans-

port aircraft (see photo) was

assembled by the end of the last

year and made its maiden flight of

one hour 45 minutes on 28 April

this year. The aircraft was flown

by a crew of six: chief pilot - lead-

ing test pilot of the Antonov

Scientific and Technical Complex

A.I. Tatarchuk, second pilot – test

pilot of KSAMC A.V. Dobrorodny,

flight navigator D.A. Chernyshev,

leading engineer S.V. Chernyshov,

flight engineers S.N. Belokon and

V.V. Bychkov.

In contrast to the An-74TK-200

standard series-production aircraft,

the new version is equipped with a

modernised digital flight and navi-

gation system allowing for reduc-

tion of its crew to two persons. The

cabin instrumentation and aircraft

documentation are made in

English. The aircraft is powered by

the D-36 4A series engines,

designed by the Ivchenko-Progress

design bureau and mass-produced

by the Motor-Sich, meeting modern

ICAO noise and emission stan-

dards. The An-74T-200A aircraft

can be converted into any one of

13 utility configurations directly at

the basing airfield.

The first An-74T-200A aircraft

are to be handed over to the cus-

tomer in 2005. In accordance with

the contract of 2003, KSAMC shall

deliver to Egypt nine

An-74T-200As.And

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KSAMC plans new An-74deliveries to Africa



c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | p r o j e c t

20

As is known, the Russian Air Force

(RusAF) and several other air forces operate

several hundred Sukhoi Su-27 fighters,

which export versions designated as

Su-27SK are being used by China, Vietnam,

Indonesia and several other countries en

masse.

Given that most of them are to remain in

service for at least 10–15 years until next-

generation fighter acquisition begins, a key

near-term task to develop the fighter fleets of

Russia and several other nations is to main-

tain their Su-27 fleets' combat capabilities via

gradual upgrade and service life extension.

To ensure a systemic approach to upgrad-

ing its combat aircraft fleet, RusAF in 1999

devised an aircraft and associated armament

upgrade programme that has been further

reflected in the 2001–10 national military

materiel programme approved by Russia's

President Vladimir Putin in early 2002.

Under the programme, upgrade of the

Su-27 fourth-generation fighters was vested

in their manufacturer, the Komsomolsk-on-

Amur Aircraft Production Association

(KnAAPO). In 1999–2000, KnAAPO com-

mercialised the Su-30MKK multirole twin-

seater followed by the Su-30MK2 featuring

the modernised avionics and weapons suites.

The upgraded singleseat fighter was desig-

nated as Su-27SM, with its export version

known as Su-27SKM.

On the whole, the number of modifica-

tions to the Su-27SKM meets the latest

technical solutions embodied by the

Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2. However, there

are a number of peculiarities as well due to

the plane being flown by a crew of one.

Trying upgrade approaches on the single-

seat fighter began with the production Su-27

No 38-02 (side number 56) on loan from a

combat unit – the RusAF fighter air regi-

ment sharing the Dzemgi airfield with the

Su-27 manufacturer. Retrofitting was over in

late 2002, with Sukhoi's test pilot Yevgeny

Frolov taking the plane off for its maiden

mission in the new capacity on

27 December 2002. Following several flights

in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and then in

Zhukovsky, the first Su-27SM was rede-

ployed to Akhtubinsk for the official trials.

In early 2003, it was joined by another

upgraded aircraft (No 40-02) that had been

used under the Su-27SK export fighter

upgrade programme and retrofitted with the

PARIS DEBUT

OF SU-27SKMWarplanes developed by the Sukhoi design bureau have long been known to par-

ticipants in and visitors of the world's leading air show at Le Bourget. As far back as

1989, production Su-27 and Su-27UB fighters made their debut here. 1993 saw the

Su-30MK multirole fighter's demonstrator unveiled here, 1995 – the Su-32 (Su-34)

multirole tactical strike aircraft and 1997 – the Su-37 super-manoeuvrable fighter.

The Su-30MKI super-manoeuvrable fighter arrived to Le Bourget in 1999 and the

Su-30MKK in 2001. Alas, the latter's full-scale demonstration was disrupted by legal

claims of Swiss company Noga. The aircraft had to return home urgently. There

were no Sukhoi fighters at the 45th Le Bourget air show for the same reason. Now

that all legal claims have been settled, Sukhoi again demonstrates a combat aircraft

of its own in the skies of Paris. This time it is the Su-27SKM upgraded singleseat mul-

tirole fighter. This is its first demonstration at Le Bourget.

Andrey FOMIN

KnA

AP

O

20-23_Su-27_engl 6/6/05 16:12 Page 20


Bottom: one of the destinctive features

of the Su-27SKM upgrade is its glass cockpit

with three multifunctional colour LCDs

Left: Su-27SKM export version demonstrator with air-to-air and air-to-surface weapons

Top: Su-27SM first flying prototype during the tests in Zhukovsky, 2003

Bottom: one of the seven Su-27SMs handed over to the RusAF’s 23rd fighter regiment in

December 2004 at the KnAAPO plant

c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | p r o j e c tK

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Basic specifications of the Su-27SKM upgraded fighterLength, m (ft) 21.9 (71.8)Wing span, m (ft) 14.7 (48.2)Height, m 5.9 (19.3)Wing area, sq.m (sq.ft) 62.04 (666.9)Normal take-off weight with two R-27R1 and two R-73E AAMs, with normal fuel load of 5,270 kg (11,600lb), kg (lb) 23,740 (52,290)Maximum takeoff weight, kg (lb) 33,000 (72,690)Maximum fuel load, kg (lb) 9,400 (20,700)Maximum payload, kg (lb) 8,000 (17,620)Maximum speed at sea level, km/h (kt) 1,400 (756)Maximum high-altitude speed, km/h (kt) 2,300 (1,242)Maximum Mach number 2.15Maximum rate of climb, m/sec (ft/min) 270 (53,100)Service ceiling, m (ft) 17,750 (58,200)Maximum operating g-loading 9Max range with max fuel load, with two R-27R1 and two R-73E AAMs launched halfway, km (nm):- at sea level 1,340 (720)- at high altitude 3,530 (1,900)- at high altitude with single in-flight refuelling 5,400 (2,920)Take-off run (normal take-off weight), m (ft) 450 (1,480)Landing roll (drag chute deployed), m (ft) 700 (2,300)Engines type 2xAL-31FThrust in full afterburning, kgf (lb) 2x12,500 (27,530)

20-23_Su-27_engl 6/6/05 16:12 Page 21


midair refuelling system and improved navi-

gation aids (at the time, it was dubbed

Su-30KI). Now that it has undergone

another stage of upgrade and been given side

number 305, the fighter is viewed as the

standard Su-27SKM upgraded singleseat

fighter.

Before the first two prototype planes com-

pleted the trials, KnAAPO in early 2003 won

the order from the Russian Air Force for

full-rate upgrade of the Su-27s in service

with combat units. As a result, as early as

26 December 2003, the first five Su-27SM

upgrades were accepted by RusAF and

hopped to the Combat and Conversion

Training Centre (CCTC) in Lipetsk. Thus, a

group of combat aircraft upgraded to

Generation 4+ standard entered RusAF's

inventory for the first time in the service's

history.

A year later, CCTC military pilots con-

verted to the upgraded warplanes, the

Lipetsk CCTC devised recommendations

for their operation and combat employment

and combat-unit flying and ground crews

were converted. This allowed the first

RusAF regiment on alert duty – the 23rd

Fighter Air Regiment at Dzemgi AFB – to

start converting to the Su-27SM. Under the

three-year contract signed by RusAF and

KnAAPO in 2004, the manufacturer is to

overhaul and upgrade 24 Su-27s stationed at

Dzemgi AFB. All of them are to return to

base compliant with Su-27SM standard,

with the 23rd Reg't becoming the first

RusAF regiment to convert to the upgraded

warplane.

The handover ceremony for the first

seven-ship batch of Su-27SMs to the regi-

ment at Dzemgi AFB was held at

Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 23 December

2004. Under the contract, the seven fighters

delivered will be followed by 10 Su-27SMs

in 2005 and by another seven fighters in

2006. Possibly, the 24 fighters will be

upgraded ahead of schedule. This done,

upgrade of more Su-27s operated by combat

units may commence.

KnAAPO is ready to upgrade similarly

the Su-27SK fighters operated by foreign

users to bring them up to Su-27SKM stan-

dard. The company can also make brand-

new Su-27SKM singleseat fighters for

export.

Last autumn, it became known at the

Zhuhai air show that Sukhoi was intent to

offer China Su-27SKM assembly kits, with

China pursuing Su-27SK (J-11) licensed

production programme since 1998. Under

the 1996 contract, the aircraft factory in

Shenyang was to assembly a total of 200

Su-27SK fighters. To date, Russia has deliv-

ered about 100 kits to assemble Su-27SKs.

At least 50 Su-27SKs assembled in China

are believed to have entered inventory of

PLAAF. No contract for another

22

1. Fire control system improvement to boost the air-

craft's air-to-air and air-to-surface capabilities

2. Advanced cockpit management system built around

three colour multifunction liquid crystal displays on

the instrument panel and the head-up display

3. Navigation system's upgrade and mating with the

GLONASS and NAVSTAR satnav systems

4. Introduction of the L150 radar warning receiver able

to feed target designation data to Kh-31P antiradia-

tion missiles

5. Introduction of the advanced IRST with the laser illu-

mination capability to paint targets for semi-active

laser homing air-to-ground missiles

6. Automation of preparing and entering the mission

profile to the avionics suite's computer, improvement

in the efficiency of built-in check and recording

equipment and increase in maintainability

7. Beefing up the weapons suite with the RVV-AE active

radar homing air-to-air missile, Kh-29T/TE, Kh-29L,

Kh-31P and Kh-31A air-to-surface missiles and

KAB-500Kr and KAB-1500Kr guided bombs, with all

these weapons mounted on 10 hardpoints. Combat

load can include six RVV-AEs, four air-to-surface

missiles, for 500-kg guided bombs and one 1500-kg

guided bomb, with the aircraft remaining able to use

all air-to-air and 'dumb' ordnance it used before

8. Introduction of the midair refuelling system

Basic Su-27SKM upgrade measures

c o n t r a c t s a n d d e l i v e r i e s | p r o j e c t

5

1

8 6

2 1 3 4 4

20-23_Su-27_engl 6/6/05 16:12 Page 22


100 Su-27SK assembly kits for the Shenyang

factory in line with the 1996 licence agree-

ment have been signed yet.

Experts believe that in the wake of China's

acquisition of Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2

multirole fighters, the delay has been caused

by China becoming somewhat less keen on

not so multirole Su-27SKs. China is inter-

ested in more advanced aircraft carrying a

wide range of air-to-air and air-to-surface

weapons and featuring a more advanced

avionics suite. It is the Su-27SKM that

meets these criteria.

In upgrading the Su-27SK to Su-27SKM

standard, the fire control system undergoes

the most profound modification. The

SUV-27E fire control system is turned into

the SUV-VEP1 air-to-air fire control system

that provides the additional Kh-31A anti-

ship missile capability. The SUV-VEP1

comprises the RLPK-27VEP1 radar fire

control system, OEPS-27MK optronic tar-

geting system, SILS-27ME head-up display

and an IFF interrogator. The

RLPK-27VEP1 is a derivative of the

RLPK-27E radar fire control system

mounted on the Su-27SK. The

RLPK-27VEP1 is provided with the air-to-

ground attack capability. The modernised

optronic targeting system, the

OEPS-27MK, includes the OLS-27MK

(“52Sh”) advanced infrared search and

track (IRST) system and Sura-K advanced

helmet-mounted target designator. In addi-

tion, the Su-27SKM's systems include the

SUV-P-E air-to-surface fire control system

comprising the BTsVM-486-2M computer,

two MFI-10-6M colour 6x8-inch multi-

function liquid crystal displays (MFD) with

the 640x480-pixel resolution, MFPI-6 mul-

tifunction control panel with an LCD dis-

play, A-737-010 satellite navigation system

and SUO-30PKR-E weapons management

system.

To video-record outside airspace via the

HUD and data on MFDs as well as record

the pilot's talking, the aircraft is fitted with

the Berkut-1 video-recording system. Other

avionics are subject to some improvement

too, including the navigation and electronic

countermeasures systems.

Upgrading the Su-27SK to Su-27SKM

standard allows a substantial increase in its

combat capabilities that become identical to

those of Generation 4+ warplanes. This

would permit the aircraft of the type to be

operated efficiently for years to come even if

radically novel fifth-generation fighters

emerge abroad.

KnA

AP

O

An

dre

y Z

hirn

ov

7

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24-25_RRJ.qxd 6/6/05 16:13 Page 25


a i r f o r c e | i n b r i e f

26

At the traditional meeting with the

media, Russian Air Force

Commander-in-Chief General of the

Army Vladimir Mikhaylov summed up

the principal results of the service's

operations in 2004 and spoke of the

objectives set for this year.

Gen. Mikhaylov said that the Air

Force had retained the skills at the

level reached last year and improved

them in some respects. About

400 operative and combat training

events were conducted in 2004, with

about 150 units having been subject-

ed to various organisational transfor-

mations. In 2004, the tactical aircraft

fleet conducted about 100 flight exer-

cises, with about 50 per cent of the

fighter air regiments conducting live-

fire exercises involving live aerial tar-

gets. The bomber and attack aircraft

regiments flew over 300 bombing

exercises. The long-range bombers

launched more than 10 air-launched

cruise missiles.

Surface-to-air missile (SAM) units

conducted more than 150 tactical

vignettes. Over 90 per cent of SAM

regiments conducted live-fire exercis-

es. More than 10 times, SAM battal-

ions on alert duty were ordered sud-

denly to deploy to firing ranges for

live-fire exercises. AD radar units

trained together with SAM and air-

craft units. In all, AD radar units par-

ticipated in about 300 exercises in

2004.

More than 40 military cooperative

events and combat training sessions

took place within the framework of

the Joint CIS Air Defence System in

2004 to bolster the CIS member

states' defensive capabilities. The

Joint CIS Air Defence System turned

10 in February 2005 and was tested in

a large-scale command-post exercise

(CPX) in April (for detail, see Spring Is

Time for Training). Exercise Combat

Commonwealth 2005, a combined

live-fire exercise of CIS air forces and

air defence forces, is to be conducted

in several stages from June to

September 2005.

In 2004, the units on alert duty to

defend the Russian airspace had their

hands full. Drifting balloons strayed

into the Russian airspace five times.

RusAF's air defence assets detected

and tracked more than 200,000 aerial

targets, of which 100,000 were for-

eign ones, including more than

700 warplanes and about 140 recon-

naissance aircraft. To prevent intru-

sion of neighbouring states' planes

into the Russian airspace, intercep-

tors were alerted more than

900 times, SAM units more than

100 times, air defence radar units

over 2,500 times, with interceptors

being scrambled four times.

Gen. Mikhaylov noted that 2004

was a turning point for the service in

terms of upgrade of the existing fleets

and developing advanced aircraft.

The upgrade of RusAF's in-service

fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft

began. Early in 2004, the first five

upgraded Mil Mi-24PN attack heli-

copters arrived to combat units, with

seven Sukhoi Su-27SM upgrades fol-

lowing suit on the eve of the New

Year. Modernisation will carry on in

2005, with more Mi-24PNs and

Su-27SMs to be subject to it. In addi-

tion, 2005 is to see the Air Force

receiving two Tu-160 strategic

bombers (see the photo) overhauled

and upgraded by the Kazan Aircraft

Production Association (KAPO). At

long last, the modernisation of the

existing Mikoyan MiG-29 fighter fleet

has resumed, with the upgrade of the

Sukhoi Su-24M tactical bombers to

resume and the upgrade programme

on Sukhoi Su-25 attack aircraft to

kick off. The first upgraded Su-24M2,

Su-25SM and MiG-29SMT aircraft

are slated for delivery in 2006.

Moreover, in 2006, the Sukhoi Su-34

advanced tactical bomber that has

entered production at the Novosibirsk

Aircraft Production Association (see

Su-34 Production Launched) will be

fielded in 2006. The bomber's joint

official trials are nearing the end.

Tests of the advanced Army combat

helicopter, the Mil Mi-28N, will con-

tinue in 2006, with two more aircraft

to join the first machine made by the

Rostvertol plant (see Mi-28N

Undergoing Tests).

The first example of the Yakovlev

Yak-130 combat trainer built by the

Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod

entered testing in 2004. This year, the

trials shall continue, with Sokol to

make another two planes. The second

Yak-130 started its test programme in

April 2005. Combat units are to

receive the first Mi-28Ns and

Yak-130s in 2006–07. Gen. Mikhaylov

emphasised that RusAF had not

rejected the Kamov Ka-52 helicopter

and Mikoyan MiG-AT trainer but

would place emphasis on the Mi-28N

and Yak-130. Ka-52 deliveries will be

limited to the requirements of special

units, with the Yak-130 – MiG-AT ratio

in the field to be roughly 70 to 30.

Work continues on developing the

Kamov Ka-60 medium transport heli-

copter to be acquired by the Air Force.

The upgraded piston-engined trainer,

the Yakovlev Yak-52M, is to be fielded

with the service's flight schools. It will

allow savings of fuel and, thus, more

flying hours to be logged by cadets. In

2006, RusAF is to receive the first

Tupolev Tu-214 transport aircraft. Re-

engining of the current Ilyushin

Il-76MD fleet and fielding brand-new

Il-76MF airlifters is high on the short-

term priority list of the Military

Transport Aviation. Actually, accord-

ing to Gen. Mikhaylov, the philosophy

of refining the RusAF aircraft fleet is a

reasonable combination of upgraded

plane and helicopter deliveries and a

gradual increase in advanced aircraft

acquisition. A case in point is the

Mi-24PN and Mi-28N helicopters,

Su-24M2 and Su-34 tactical

bombers, Su-27SM fighter and fifth-

generation aircraft known as PAK FA.

Work on the latter made good

progress in 2004, and RusAF

approved its initial design late in the

year, with the PAK FA prototype to fly

its maiden mission before year-end

2007.

Summing up the Air Force's devel-

opment in 2004, the service chief,

Gen. Vladimir Mikhaylov, underlined

that RusAF remained combat-ready

and able to fulfil orders of the

supreme commander-in-chief,

defence minister and chief of the

General Staff.

RusAF CINC on 2004 results and objectives for 2005–06

Ale

xey M

ikheyev

Ale

xey M

ikh

eyev

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In early April, the Russian Air

Force (RusAF) conducted several

major exercises involving many com-

bat aircraft. Aircrews with the 4th

Combat and Conversion Training

Centre (CCTC) in Lipetsk conducted

live firings on their Sukhoi Su-27SMs

at the firing range in Akhtubinsk. On

5 April, RusAF conducted a large-

scale command-post exercise (CPX)

of the Joint Air Defence System

(JADS) of the Commonwealth of

Independent States (CIS), which took

place in eight CIS member

countries – Russia, Armenia, Belarus,

Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan,

Uzbekistan and Ukraine. According

to Lt.-Gen. Aitech Bizhev, RusAF

Deputy Commander-in-Chief for

Joint Air Defence System, more than

60 sorties were flown by Su-27,

MiG-29 and MiG-31 fighters, Su-24M

tactical bombers and eight Long-

Range Aviation aircraft – Tu-160s,

Tu-95MS's and Tu-22M3s. The

CPX's feature was three Beriev A-50

airborne warning and control aircraft

operating in the sky over Russia,

Belorussia and Tajikistan at once.

Long-range bombers acted as the

notional enemy during the CPX. They

were intercepted by Belarus Air Force

fighters supported by the A-50

AWACS plane operating out of the

RusAF airbase in the vicinity of

Ivanovo. During the vignette, two

RusAF Tu-95MS's and two Tu-160s

hopped from Engels AFB in Russia to

BelAF's Machulishchi airbase, with

four RusAF Tu-22M3s to BelAF's

Baranovichi airbase.

Joint manoeuvring of Russian and

Belarus Su-24M tactical bombers

and Russian and Kazakh MiG-31

interceptors also took place during

the exercise. Belarus Su-24Ms

departed Ross airbase vic. Gomel in

Belarus for Siverskaya AFB in the

Leningrad Region of Russia, with

Russian Su-24Ms reciprocating.

Kazakh MiG-31 interceptors based in

Karaganda and their Russian coun-

terparts from Perm intercepted

notional intruders in the skies of

Kazakhstan and western Siberia, with

the Kazakh aircraft then proceeding

to Novosibirsk (Russia) and back and

the Russian interceptors to

Karaganda and back. The CPX also

involved RusAF aircraft stationed at

Russia's Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan

and Erebuni airbase in Armenia.

RusAF Commander Gen. Vladimir

Mikhailov, who is chairman of the Air

Defence Coordination Committee

under the auspices of the CIS

Defence Ministers' Committee, was

in charge of the exercise at the com-

mand post in Dushanbe. “All tasks

set for the exercise have been ful-

filled. The Joint CIS Air Defence

System has proven once again its

being a reliable shield for the CIS air-

space,” Lt.-Gen. Aitech Bizhev said.

With the CIS air defence CPX bare-

ly completed, Exercise Rubezh 2005

of the Collective Rapid Deployment

Force (CRDF) kicked off in Tajikistan.

RusAF was represented by Sukhoi

Su-25 attack aircraft and Mil Mi-8

utility helicopters with the 670th Air

Group and 303rd Independent

Helicopter Squadron stationed in

Dushanbe, as well as aircraft operat-

ing out of Kant airbase in Kyrgyzstan.

Upgraded Sukhoi Su-24M2 bombers

(see the photo), which arrived from

Lipetsk, were involved in the exercise

too, having proven themselves in

Exercise Rubezh 2004 in Kyrgyzstan

last summer. Tajikistan furnished a

mountain/air assault battalion for the

exercise, with Kyrgyzstan allocating a

Spetsnaz company and Kazakhstan –

an air assault company and four

Su-27S fighters.

During the exercise, the prepara-

tion and conduct took place of a

combined CRDF operation to upheld

the sovereignty and territorial

integrity of a member state of the

Collective Security Treaty

Organisation (CSTO) – Tajikistan this

time around. The exercise's active

phase, including live firings, took

place at the Tajik training ground

called Eshakmaidon where it

wrapped up with success on 6 April.

Spring is time for training

And

rey Z

inchuk

Following a four-month stay in

Murmansk for scheduled repair, the

Kuznetsov aircraft carrier late in

March put out to sea, heading for

the training area in the Barents Sea.

The trip was aimed at testing the

carrier's preparedness for the cruise

slated for the summer, as well as for

the pilots to train. Despite adverse

weather conditions, about a dozen

pilots with the 279th Independent

Carrierborne Fighter Air Regiment

were brushing up their flying skills

by flying Sukhoi Su-25UTG trainers

and Su-33 fighters off the deck of

the Kuznetsov. Flights conducted

from the regiment's Severomorsk-3

airbase included flypasts, training

landing approaches, landings on

deck and takeoffs from deck. Flights

involving the Kuznetsov were con-

ducted without prior training at the

land-based training facility and for

the first time they took place in win-

ter. In all, the pilots logged about

50 take-offs from and landings on

the Kuznetsov.

279th Reg't pilots' operations

were supported by crews furnished

by the 830th Independent

Carrierborne Antisubmarine Warfare

(ASW) Helicopter Regiment. Two

Kamov Ka-27PS helicopters were

stationed on the carrier permanently

and a few more were taking turns on

duty to provide search-and-rescue

support to the Kuznetsov's fighter,

flying out to the training area.

On 7 April, the carrier returned to

her berth at the 35th shipyard in

Murmansk and was inspected by the

Navy's commander-in-chief, Adm.

Vladimir Kuroyedov. Next time the

Kuznetsov is to go out to sea in late

July and in the late summer the flag-

ship of the Russian Navy is to go for

another cruise with her air group on

board. The Northern Atlantic is most

likely to be the area for the carrier to

pull her duty, just like it was last year.

In addition to veterans of the

279th regiment, rookie pilots will

take part in the cruise too. Another

training session at the Saki airbase

in the Crimea is slated for June, with

the pilots to train on the Nitka facili-

ty. Several new pilots are to be

trained for solo flights there.

The Kuznetsov again out to sea

Vic

tor

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sh

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ko

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28

Despite RusAF command's plans for

ordering a large batch of advanced Mil

Mi-28N helicopters, the service is not

about to abandon limited acquisition of

Kamov Ka-50 and Ka-52 helicopters.

As is known, the Ka-50 in its day

won the tender for the future combat

helicopter for the Russian Army

based on the outcome of the state

comparative tests. The official trials

complete, the machine entered

inventory by the presidential decree

dated 25 August 1995. Alas, the

economic problems of the 1990s

and virtually nonexistent defence

acquisition prevented the helicopter

from being fielded as many as

planned. To date, the Arsenyev-

based Progress aircraft company

named after N.I. Sazykin (located in

the Far East of Russia), which

launched full-sale Ka-50 production

in the early 1990s, managed to

manufacture only nine machines.

Some of them were given to Army

Aviation's 344th Combat and

Conversion Training Centre (CCTC)

in Torzhok, with the Kamov compa-

ny using the rest for tests to further

refine the aircraft.

The plant ground to a halt due to

the lack of money several years

ago. It has been kick-started recent-

ly: the State Duma's Security

Committee reviewed launching

Ka-50 production and productionis-

ing its twin-seat variant, the Ka-52.

The Defence Ministry responded to

the committee's request by saying

that the current plans provided for

completing five Ka-50s by the

Arsenyev plant, with the Defence

Ministry being able to buy three of

them as early as this year.

In addition to delivering several

brand-new Ka-50s (in all, there are

about 10 completed airframes lack-

ing engines and avionics at the

plant), the Ka-52 official acceptance

trials are to be completed, with the

FY2005 defence acquisition pro-

gramme and the 2006-15 state

armament programme to be duly

amended.

Earlier this year, the first new-

generation combat helicopter, Mil

Mi-28N, built by Rostvertol in

Rostov-on-Don completed its facto-

ry trials launched on 25 March 2004.

It flew to the flight test facility of

Mil's Moscow Helicopter Plant near

Moscow where it is going to contin-

ue its joint official test programme.

The aircraft, which side number is

02, is the second Mi-28N prototype.

The first aircraft of the type (side

number 014) was built by Mil. It

completed its maiden flight as far

back as 14 November 1996. For sev-

eral years on end, the Mi-28N test

programme had not been financed,

and only owing to personal contribu-

tion by Russian Air Force

Commander-in-Chief Gen. Vladimir

Mikhailov, the programme has

resumed recently.

Two more machines to be built by

Rostvertol this year are to facilitate

the trials. In 2006, Rostvertol is to

launch full-rate production of the

Mi-28N night-capable combat heli-

copter. The first machines are slated

to be fielded with combat units of the

Russian Air Force in 2007–08. Under

the service chief's order, RusAF is to

have taken delivery of as many as

50 Mi-28N helicopters by 2010.

The Novosibirsk Aircraft

Production Association named after

Valery Chkalov (NAPO) has

launched construction of the first

production Su-34 tactical bomber.

As is known, NAPO made six proto-

type and low-rate initial production

(LRIP) aircraft of the type in

1993–2003. Their official testing

programme is nearing its end (see

the picture). The Su-34 is to enter

the Russian Air Force's inventory in

2006. According to NAPO's Director

General Alexander Bobryshev, the

company is to make another five

tactical fighters in the coming two

years. The first of them is expected

to go into testing in autumn this

year.

Su-34 production launched

RusAF to receive new Ka-50s

RusAF can get about 50 Mi-28Ns by 2010

Sukho

i

And

rey Z

inchuk

Ale

xey M

ilkh

eyev




Chinese Web sites have published

pictures of an airborne warning and

control system (AWACS) aircraft

derived from the Russian-made

Beriev A-50I aircraft's airframe and

an indigenous radar system.

As is known, as far back as 1997,

Russia, Israel and China signed a

contract on joint development, man-

ufacture and sale of A-50I AWACS

planes to China. Russia's Beriev

company was expected to derive a

carrier platform from the production

A-50 to mount the Israeli-made

EL/M-2075 Phalcon phased-array

radar in a 11.5m (37.7ft) diameter

static disc fairing fitted on top the

fuselage. Conversion of a standard-

issue A-50 to the A-50I prototype,

during which the airframe underwent

a number of modifications, were

completed by Beriev in the city of

Taganrog during 1997–99. The air-

craft, which was given registration

number RA-78740, flew its maiden

mission from Beriev's factory airfield

on 28 July 1999. Following a series

of test flights in Taganrog, the plane

flew to Israel on 26 October 1999 to

be fitted with the radar system. It was

given a new registration number,

4X-AGI, there. The aircraft had been

furnished with the Phalcon radar sys-

tem by July 2000 when Israel had to

pull out of the programme due to the

pressure exerted by the United

States. The radar was dismounted

from the aircraft that had remained in

Tel Aviv's Ben Gurion Airport until 10

June 2002 when it flew to China to be

handed over to the customer without

the Phalcon radar.

Experts believe that soon after

Israel withdrew from the pro-

gramme, China decided to fit the

aircraft with an indigenous phased-

array radar system designed by the

14th research institute in Nanjing.

The aircraft was equipped with the

new Chinese radar system by the

Xian Aircraft Industry Company in

Xian during 2002-03. According to

Chinese web portal www.sinode-

fence.com, the Chinese AWACS

was designated KJ-2000

(Kongjiing-2000) and made its

maiden flight in November 2003. It

has been undergoing tests at the

China Flight Test Establishment

(CFTE), which logos it sports. The

aircraft's side number is 762.

Aviation experts believe that

China's military can buy at least

four KJ-2000 AWACS planes (it is

this number of Phalcon-fitted

A-50Is that was specified by the

1997 contract). It looks like that

Chinese will use their Ilyushin

Il-76MD airlifters for conversion to

KJ-2000 standard. China got about

14 Il-76MDs from Uzbekistan in the

1990s. According to experts, this is

how the second KJ-2000 prototype

was made in China.

The MiG Corporation continues

its trials of the Mikoyan MiG-29M

side number 156 prototype, also

known as the MiG-29OVT. The air-

craft is powered by modified RD-33

thrust vector controlled (TVC)

engines and is fitted with an

improved digital fly-by-wire flight

control system. The aircraft was the

sixth prototype of the MiG-29M

fighter (type “9-15”). It was made in

July 1991 and had logged 86 mis-

sions before the test programme

was put on the backburner in

September 1993. Suspension of the

programme had had the MiG-29M

mothballed for almost a decade.

In 2001, it was decided to de-

mothball the MiG-29M prototype No

156 and use it for test-flying proto-

type engines fitted with 360-degree

swivelling nozzles. August 2001 saw

the fighter with RD-33 engine mock-

ups unveiled at the MAKS 2001 air

show. It resumed flight tests in

spring 2002 following quite a lull.

The MiG-29OVT flew its first vector-

controlled missions in July 2003. Its

tests intensified in spring 2005, with

their results to be used in develop-

ing the MiG-29M and MiG-29M2

fighters that may be fitted with TVC

engines.

MiG-29OVT undergoing tests

China tests AWACS

Vic

tor

Dru

shly

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v

ww

w.s

ino

defe

nce.c

om



YAK-130COMBAT TRAINER

OF NEW CENTURY

30

A second production-configura-

tion aircraft has entered the flight

trials of prospective combat train-

er Yakovlev Yak-130 in April this

year. Work is underway under the

contract with the Russian Air

Force (RusAF) that selected the

Yak-130 for service with its flight

schools. In May, the new aircraft

was submitted for the official tri-

als slated to wrap up next year,

after which the aircraft will be

fielded. Under the concept of the

Yakovlev design bureau, the Yak-

130 designed for advanced flight

training of military pilots, as well

as for training them in combat tac-

tics, is an element of the training

complex comprising the Yak-152

(Yak-52M) primary trainer, a

ground simulator and a comput-

erised classroom.

Having landed the contract with

RusAF, Yakovlev is concurrently

promoting the Yak-130 on the

global market in cooperation with

the Irkut company, with the

Rosoboronexport state-owned

company as an intermediary.

India, Malaysia and, possibly

Algeria, as well as some other

countries are believed to be poten-

tial buyers of the advanced com-

30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:14 Page 30

31

BackgroundIt has been 40 years recently since the

Soviet Air Force and several other air forces

fielded the Czech-made L-29 jet trainers. In

1961, the L-29 was selected in a competition

(mostly, due to political considerations) for

the future trainer for the Warsaw Pact coun-

tries, having one-upped the Soviet Yak-30

and Polish Iskra. Since then, Czech-made

trainers have made up the mainstay of the air

force academies in many countries. In 1974,

the L-29 was ousted by the more-advanced

L-39 powered by the Soviet-built AI-25TL

turbofan. By the time the Soviet Union and

the Warsaw Pact dissolved, the Soviet Air

Force had had about a thousand L-39 in its

inventory. They constituted the backbone of

the trainer fleets operated by the military

flight schools. In the early 1990s, the Czech

Republic ceased to supply new aircraft and

spares. The in-service trainers were growing

old, with their service life nearing expiry due

to their being used heavily.

In addition, given the en-masse conversion

to the fourth-generation Su-27 and MiG-29

fighters with radically novel characteristics

and given the even more capable fifth-gener-

ation fighter's development underway, the

L-39 was unable to provide adequate training

to advanced fighters' pilots.

These considerations prompted the Soviet

Air Force in the early '90s to have the devel-

opment of a new tactical flight crew trainer

launched. The need for replacing the L-39

with a brand-new trainer was voiced by the

Soviet Air Force's commander-in-chief, Air

Marshal Yefimov, on 20 April 1990. In the

summer 1990, the first official document was

issued. It was the resolution by the State

Military Industrial Commission, dated

25 June 1990 and tasking the Mikoyan design

bureau with developing the future trainer.

Under the specifications requirements

approved in October 1990, the advanced air-

craft was to be powered by two engines as well

as have a landing speed of within 170km/h

(92kt), run and roll measuring 500m (1,640ft)

at the most, unprepared airfield basing capa-

bility, a ferry range of 2,500km (1,350nm)

and a thrust-to-weight ration of 0.6–0.7. In

addition, the customer wanted the repro-

grammable stability and controllability for

the aircraft to be fit for training pilots from all

branches of the Air Force. The requirement

for the trainer to be made of Russian parts

only was high on the customer's wish list.

According to RusAF command's estimates,

at least 1,200 advanced trainers were neces-

sary to oust the L-39 fleet. The first new

trainers were to be received by users in 1994.

To reduce technical risk and obtain the best

aircraft, the military called for a trainer air-

craft competition among major Soviet air-

craft developers. In January 1991, specifica-

tions requirements for a trainer for future tac-

tical aircraft pilots were sent to MiG, Sukhoi,

Yakovlev and Myasishchev. On 25 November

1991, Air Force CINC Col.-Gen. Pyotr

Deynekin ordered a commission set up to

review the conceptual designs submitted by

the four bidders. The outcome of the tender

was to be known on 15 January 1992.

CompetitionRather loose specifications requirements

caused the bidders' different approaches to

resolving the same problem. Each developer

offered a concept of the complex as a whole

and an aircraft in particular.

Sukhoi submitted the conceptual design of

the S-54 aircraft – a single-engined derivative

of the Su-27 fighter. It was to be powered by a

single NPO Motor's R-195FS engine that

was to be developed as an afterburning ver-

sion of the production R-195 turbojet power-

ing the Su-25 attack aircraft and producing

supersonic speed of Mach 1.55. Unlike other

contenders, the S-54 was intended for basic

and advanced training. Sukhoi suggested the

very concept of training on the 'common' air-

craft be reconsidered. In the opinion of

Sukhoi's design team, a combination of

requirements for the initial, basic and

advanced training capabilities in a single air-

craft could be achieved at the expense of

either safety or training quality.

The Mikoyan design bureau strived to min-

imise the cost of the future trainer's develop-

ment, which left its imprint on the style of its

programme as a whole. Mikoyan submitted

the conceptual design of the Aircraft 821 fit-

ted with the straight wing and manual control

system. The aircraft was designed 'around the

engine': the Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TL was

the only feasible option at the time. Special

attention was paid to the plane's economic

efficiency. Thus, while the annual training

cycle on the L-39 called for 24.4t (53,750lb)

of kerosene, Aircraft 821 could ensure a drop

down to 20t (44,000lb) a year. The hope for

developing the most efficient trainer was seen

as a solid argument for Mikoyan's design

dubbed later MiG-AT.

Myasishchev placed emphasis on technical

training aids, offering its conceptual design of

the UTK-200 trainer complex comprising the

M-200 trainer aircraft and the complex's

ground segment – NUTK-200. The latter

included technical and flight crew training

classrooms, simulators to train in general and

special flight regimes, an integrated flight

simulator with the moving cockpit and an air

combat simulator with the fixed cockpit in a

sphere. These were integrated through com-

patible software and the common supervision

system. The M-200 trainer looked similar to

w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u take-off june 2005

a i r f o r c e | p r o j e c t

bat trainer. The Yak-130 is pro-

moted on the market along with

the Irkut-manufactured Su-30MK

multirole fighters. Thus, the cus-

tomer is offered a set of a world-

best fighter and a full set of train-

ing hardware for pilots to fly it. Of

the hardware, the key thing is the

Yak-130 combat trainer that can

be used as a light combat air-

craft, if need be.

Ale

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30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:14 Page 31


the West European AlfaJet while featuring the

reprogrammable control system. The

M-200's powerplant was to include two future

RD-35 engines had been under development

at the Klimov plant.

The Yakovlev design bureau opted for an

integrated development of the training com-

plex designated as UTK-Yak. The complex

comprised technical training aids (computer

display classrooms, PC-based procedural

simulators, functional simulators integrated

through the use of common software) and the

UTS-Yak aircraft later rechristened Yak-130.

To enable the aircraft to fly at high angles of

attack, it was to be fitted with a moderate-

sweep wing featuring low aspect ratio and

large leading-edge root extensions (LERX).

Early in the development, the Yak-130 was to

be powered by Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TL

engines proven on the Yakovlev's Yak-40 pas-

senger aircraft. Later, the AL-25TLs were to

be replaced with a pair of Klimov RD-35s or

Soyuz R120-300s. Close attention was paid

to making the trainer's operation easier and

self-sustained.

The Air Force commission faced the

aggressive pressing of the contenders.

Sukhoi's conceptual design earned the top

aggregate points, but was rejected anyway. It

failed to meet one of the specifications

requirements as the single-engine design.

Still, the commission's resolution submitted

to the Air Force chief for approval stated,

“The conceptual designs of the Sukhoi and

Mikoyan design bureaux do not meet the

specifications requirements”, suggesting that

“the development and mock-up manufacture

of the UTK-Yak and UTK-2000 be contin-

ued”. However, Mikoyan did not put up with

the failure and insisted they should be allowed

to carry on with their bidding.

In July 1992, the Air Force's scientific and

technical committee summed up the out-

come of the trainer conceptual design com-

petition and took a decision worthy of

Solomon: “The trainer's initial designing

shall be conducted on the competitive basis

by the Yakovlev design bureau in cooperation

with the Myasishchev experimental plant and

Mikoyan design bureau.” However, the Air

Force awarded only two contracts in late

1992 – one with Yakovlev and the other with

Mikoyan. They were to submit their initial

designs in the fourth quarter of 1993.

In Search of AlliesDue to insufficient financing by the Air

Force, Yakovlev and Mikoyan had to look for

investors interested in their trainer pro-

grammes.

The MiG-AT programme proved to be of

interest to the French who offered their

Turbomeca Larzac 04 engines and

Thomson avionics to fit the trainer. The

hardware offered had proved to be unneed-

ed due to the termination of production of

the AlfaJet ousted by the UK's Hawk from

the market.

Italian company Aermacchi took interest

in the UTS-Yak programme. Aermacchi's

MB-326 and MB-339 had been operated in

14 countries by then but its AMX combat

trainer developed in cooperation with

Brazilian Embraer had been mostly sidelined

on the market. And the Hawk was about to

gobble the Italian chunk of the market again.

In summer 1993, RusAF's command, con-

cerned about the two Russian developers'

apparent eagerness to build a plane for any

Western buyer, decided to remind them that it

still existed by setting up a commission for a

preliminary review of the initial designs. The

commission highlighted the UTK-Yak pro-

gramme as more thoroughly detailed in autumn

1993. As far as the MiG-AT is concerned, the

Larzac 04 was noted for its obsolescence and

the problems inherent in any deriving a Russian

engine from it. The two initial designs were

reviewed in March 1994. By then, both devel-

opers had started making their first prototypes.

Despite the obvious preference for the

UTK-Yak, the commission noted in its report a

'special opinion' of the Air Defence Force lead-

ers in favour of the MiG-AT programme.

The discussion that followed ended up in

the approving the competitive pursuance of

the programmes, which was to be paid for by

means of non-budgetary investment until

comparative Russian engine-powered aircraft

flight tests were conducted. The budgetary

monies were to be spent on developing future

Russian engine RD-35.

Teaming Up with ItaliansYakovlev were allowed by the Russian presi-

dent and the government to team up with for-

eign developers and potential buyers. Says

Yak-130 programme chief designer

Konstantin Popovich: “In 1993, we started

working with Italian company Aermacchi that

from the outset showed keen interest in our


32

Left: a model of Yak-130 (then UTK-Yak),

1992

Bottom: projects of alternative trainer aircraft

for RusAF tender, top to bottom – Sukhoi S-54,

Myasishchev M-200 and Mikoyan MiG-AT, 1992

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Prospective trainer specificationsapproved on 27 March 1993

Normal take-off weight within 5,500 kg (12,100lb)

Thrust/weight ratio 0.6–0.7

Maximum speed at least 850 km/h (460kt)

Maximum Mach at least 0.8–0.85

Service ceiling over 10,000 m (32,800ft)

Minimum speed 210–220 km/h (113–119kt)

Range 1,200 km (650nm)

Ferry range over 2,000 km (1,080nm)

Maximum angle of attack at least 25o

Takeoff speed 190–200 km/h (103–108kt)

Landing speed 180–190 km/h (97–103kt)

Run within 500 m (1,640ft)

Roll within 700 m (2,300ft)

30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:14 Page 32


trainer, having seen its bright prospects. The

joint research started with outlining the con-

figuration of the trainer to adapt it to both

international and Russian Air Force standards.

Based on all trainers in the world, which we

were going to rival, the Italian partners proved

that there would be no demand for pure train-

ers in 2001–05, with combat trainers to be in

demand only. Therefore, the maximum speed

of the Yak-130 had to be increased at least to

1,050 km/h (570kt) to enable it to rival the

Hawk. The second consideration touched

upon the payload that had to be at least

1,500–2,000kg (3,300–4,400lb). Another key

requirement was to enable the aircraft to oper-

ate from austere (Category 3) airfields with

runways 1,000m (3,280ft) tops. The plane's

range was important too. Therefore, selecting

characteristics for the Yak-130, especially the

wing area, we proceeded from the require-

ments normally set for combat trainers and

provided seven hardpoints in the design from

the outset. There are nine of them now.

“The shape of the aircraft evolved according-

ly. We decided against the sharp nosecone in

favour of the one accommodating the Osa or

Kopyo radar or an IRST (infrared search and

track) station depending on the customer

requirements. These considerations were taken

care of as early back as the early designing stage.

“Standard manoeuvres of up-to-date fight-

ers, e.g. the F-16, MiG-29, Su-27, were

analysed. It turned out to be that they used

20–25 deg. angles of attack pretty often even

at transonic speeds. Designers figured out that

there was the trend of available alpha growing

to 40 deg. and more. Hence, the combat

trainer had to be super-manoeuvrable.

Therefore, we went for the aerodynamic

configuration typical of fifth-generation air-

craft, hence, the shape of the wing, all-moving

stabiliser, good high-lift devices to ensure

excellent takeoff and landing performance and

manoeuvrability, and vertical tails shifted fore

of the stabiliser to provide good spin handling

characteristics. These considerations were

taken into account at the designing stage, i.e.

we were developing a trainer and a combat

trainer wrapped in one from the very begin-

ning. These characteristics of the aircraft's

export variant were approved by the Air Force.”

The joint Yakovlev-Aermacchi programme

was designated as Yak/AEM-130.

DemonstratorThe first prototype - the demonstrator built

by Yakovlev and Aermacchi - was dubbed

Yak-130D. Its airframe had been completed

by late 1994, with the Yak-130D making its

debut at the Le Bourget air show in June

1995. It had not flown yet and was shown as a

static display, having been airlifted to Le

Bourget by a transport plane.

The demonstrator's powerplant was built

around two RD-35 (DV-2S) turbofans

2,200 kgf (4,850lb) each. The RD-35 was a

derivative of the Slovak-made DV-2. The DV-2

was developed by Ivchenko-Progress

(Zaporozhye) in 1984 to power new

Czechoslovak L-39MS trainers and combat

trainers. In 1990, the DV-2 underwent state

tests, with its full-rate production kicking off at

Slovak company Povazske Strojarne. The devel-

opment of the DV-2S (RD-35) version adapted

to power the Yak-130D was handled by the

Klimov plant in St. Petersburg under the 1994

license agreement with the Slovak company.

The Yak-130D completed its maiden flight

on 25 April 1996 from the LII Flight

Research Institute in Zhukovsky with

Yakovlev's test pilot Andrey Sinitsyn at the

controls (the first MiG-AT prototype took off

for its first mission from the same airfield on

16 March 1996). In 1997, the aircraft was

successfully demonstrated as part of the

MAKS '97 air show. By then, it had logged

more than 150 flights, many of which had

taken place in Italy. The Yak-130D also flew

in Slovakia that was mulling over the Russo-

Italian combat trainer as the alternative to its

ageing planes.


Ale

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Yak-130D demonstrator plane during demo flight at MAKS ‘97 air show

30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:14 Page 33


Says Konstantin Popovich: “Over the five

years of cooperating with Aermacchi, we had

conducted a huge number of flight tests at the

excellent testing facility of Aermacchi. The flight

test tempo was rather high – 120 missions over

six months. The aircraft was fitted with telemet-

ric equipment down-linking telemetry to

ground facilities in real time”.

In all, the Yak-130D's flight tests included

about 450 test flights. 1999 saw the demonstrator

undergoing special flight tests at the GLITs State

Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk, involving mil-

itary test pilots. The aircraft completed the bulk

of its test flights in 2002, and a decision was

taken in mid-2004 to mothball it: the demon-

strator had done its job. The Yak-130D test pro-

gramme provided a huge amount of data on how

such a configuration influenced the plane's

behaviour. The experience gained was used in

refining the production aircraft's configuration.

In addition, a number of test programmes com-

pleted by the demonstrator became unnecessary

for the production Yak-130 to undergo. As far

back as January 1997, RusAF announced it was

going to order a low-rate initial production

(LRIP) batch of 10 Yak-130s to be made by the

Sokol plant in Nizhny Novgorod.

Italian DivorceStarting from a certain stage of the pro-

gramme, Yakovlev and Aermacchi had strived

to develop a common aircraft. However, the

requirements of the Russian Air Force and

Aermacchi were different in principle, with

RusAF rejecting an aircraft comprising for-

eign-made components and Italians rejecting

components made in CIS member countries.

Hence, a decision to develop common docu-

mentation, the so-called baseline model of

the aircraft, which would be used by each

party to build a national version of the

Yak/AEM-130. That suited Yakovlev though

some rights for the aircraft had to be relin-

quished to Aermacchi. However, this earned

Yakovlev some money. The programme would

have had to be terminated but for the money.

This also allowed the Russian government to

pay its debt to Italy. The government encour-

aged Yakovlev developing the Yak-130's

Russian version and paid off the debt in rubles

without transferring money abroad. This is

how the problem of funding the Russian vari-

ant of the Yak-130 was resolved.

In late 1999, the Russian and Italian pro-

grammes went their own ways finally. Based

on the design documentation provided by

Yakovlev, Italians began to develop and build

their own trainer, M346, with Yakovlev carry-

ing on with developing the Yak-130 combat

trainer and its further derivatives for the

Russian Air Force. The former partners

under the Yak/AEM-130 programme did not

terminate their cooperation. The parties

agreed to divide markets and cooperate on

promoting the Russian and Italian successors

to the Yak/AEM-130 on the global market.

Governmental AcquisitionThe dire straits the Russian economy

found itself in after the dissolution of the

Soviet Union, coupled with the reform of

the Russian Air Force, adjusted the Yak-130

programme's timescale and the demand for

trainers. By the late 1990s, RusAF had

retained only three flight schools instead of

12. The flying hours totalled by their cadets

dropped by an order of magnitude. Due to

that, the need for replacing the L-39 fleet

(about 650 aircraft) was not as urgent as

before, with their expected upgrade allowing

an extension of their service life till

2010–15.


34

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30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 34


However, the L-39 was only good as a basic

trainer. This and the experiences in local armed

conflicts highlighted the need for RusAF to

field a combat trainer, rather than a pure train-

er. Minor modifications would turn the combat

trainer into a light combat (strike) aircraft. Such

an aircraft could come in handy to both RusAF

flight schools and combat and conversion train-

ing centres (CCTC). This would ensure a five to

six-fold drop in combat and conversion training

costs: let alone the plane's price itself, a huge

amount of avgas would be saved through using

Yak-130s to accomplishing the missions previ-

ously handled by other warplanes. The Yak-130

burns as little as 600kg (1,320lb) of fuel on a

standard mission, i.e. almost by an order of

magnitude less than, say, the Su-27.

On the verge of the new millennium, the

Russian Air Force finally made up its mind

on its future main combat trainer. The

Yak-130 was named the winner of the pro-

tracted competition. RusAF ordered the first

batch of four Yak-130s from the Sokol pro-

duction plant. At first, two flying examples

and two examples for static tests were to be

made in 2001–02. Later, the plan was adjust-

ed, as was the schedule.

The first production Yak-130's airframe

was made by Sokol in January 2004 and given

to Yakovlev for static tests. The first flying

Yak-130 was completed soon afterwards. The

aircraft numbered 01 was flown on its first

mission by Yakovlev's senior test pilot Roman

Taskayev from Sokol's airfield on 30 April

2004. Another two flying examples were

about to be completed. The second aircraft

(side number 02) joined the flight trials in

spring this year. It first flew controlled by

Yakovlev's test pilots Vassily Sevastyanov and

Roman Taskayev. The third flying example is

to start its flight tests in autumn 2005. Unlike

the two first production aircraft, which con-

struction was paid for with non-budgetary

money, the third one is to be fully financed by

the Air Force. To date, its airframe has been

completed and is to be fitted with avionics

and other systems. All Yak-130 examples

flight tests have been insured by the Russian

Insurance Centre.

In February this year, RusAF Commander-

in-Chef Gen. Vladimir Mikhailov ordered the

Yak-130 official testing commission estab-

lished and the first two Yak-130s submitted for

trials in May 2005. Phase 1 of the trials, which

is to underlie the preliminary authorisation for

Yak-130 full-rate production, is slated for

December 2005. The full cycle of the official

trials, including spin, combat tactics and

other tests, is to be completed in 2006, follow-

ing which RusAF will start taking deliveries of

the advanced combat trainer.

Production Combat TrainerThe production Yak-130 is somewhat dif-

ferent from the Yak-130D technology

demonstrator. This is due, first of all, due to

the change in its purpose – the Yak-130

turned from a trainer into a combat trainer.

Its fuselage nose section has changed notice-

ably, with its cross-section becoming more

rounded, which indicates its ability to house a

radar. Additional launch pylons appeared on

the wingtips to mount short-range air-to-air

missiles or electronic warfare (EW) pods.

The production aircraft's configuration has

been optimised considerably, with aerody-

namics becoming superior to those of the

technology demonstrator. The Yak-130

became shorter, and its wing area and mid-

section shrunk. Its configuration become

tighter and its weight diminished.


М346

The Italian spin-off of the Yak/AEM-130

programme – the M346 trainer – started

its tests a bit later than the production

variant of the Yak-130. Its development

kicked off in January 2000, with the first

example rolled out on 7 July 2003. From

the airframe design standpoint, the M346

is very similar to the experimental

Yak/AEM-130. Principal differences are

Honeywell F124-GA-200 engines and a

western avionics suite. A substantial dif-

ference from the current Yak-130 is the

M346's being a trainer, rather than a com-

bat trainer. The M346 technology demon-

strator first flew on 15 July 2004. A sec-

ond M346 is to enter testing this year,

with the M346 prototypes to total three.

There have been no specific customers for

the M346 so far.

Left top: Yak-130D in demo flight at MAKS 2001. After separation of Yakovlev and Aermacchi pro-

grammes the aircraft got new camouflage paintjob

Left bottom: Since 2000 Yak-130D was used in favour of development of the Yak-130 production

standard combat trainer. The picture shows aircraft’s capabilities to carry various combat load.

R-60 AAMs and B-8M1 and B-13L rocket pods are under the wing with R-73 AAM, KMGU pod

and UPK-23-250 gun pod are on the ground

In the centre: Nizhny Novgorod-based Sokol plant began manufacturing Yak-130 aircraft in 2001.

Pictures show the first airframe assembling

Top: The first Yak-130 of series configuration in the hall of Sokol plant, 2003

Aero

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30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 35



36

The first series-configuration Yak-130 and its weapons: R-73 air-to-air missiles, B-13L rocket pod and KAB-500Kr guided bomb (under the wing);

RVV-AE air-to-air missile, B-8M1 rocket pod, KMGU small-calibre munitions pod, Kh-25M ait-to-surface missile, free fall bomb and UPK-23-250 gun

pod (on the ground, right to left)

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30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 36


Another important difference between the

production Yak-130 and the Yak-130D is the

former's advanced AI-222-25 engines pro-

ducing 2,500kgf (5,500lb) of thrust each. The

AI-222-25 was developed by Ivchenko-

Progress and is being productionised jointly

by Motor Sich (Zaporozhye) and MMPP

Salut (Moscow). According to Yakovlev's

Director General/President Oleg

Demchenko, the AI-222-25 “has proven

itself well enough, which proves that our

choice was right. The engine meets our

requirements in full. In addition, we know

the capabilities of Ivchenko-Progress and

Motor Sich well, because Yakovlev's Yak-40

and Yak-42 are powered by their engines. The

AI-222-25 is made in cooperation with the

Salut plant in Moscow, so the Russian Air

Force will receive Yak-130s fitted with

engines made by a Russian company in line

with the customer's requirement”.

In addition, the production Yak-130 is the

first Russian aircraft to feature the all-digital

avionics suite. This is a matter of principle

because no other Russian aircraft can boast

such a degree of avionics' digitisation. All of

the Yak-130's avionics are latest advances of

the Russian aircraft industry. The aircraft is

fitted with the integrated digital fly-by-wire

control system allowing stability and control-

lability to be altered for the training purposes

depending on the performance of the aircraft

being simulated, as well as to alter the auto-

matic control system's and the active flight

safety system's characteristics. The control

system's reprogramming capability allows the

Yak-130's dynamics to be altered and the sta-

bility and controllability of virtually any up-

to-date warplane to be simulated. Owing to

this, the Yak-130 allows 80 per cent of the

pilot training programme to be covered.

The Yak-130 is a key component of the

training complex comprising ground training

aids, simulators, the Yak-152 or Yak-52M

initial trainer and the training control and

supervision system. At the initial stage of

training, the Yak-130 can be more forgiving

of rookies' errors, which will make it easier

for them to acquire flying skills. For training

in special flight regimes and air combat tac-

tics, the reprogramming capability will

enable the Yak-130 to simulate the dynamic

characteristics of many planes, e.g. the

MiG-29, Su-27, Su-30, etc. Actually, any

warplane can be simulated, including the

F-15, F-16, F-18, Mirage 2000, Rafale,

Typhoon and future fifth-generation US

fighter F-35, etc. All the pilot will need to do

is enter the software model of the simulated

plane's control system in the onboard com-

puter. There may be several such models

stored in the onboard computer, which can

be selected in flight at will.

The Yak-130 has the 'all-glass cockpit'. The

pilot stations are fitted with three 6x8-inch

colour multifunction liquid-crystal displays

(LCD), with the fore station having a head-

up display (HUD) as well. The LCDs can dis-

play any controls of any fighter.

The concept of the combat trainer pro-

vides for a weapons suite and the ability to

simulate tactics of different combat aircraft.

The eight underwing and one underbelly

hardpoints can mount a 3,000kg (6,600lb)

payload, including four R-73 air-to-air mis-

siles, four Kh-25M air-to-surface missiles,

57mm (2.24in), 80mm (3.15in), 122mm

(4.8in) or 266mm (10.5in) rockets in four

UB-32, B-8M1, B-13L or PU-O-25 pods

respectively, four 250kg (550lb) or 500kg

(1,100lb) bombs (FAB-500, BetAB-500,

ODAB-500 or OFAB-250-270), RBK-500

disposable cluster bomb units, ZB-500

incendiary canisters, drop tanks, underbelly

podded guns and pods housing targeting

systems, reconnaissance, electronic warfare

(EW) equipment, etc. The Yak-130 could

also be provided with the mid-air refuelling

system. This will expand its capabilities as

trainer and combat aircraft. To be able to

fight, the modified Yak-130 can be

equipped with the integrated Osa (Wasp in

Russian) or Kopyo (Spear) radar and pod-

ded IRST targeting system, e.g. the Platan

(Plane tree).

However, cadets had not to fire live mis-

siles and rockets and drop live bombs to

learn to fight. The integrated combat

employment simulation system simulates

aerial combat, air-to-air heat-seeking and

radar-homing missile launches, deployment

of the integrated self-defence aids, ground

attacks with smart, dumb and gunnery

weapons and use of self-defence aids in the

face of simulated enemy surface-to-air mis-

sile (SAM) launches and electronic counter-

measures (ECM).

Owing to its aerodynamic configuration

and performance, the Yak-130 can fly in vir-

tually all flight modes that up-to-date and

future combat aircraft are capable of. Large

leading-edge root extensions (LERX) and

the design of air intakes ensure stable con-

trolled flight at alpha up to 40 deg. The air

intake covered by special meshing during

take-off, landing gear designed for unpaved

airstrips and excellent take-off/landing per-

formance make it possible for the Yak-130 to

operate from small austere airfields, while

the oxygen generation system wrapped

around the oxygen generator boosts its self-

contained operation capability. The TA-14

or Saphir-5 auxiliary power unit allows the

engines to start. This increases the plane's

self-sustained operation capability.


The Yak-152 and Yak-52M piston-engined ini-

tial trainers are part of the training packaged

wrapped around the Yak-130 combat trainer.

The Yak-152 is designed for initial training and

professional selection at the early stage. The

avionics allows rookies to learn using advanced

flight, navigation, communications and target-

ing equipment. The aircraft is to be used by avi-

ation clubs and military flight schools to train

skilled military and aerobatic pilots quickly and

inexpensively.

Until the Yak-152 next-generation plane is

fielded, initial training will have been conducted

on the Yak-52's upgrade, the Yak-52M, which

official trials were completed this spring. The

Yak-52M differs from the production Yak-52

trainer, of which 1,800 have been made, in bet-

ter performance and the range that has

increased up to 900km (490nm). About 30 per

cent of its avionics have been upgraded. An

important feature of the Yak-52M is the

SKS-94MYa ejection system and an advanced

canopy cockpit with a better vision. The 308th

aircraft repair plant in Ivanovo has learnt to

upgrade Yak-52s to Yak-52M standard. The

Russian Air Force plans to buy about

20 Yak-52Ms before 2006.

Yak-152 and Yak-52M

Ya

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30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 37


The Yak-130's simple design, high airframe

and systems reliability, long service life and

complete self-contained operation capability,

coupled with its high maintainability, low-

cost life cycle and superb flight performance,

permit quality training of flight crews in the

tight timeframe.

CustomersToday, the principal customer for the

Yak-130 is the Russian Air Force. According

to Yakovlev's First Deputy Designer

General/Technical Director Nikolay

Dolzhenkov, RusAF “has ordered four air-

craft so far. An order for another 10 in being

finalise. As far as further plans are concerned,

the Air Force CINC mentioned 200–300 air-

craft”. The number indicates RusAF's

requirements for the coming 10–15 years,

during which almost all remaining L-39s will

be written off due to the expiry of their serv-

ice life.

Although the number of planes ordered by

RusAF has not been specified yet, Sokol has

already landed a contract for a 12-ship pilot

batch to be manufactured during 2005–07, with

production expected to kick off once Phase 1 of

the official trials is complete and the preliminary

report is issued. The first aircraft of the pilot

batch may be delivered in mid-2006 and the last

one by late 2007. Then, the Yak-130 output at

the Sokol plant may be about 12 planes a year.

“RusAF is making up its mind as for the

order volume,” says Nikolay Dolzhenkov.

“The number has not been named yet but it far

exceeds the current four planes. Yak-130s will

replace L-39s in the first place. A regiment or

even two regiments should be activated at the

Air Force academy in Krasnodar to train pilots

to fly the Su-27SM upgraded fighters and

fifth-generation aircraft expected by 2015. By

that time, the training air regiments will have

had to be activated in Krasnodar to train rook-

ies to fly future aircraft.”

Mention should be made that RusAF com-

mand, especially the service's chief, Gen.

Vladimir Mikhaylov, pay close attention to

the Yak-130 programme, doing their best to

expedite the fielding of the combat trainer.

Gen. Mikhaylov has recently tried his hand at

the Yak-130 in flight, having completed a

30min. familiarisation mission. He was very

pleased with the aircraft: “I have spent

25 years in the back seat, training rookies, but

I have not seen such a superb aircraft before.

It is easy to control and meets up-to-date

requirements. Having trained on this aircraft,

rookie pilots will feel confident in the cock-

pits of advanced planes.”

The RusAF highlighted the Yak-130's

top-notch manoeuvrability and safety at

high angles of attack (AoA) and within the

200–800km/h (108–430kt) speed bracket

and ability to mount up-to-date weapons,

“which none of the aircraft in its class will

be able to carry”. On the same day of

38

L-15

Another 'relative' of the Yak-130 (a remote

one, frankly) is the L-15 supersonic trainer

China develops with Yakovlev's assistance.

Says Yakovlev's Director General Oleg

Demchenko: “Our full-scale cooperation with

the Chinese aircraft industry dates back to

2000 when the AVIC II corporation, based on

Yakovlev's advances in Yak-130 development,

invited us to join the L-15 supersonic trainer

development programme. The L-15 developer

is the Hongdu company in the city of

Nanchang, a specialist in developing such

planes. Its K-8 trainer is in production and sells

well enough on the global market.

“The L-15 is being developed to meet the

requirements of the People's Liberation Army

(PLA). Yakovlev's role is consulting, which

can be called scientific and technical support

of the aircraft development programme. We

are participating at the preliminary design

stage, while the Chinese side is fully in

charge of working out the design documen-

tation and making the aircraft. This is a

Chinese plane. The Chinese designers just

correlate their technical solutions with the

opinion of ours.”

A full-scale mock-up of the new-configura-

tion L-15 was unveiled at the Zhuhai air show

in November 2004. Hongdu plans to build its

first flying L-15 in 2005. Its flight trials are slat-

ed for the same year.

30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 38


11 February 2005, Yak-130 familiarisation

flights at Sokol's airfield were flown by

RusAF's CINC deputy chief for aviation,

Lt.-Gen. Alexander Zelin, and Lt.-Gen.

Yury Tregubenko, chief of the 929th State

Flight Test Centre where the Yak-130's

Phase 2 of the official trials is to be con-

ducted.

The familiarisation ride completed, Gen.

Mikhaylov said that building another two

production Yak-130s, stepping up their tests

and completion of the latter's main phases in

2006 would enable the first production

planes to arrive to the 4th CCTC in Lipetsk

and the Air Force academy in Krasnodar as

early as next year. “The service needs around

300 such aircraft, and we will buy them grad-

ually,” the RusAF chief opined.

However, the domestic market is just one

of the many for the Yak-130 to conquer.

Several countries - Russia's traditional part-

ners in arms trade - are keen on the aircraft.

For instance, talks are underway with and

presentations have been held in India,

Algeria, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and

several African states. Yakovlev and Sukhoi

have reached agreement that the Yak-130 will

be offered as part of the package order to buy-

ers of Sukhoi's warplanes. The Yak-130's

components have been heavily commonised

with those of the aircraft of the Sukhoi Su-27

and Su-30 families.

However, practice proves that every specif-

ic order leads to fitting the aircraft with

avionics preferred by the customer's air

force. Yakovlev is prepared for this. The

Yak-130's avionics suite meets

MIL-STD-1553 standard, hence there is no

problem with fitting the plane with new

avionics. In so doing, the avionics suite is not

rebuilt, but adapted to the customer's

requirements, because all systems meet the

same standard. According to expert esti-

mates, the market capacity for aircraft in the

Yak-130 class is about 1,000.

OutlookActually, developing and launching pro-

duction of the combat trainer is only the first

step in implementing the Yak-130 pro-

gramme. Its airframe's excellent design, top-

notch aerodynamic characteristics and

advanced avionics suite allow a whole family

of Yak-130 derivatives to be developed with

minor modifications. Among them are a

light strike aircraft, a light multirole combat

aircraft, a reconnaissance aircraft, an EW

platform, a carrierborne trainer, etc. The

Yak-130's derivatives are being sketched out

in both twin-seat and singleseat versions.

According to the press, the twinseat combat

trainer with a more sophisticated targeting

system (e.g. integrated radar) may be desig-

nated as Yak-131 and the family of single-

seaters (light attack, recce and EW aircraft)

may be dubbed Yak-133. In addition, anoth-

er Yak-130 spin-off may be the Yak-135

supersonic light attack/multirole aircraft.

Such warplanes can be very effective in lim-

ited and local wars at far less cost than

fourth- and fifth-generation dedicated com-

bat aircraft.


Ale

xey M

ikheyev

Ale

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er

Dro

bysh

evsky

RusAF’s Commander-in-Chief General of the

Army Vladimir Mikhaylov (right) and Yakovlev’s

chief test pilot Roman Taskayev after

familiarisation flight in the Yak-130,

11 February 2005:

CINC is satisfied with the new aircraft

Yak-130 production combat trainer specifications

Length, m (ft) 11.245 (36.9)

Wingspan, m (ft) 9.72 (31.9)

Height, m (ft) 4.76 (15.6)

Wing area, sq.m (sq.ft) 23.5 (252.6)

Wheelbase, m (ft) 3.95 (13.0)

Main wheel track, m (ft) 2.53 (8.3)

Overnose, deg.:

- front seat 16

- backseat 6

Maximum take-off weight, kg (lb)

- trainer 6,500 (14,300)

- combat trainer 9,000 (19,800)

Normal take-off weight

(trainer), kg (lb) 5,700 (12,600)

Fuel load, kg (lb):

- normal 880 (1,940)

- maximum 1,750 (3,850)

Maximum payload, kg (lb) 3,000 (6,600)

Maximum speed, km/h (kt) 1,050 (570)

Maximum Mach number 0.95

Service ceiling, m (ft) 12,000 (39,300)

Operating g-load +8…-3

Maximum sustained g-load

(H= 4,570 m (15,000 ft), M=0.8) 5.6

AoA, deg. up to 40

Operating range

without drop tanks, km (nm) 1,060 (570)

Ferry range, km (nm) 2,000 (1,080)

Combat radius, km (nm)

- without drop tanks 540 (290)

- with drop tanks 870 (470)

Take-off run, m (ft) 335 (1,100)

Landing roll, m (ft) 490 (1,600)

Take-off speed, km/h (kt) 195 (105)

Landing speed, km/h (kt) 180 (97)

Assigned life, flight hours 10,000

Number of landings 20,000

Calendar life, years 30

30-39_Yak-130_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:15 Page 39


i n d u s t r y | i n b r i e f

40

On 15 April, Russian Prime

Minister Mikhail Fradkov signed the

resolution on production entry of the

Tupolev Tu-334 short-haul aircraft

and its versions at Kazan Aircraft

Production Association (KAPO). This

long-awaited document legitimates

the proposal by the Russian Ministry

of Industry and Energy, which has

been heavily lobbied by Tupolev and

KAPO, of moving Tu-334 production

from RSK MiG corporation facility in

Lukhovitsy to Kazan.

RSK MiG was identified as the

prime Russian manufacturer of the

Tu-334 by the 5 October 1999 gov-

ernment resolution and subsequent

31 October 2002 government

decree. However, despite strong

support from the then MiG top

management, the type never

entered production at Luchovitsy:

up to now, the facility has not

assembled a single Tu-334. Even

MiG's first Tu-334 (No. 94003)

remains unassembled, although

TAVIA Taganrog Aviation Company

handed an almost finished fuselage

of this particular aircraft over to the

manufacturer as far back as the

spring of 2000. RSK MiG blames

this poor performance on its failure

to secure firm orders for the new

short-haul airplane. This is why the

current MiG management, which

aims to pursue only those projects

supported by orders, does not make

a big issue of the government deci-

sion that abrogates the 1999 and

2002 resolutions.

Hopefully, KAPO will manage to

breathe a new life into the Tu-334

programme. There are good omens,

too: the Tatarstan government has

expresses readiness to support

Tu-334 production in Kazan (the

Russian government's resolution

specifically states that 2005–06

preparations for production entry at

KAPO will be co-financed by

Tatarstan). Additionally, KAPO

enjoys long-standing cooperation

with Tupolev: the Kazan-based

enterprise has long been engaged in

series production of the Tu-214

long-haul jet, which has close fuse-

lage commonality with the Tu-334.

Firm orders remain a problem, but

Tupolev and KAPO believe the previ-

ous troubles to have been largely

caused by unclear production entry

prospects. If the developer, manu-

facturer and the Russian and

Tatarstan governments now join

efforts, this uncertainty might be

eliminated. The Russian govern-

ment's resolution calls for produc-

tion launch in 2007.

Until then, potential customers can

only choose from Ukrainian-built

Tu-334s. Back in the Soviet times

Kiev-based Aviant plant was assigned

as the prime manufacturer of the type.

Aviant built the second flying prototype

(No. 94005) in 2003 (above); this air-

craft may soon be delivered to a

Russian airline for operational testing.

Aviant is currently building the remain-

ing three Tu-334s of the five-strong

batch launched in 2002 (left).

Ironically, the enterprise is anticipating

production entry of the Antonov

An-148 airliner, a primary rival of the

Tu-334. Simultaneous production of

two aircraft types of similar class but

absolutely different design, appears

very strange. Given the well-known

(and understandable) patriotism in

the Ukraine, we may estimate the

Tu-334's prospects of Kiev produc-

tion as fairly bleak. This means that

the only way of saving the heavily

delayed Tu-334 programme is to

speed up production entry at KAPO.

Otherwise, what with the fast-paced

progress of An-148 production and

the expected emergence of Sukhoi's

RRJ as another rival, the Tu-334 can

surely be forgotten.

According to Kazan Helicopters

Director General Alexander

Lavrentyev, this spring the company

started handing documentation for

series production of separate Ansat

components over to subcontractors.

The move signifies the soon produc-

tion entry of the new Kazan Helicopters

aircraft type. The Ansat prototypes and

preproduction aircraft were equipped

with componentry examples supplied

by respective developers.

Ansat was certificated to Russian

AR-29 airworthiness standards on

29 December 2004. Until that, Kazan

Helicopters had held a temporary

certificate of 20 June 2003. This,

however, did not preclude the manu-

facturer from landing the first orders:

South Korea ordered three of the

type even before AP-29 certification.

Kazan Helicopters plans to build and

deliver six Ansats this year, including

one to Tatarstan Airlines.

Tu-334 to be built in Kazan

Ansat goes into series production

Ale

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Ale

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40-43_prom-News_engl 6/6/05 16:16 Page 40



The first prototype of the Mil

Mi-38 twin-engined medium utility

helicopter being developed by

Euromil international consortium is

continuing flight tests at the Mil

flight test station near Moscow.

The prototype was built by Kazan

Helicopters, and first flew from the

company airfield on 22 December

2003. By October 2004 the aircraft

had gone through extensive ground

tests and performed a dozen test

flights from the Kazan Helicopters

airfield. The flight testing pro-

gramme was relocated to Mil's test-

ing facility in late 2004. Mil

Designer General Alexey

Samusenko says the Mi-38 has yet

to make several hundred test flights

to accomplish the AP-29 certifica-

tion programme, and that the cer-

tificate will not be obtained until

2007. Meanwhile, Kazan

Helicopters plans to build another

three or four prototypes for the test-

ing programme.

Kazan Helicopters Director

General Alexander Lavrentyev

believes the Mi-38 can go into

series production in 2008, with a

production rate of 10 to 12 a year.

The company forecasts a potential

market of 300 helicopters; of this

number, Mil plans to secure

100 export orders. Lavrentyev is

convinced that the Mi-38's attrac-

tive price will give it an edge over

western competition. The two direct

foreign rivals, the Sikorsky S-92

and Agusta/Westland EH-101, sell

for $20–22 and $25–27 million

apiece respectively, whereas the

Mi-38 is predicted by experts to be

priced at $12–16 million.

The baseline model of the Mi-38

will be powered by Pratt & Whitney

Canada PW127T/S engines. A

cheaper Mi-382 version is pro-

posed for the domestic market

under the federal programme to

develop national civil aviation

through to 2015. The Mi-382 will

be fitted with Russian-made tur-

boshafts: initially with the Klimov

VK-3000Vs (TV7-117VM), and

later on possibly with the prospec-

tive Klimov VK-3500 (TVa-3000)

models.

On 13 April, Kamov Holding

Director General Valery Lukin and

James Payton, Rolls-Royce

Director for strategic planning,

announced a five-year contract for a

large batch of engines to power

twin-engined Ka-226 helicopters.

Already by year-end, R-R will deliv-

er 24 Allison 250-C20R turboshafts

for installation on Kamov rotorcraft,

including for the 22 Ka-226AG heli-

copters currently under construc-

tion for Gazpromavia (right). The

order makes Gazpromavia the

largest customer for the Ka-226 to

date. Lukin believes Kamov will

annually require 50-60 R-R engines

over the next several years.

The Allison-powered Ka-226

baseline model first flew on

3 September 1997. The type was

awarded certificate on 31 October

2003, and entered production at

Orenburg-based Strela factory and

Kumertau Aircraft Production

Enterprise. Five Ka-226As were

ordered by the Russian Ministry of

Emergencies, another three by the

Moscow city administration.

Overall, Kamov has landed at least

65 orders, including options, for the

R-R-powered Ka-226A.

Meanwhile, the Ka-226T ver-

sion passed the first phase of

flight tests in mid-April. The heli-

copter's power plant comprises

more powerful Snecma

Turbomeca Arrius 2G2 engines.

The test flights were attended by

Turbomeca specialists.

Kamov ordered two 670hp Arrius

2G2s in April 2002; after delivery in

late 2003 the engines were installed

on a Ka-226. The French power

plant extends the Ka-226T's opera-

tional ceiling to almost 7,000m

(22,950ft), facilitating mountainous

operations. The agreement with

Turbomeca covers licence produc-

tion of Arrius 2G2 engines for

Kamov Ka-226 and Ka-115 helicop-

ters at the NPO Saturn facility in

Rybinsk. Kamov believes that the

Turbomeca-powered Ka-226T mod-

ification (left) may enjoy great

demand in hot and high climates.

R-R and Turbomeca for Kamov

Mi-38 testing continues

Ale

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ikheyev

Pio

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uto

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Ale

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ikheyev




42

Construction of the new Sukhoi

Su-80 prototype (c/n 01-05) was

completed by the Komsomolsk-

on-Amur Aircraft Production

Association (KnAAPO) in mid-

May. The aircraft is the first flying

prototype of the production vari-

ant of this multirole transport/pas-

senger regional aircraft. As is

known, the Su-80's first experi-

mental flying prototype

(c/n 01-02, registration number

RA-82911) has been undergoing

flight tests at Zhukovsky since

September 2001. Another aircraft

(c/n 01-01) has completed its

static tests at SibNIA institute,

with aircraft c/n 01-03 having

been submitted to the mock-up

evaluation commission.

During the development and at

the first stage of trials, a decision

was taken to modify the design

drastically. The improvements were

embodied in aircraft c/n 01-04,

which began its static tests at

SibNIA in December 2004, and in

further flying prototypes made by

KnAAPO. The first of them was air-

craft c/n 01-05, sent to the factory's

flight test workshop in May this

year. It is fitted with engines and

avionics and additionally is to be

equipped with anti-spin rockets and

anti-spin chute for testing in

extreme flight modes. According to

KnAAPO's Su-80 and Be-103

Programmes Director Sergey

Drobyshev, two more aircraft

(c/n 01-06 and 01-07) have been

virtually completed by KnAAPO.

The three planes are to be used in

the Su-80 certification programme.

Two aircraft (c/n 02-01 and 02-02)

of the next, 2nd, series are being

completed by KnAAPO in anticipa-

tion of future deliveries (see pic-

ture). Launch customers for the

Su-80 may become Russian Far

Eastern air carriers. China, Vietnam,

Thailand and Malaysia have shown

interest in the airplane too.

6 June saw a long hop of three

Beriev Be-103 amphibians, start-

ing in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in

the Russian Far East, to

St Petersburg where the aircraft

are to be shown at the IMDS 2005

international naval show slated for

29 June – 3 July. The amphibians,

built recently by the Komsomolsk-

on-Amur Aircraft Production

Association (KnAAPO), are to

cross the country east to west

stopping for refuelling at Bratsk,

Krasnoyarsk, Novosibirsk, Omsk,

Kurgan, Ufa, Kazan and Yaroslavl.

They are to be controlled by

KnAAPO's test pilots. The flight is

being supported by KnAAPO's

technical and operating personnel.

The Be-103 lightweight multi-

purpose amphibian developed by

Beriev in Taganrog has been in pro-

duction at KnAAPO since 1996. All

the prototypes of the type, as well

as production aircraft, were made

by KnAAPO. The Be-103 was type-

certificated by the Aircraft Registry

of the Interstate Aviation

Committee (IAC) on 26 December

2001 and on 11 July 2003, it was

issued with a FAR-23 airworthiness

certificate. In summer 2003, three

Be-103s were delivered to a US

customer, with another 20 amphib-

ians being under construction at

KnAAPO under a contract with

China (at the photo). In addition, a

preliminary agreement has been

reached with Brazil on 14 aircraft,

with the order's growing up to 50

aircraft being a possibility.

Malaysia and several other nations

of Southeast Asia and Latin

America are interested in buying

the Be-103 lightweight multipur-

pose amphibian.

The several-day-long flight will

span about 8,000 km (4,300nm)

and include en-route stops at

Siberian, Urals and European air-

fields. It is designed to underline the

high degree of reliability featured by

Be-103 amphibians KnAAPO

makes, as well as their ruggedness,

excellent flight performance and

versatility.

A new Ilyushin Il-114 (RA-91003)

arrived at the Gromov LII Flight

Research Institute in Zhukovsky,

Moscow Region, in mid-May. The

aircraft is unusual, because it was

made by the Tashkent Aircraft

Production Corporation named

after Valery Chkalov (TAPC) on

order from the Russian Navy. In

Zhukovsky, it is to be converted to a

flying testbed to test advanced

avionics that the Radar-MMS com-

pany (St Petersburg) develops for

the Russian Navy.

The Il-114 differs from previous air-

craft of the type in its more refined

TV7-117SM digital control system tur-

boprop engines from the Klimov plant

(St Petersburg). Two Il-114s powered

by TV7-117S turboprops have been

operated with success by Russian air-

line Vyborg, with three such regional

airliners to be delivered to Vyborg this

year, according to TAPC Director

General Vadim Kucherov.

The Il-114 No 91003 was handed

over to the customer in a ceremony

in Tashkent on 28 April. The aircraft

then completed a unique non-stop

flight to St Petersburg covering

4,500 km in over 8 hr, which proves

its high economic efficiency, relia-

bility and fitness to handle the tasks

the Russian Navy has it store for it.

Interestingly, the flight to

St Petersburg completed, there

remained enough fuel in the Il-114's

tanks to fly about 2,500 km more.

Once the customs were cleared, the

aircraft went to Zhukovsky on

14 May. Converted to the flying

testbed, the Il-114 is to return to the

Leningrad Region to join tests being

run by Radar-MMS company.

Redesigned Su-80 preparingfor trials

Be-103 setting off for long road

Il-114 flying testbed

And

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in

And

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om

in




Ground testing of the D-30KP-3

Burlak upgraded turbofan began at

the Rybinsk-based NPO Saturn's

testing facility in early March. The

engine is intended for freighter air-

craft, primarily for the Il-76 military

transport and its versions.

The D-30KP-3 is a deep upgrade

of the D-30KP engine in production

at NPO Saturn since 1972. The

enterprise launched production of

the D-30KP-2 hot-and-high

enhanced reliability derivative in

1981. These engines power more

than 850 Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft of

various versions operated in

Russia and around the world; they

are also installed on Ilyushin Il-78

air tankers, Beriev A-50 airborne

early warning and control aircraft

and Beriev A-40 amphibious air-

planes (the latter type is powered

by D-30KPV version engines).

At least 340 Il-76s fly with

D-30KP engines in Russia alone

(as of 1 January 2005, the civil air-

craft register of the Federal Air

Transport Agency listed 128 Il-76s

of all versions; additionally, over

200 Il-76MDs serve with the

Russian Air Force's Military

Transport Aviation). These aircraft

will remain in service for decades

to come. The necessity of enhanc-

ing performance and ICAO-man-

dated environmental friendliness

of these airplanes' D-30KP-based

power plants has prompted

NPO Saturn to further upgrade the

engine. The resultant derivative

can be referred to as a downright

new turbofan.

While sharing 75 per cent of

components (including a highly

reliable gas generator and the fan

turbine) with the production

D-30KP-2 engine, Burlak features a

new wide-chord fan of larger diam-

eter (1,662mm (5.45ft) against the

baseline's 1,455mm (4.77ft)), a

low-emission combustor, sound

absorbing ducting, an improved

fuel flow system and a modernised

thrust reverser. A more efficient,

FOD-resistant fan provides an

increase in air flow from the origi-

nal 280kg/sec (617lb/sec) to

387kg/sec (852lb/sec); its fortu-

nate design enables field blade

replacement and fan balancing.

The aforementioned improve-

ments increase the D-30KP-3's

take-off thrust to 13,000kgf

(28,630lb) from the baseline

D-30KP-2's 12,000kgf (26,430lb) in

ambient temperatures of up to 30oC,

while reducing specific fuel con-

sumption in cruise from 0.71 to

0.643kgf/kgf-hr(lb/lb-hr). Unlike the

baseline model, the new engine

complies to ICAO Chapter 4 noise

standards and ICAO emissions

norms that came into force on

1 January 2004.

As compared with the current pro-

posal to re-engine the Il-76 fleet with

PS-90A-76 engines, installation of

D-30KP-3 Burlak engines on the type

would result in nearly similar per-

formance while costing a fraction of

the PS-90 re-engining price tag: apart

from manufacturing all-new Burlak

engines, the original equipment man-

ufacturer can upgrade production

D-30KP-2s to new standard during

scheduled overhaul of the aircraft.

The first phase of Burlak ground

tests was completed in April 2005.

Certification is planned for 2006;

after that the engine will be offered

to customers.

Tashkent Aircraft Production

Corporation (TAPC) will shortly

start flight-testing an Ilyushin

Il-76TD-90VD transport fitted with

Solovyev PS-90A-76 engines in

lieu of the standard D-30KP-2s.

TAPC is re-engining the type

under a contract from Volga-

Dnepr carrier.

Installation of new engines on

the first Il-76TD was completed in

mid-March. The re-engining proj-

ect, conducted jointly with

Ilyushin and Perm Engine

Company, aims to ensure that the

Il-76TD aircraft fully meet ICAO's

noise and emissions standards.

The refurbished modification will

be designated Il-76TD-90VD.

TAPC began ground testing the

first re-engined aircraft in May,

following the installation of all

onboard systems; the first flight is

scheduled for June. Volga-Dnepr

Group will receive its first upgrad-

ed transport in September.

First Il-76TD re-engined with PS-90s

Burlak accomplishes first ground testing phase

Vo

lga

-Dnep

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PO

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L A A D 2 0 0 5 | r e p o r t

take-off june 2005 w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u44

Russians in RioThe LAAD slogan, "One continent. One

show", epitomizes the aspiration of Brazil to

promote the exhibition to a dominating posi-

tion in Latin America. So far, however,

FIDAE remains comparable in size; and

although the Santiago, Chile-based rival

exhibition has lately been forced to relocate

from its traditional venue, it is not intent on

giving up its competitive position. A fellow

colleague, himself an avid supporter of

FIDAE, made a joke on LAAD's slogan: 'One

continent. One show. One pavilion", alluding

to the fact that last year's forum in Santiago

maintained several pavillions. Andy Braley,

Director Aerospace & Defence Group of

London-headquartered LAAD organiser

Reed Exhibitions, argued: "So FIDAE may

have more pavilions, but we have already out-

stripped them in overall floorspace sold.

Besides, all LAAD performance figures sug-

gest a steady growth, which is quite the oppo-

site to FIDAE."

Indeed, LAAD 2005 occupied the fourth,

largest pavillion of the Riocentro Exhibition

Centre, with the overall area of 23,000sq m and

the aggregate rented floorspace reaching

8,500sq m; either of these two figures was 30 per

cent up on the 2003 levels. This year's exhibition

hosted 301 businesses from 28 countries (+20

per cent) and over 12,000 business visitors (+18

per cent), including official delegations from 39

countries.

The Russian exposition comprised two

stands, those of Rosoboronexport and Sukhoi.

Its aggregate floorspace totalled 184sq m,

almost 1.5 times smaller than back in 2003. In

spite of Rosoboronexport's efforts and appar-

ently promising prospects in the Brazilian and

Latin American markets, Russian companies

are reluctant to exhibit in Rio. This is evident

from the number of Russian exhibitors: there

were only seven this year, against 11 at LAAD

2003. The generally sad impression of this

nominal Russian presence in the regional mar-

ket was amended, to a degree, by an excellent

presentation of the Mil Mi-171A Baikal heli-

copter built by the UUAZ factory in Ulan-

Ude. Shortly before the LAAD exhibition the

aircraft was awarded a Brazilian airworthiness

certificate (see a separate story in this issue); its

top-notch demonstration in Rio could com-

pete on a par with the best western promotion-

al actions. A marvellous joint stand of UUAZ

and Mil, organised with assistance from their

Brazilian partner Clapham, was situated on the

premises of LAAD's Helitech Latin America

section.

NOT ON COFFEE ALONENOTES FROM LAAD 2005

Alexander VELOVICH

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Brazil's role in the contemporary world is increasing by the year. Suffice it to mention

that the country is currently seeking permanent membership of the UN Security

Council, alongside Germany, India and Japan. This makes the LAAD (Latin America

Aero & Defence) exhibition, held in Rio de Janeiro every odd spring, all the more impor-

tant. Our observer Alexander Velovich was among the few Russian aviation journalists

to visit this year's LAAD. In this article he shares his impressions of the event.

44-47_LAAD_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:17 Page 44

Previous exhibitions in Rio de Janeiro were

called LAD. Another letter 'A' was added to the

name this year to reflect an important expan-

sion of the exhibition's scope. Now LAAD will

also present a regional meeting point for civil

aviation professionals. Reed Exhibitions joint-

ly with Airline Business, a leading magazine

dedicated to air transport business, availed of

this innovation to introduce the ABC Club

(Airline Business Club), which held a repre-

sentative conference dedicated to problems of

regional civil aviation. Among the conference

speakers were the IATA regional director,

executive director of Latin American

International Air Transport Association, top

managers of the Brazilian carriers Gol and

Varig, and chief executives of all the four lead-

ing civil aircraft manufacturers: Airbus,

Boeing, Bombardier and Embraer.

Military diplomacyLAAD's regional scope was stressed by the

fact that the exhibition included the

International Symposium on Military

Logistics, organised by the Brazilian Defence

Ministry and attended by several hundred

officers with defence procurement agencies

of nearly all Latin American countries. Such

massive presence of top-ranking military offi-

cials, who make decisions on procuring

armament from all over the region, con-

tributed significantly to the overall appeal of

LAAD in the eyes of participating businesses.

Incidentally, we cannot fail to congratulate

the Rosoboronexport marketing team on

their strategic vision in having cleverly

deployed the Russian exposition directly

opposite the entrance to the conference hall:

a more conspicuous location could hardly

have been chosen.

The symposium programme included

reports by procurement officers with the

defence ministries of Brazil, Chile, China,

France and the UK. Quite pleasantly, a

Russian speaker was also present: Lieutenant

General Vladimir Mikheyev, first deputy

chief of the head office on armament acquisi-

tion under the Russian defence ministry,

highly praised the organisation of the sympo-

sium in a later conversation with the author.

Speaking of the organisation: LAAD 2005

director Juan Pablo de Vera confided that hos-

pitality services for official delegations had

presented one of the largest items of cost. This

is understandable: the LAAD organising com-

mittee routinely reimburse three defence

ministry officials of each participating country

for business-class return tickets, five star

accommodation, ample meals, transport,

recreation and other accompanying expenses.

Flagship of Brazilian industryQuite predictably, the most active partici-

pants at the exhibition were Brazilian compa-

nies, first of all Embraer. The airframer has a

variety of reasons to be proud of its achieve-

ments. The company posted $763.3 million

sales in the first quarter of 2005, up 21.9 per

cent on the same period for 2004. During the

first three months of the year, Embraer deliv-

ered 30 aircraft – 28 passenger airliners and

two Legacy business jets. On 28 February the

company delivered, to European carrier

Luxair, its 900th ERJ 145 regional jet. Also in

February, Embraer signed a MoU with

India's Defence Research and Development

Organisation on joint development of an

Indian AEW & C aircraft.

Embraer's joint venture in Harbin, China is

also progressing successfully. In March 2005

it announced a contract for five ERJ 145s

from China Eastern Airlines Jiangsu.

Deliveries will start in the second half of

2004. This order will bring the overall China-

operated ERJ 145 fleet up to 16, adding to

previous deliveries of five such airplanes to

Sichaun Airlines and six to China Southern

Airlines. Embraer's total portfolio for passen-

ger aircraft comprised 383 firm orders as of

31 March 2005 (see table).

Inspired by favourable prospects, Embraer

announced on 3 May, after the LAAD exhibi-

tion, the launching of a large-scale pro-

gramme to develop and manufacture new

Light (L) and Very Light (VL) corporate jets,

to seat 8–9 and 6–8 passengers respectively.

Embraer President and CEO Mauricio

Botelho commented on the decision: "The

Legacy has paved the way for Embraer to

build a name in the business aviation market.

This has been an enriching experience from

which valuable lessons were learned. The

accrued knowledge will shape our entrance

into the Very Light and Light Jet segments,

keeping Embraer at the forefront of product

development and innovation."

Embraer's Board in April approved the

launching of the L and VL programmes. The

total development investment of $235 million

will be funded from Embraer's own resources,

by partners of the company and by financial

institutions. A market research run by Embraer

projects a market for around 3,000 light and

very light jets over the next ten years, not to

include the demand for air taxi jets.

Said Luis Carlos Affonso, Embraer's

Senior Vice-President for the Corporate

Aviation Market: "Embraer is committed to

making long-term investments in this busi-

ness to offer revolutionary products and com-

pletely integrated solutions to a sophisticated

customer base. Our goal is to build a robust

business aviation unit and a global infrastruc-

ture to support it."

Embraer asserts its new aircraft will offer

premium comfort, outstanding performance

and low operating cost. High reliability will

45

L A A D 2 0 0 5 | r e p o r t

w w w . t a k e - o f f . r u take-off june 2005

Left: Demonstration flights of Russian

Mil/UUAZ Mi-171A helicopter were very popular

in Brazil

Top and right: At HELITECH Latin America,

now incorporated into LAAD, 11 helicopters

were demonstrated, including AgustaWestland

Super Lynx (top) and HELIBRAS/Eurocopter

Esquilo (right) of the Brazilian Navy

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44-47_LAAD_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:17 Page 45


be given special priority. The pilot-friendly

cockpit and easy handling will enable single-

pilot operation and facilitate transition for

less experienced pilots.

The VLJ aircraft will be powered by two

Pratt & Whitney Canada PW617F engines

flat rated at 1,615lb. The jet will have a range

of 1,160nm with four people on board, and

will have a maximum operating speed of

Mach 0.7. It will be able to fly at 41,000ft.

Embraer expects the aircraft to be ready for

operation in mid-2008. The VLJ can be

priced at $2.75 million apiece.

The LJ aircraft will be powered by two 1450lb

PW535E engines. It will comfortably accom-

modate up to nine people. The aircraft will have

a range of 1,800nm with six people on board,

and will have a maximum speed of Mach 0.78.

Embraer believes the LJ model can enter oper-

ation in mid-2009, and can be priced at $6.65

million. Both the VLJ and LJ will be designed

for short runway operations.

Embraer's choice of Pratt & Whitney Canada

engines as the power plants for its new aircraft is

not accidental. Said Mauricio Botelho: "P&WC

provided us with engine solutions that give us

proven, reliable technology, high performance

and excellent economics, making our new jets

very competitive in this new, growing market.

We have a long association with Pratt &

Whitney Canada and we are happy to have

them as partners in a new program."

Alain M. Bellemare, President, P&WC,

was certainly pleased with Embraer's choice.

He said: "The contracts with Embraer solidi-

fy our presence in the Very Light and Light

segments, which are fast emerging sectors of

the aircraft market. These latest wins reflect

our significant investment and ongoing com-

mitment to develop new products and tech-

nologies, and our ability to anticipate and

strategically plan for emerging market oppor-

tunities."

The FADEC-controlled PW617F engine is

a derivative of the PW625 demonstrator,

whose development was launched in August

2000. Flight tests began in October 2002. The

PW617F modification is expected to be cer-

tificated in 2007. The PW535E version com-

bines the proven technologies of the PW500

family with the latest achievements of

P&WC, including the FADEC system.

Certification of this modification is sched-

uled for 2008.

Embraer's plans to advance to yet another

market segment did not amuse its main com-

petitor Bombardier. The Canadian manufac-

turer gains a significant portion of revenues

from selling its Learjet light business jets. A

number of reports that appeared in the press

quoted Bombardier spokespeople as express-

L A A D 2 0 0 5 | r e p o r t

46

The success of Legacy corporate jet paved the way for Embraer to other market segments of business aviation

Embraer orders and deliveriesAircraft Firm orders Options Delivered Firm order backlog

ERJ 135 123 2 108 15

ERJ 140 94 20 74 20

ERJ 145 681 211 634 47

Embraer 170 172 137 56 116

Embraer 175 15 - - 15

Embraer 190 155 230 - 155

Embraer 195 15 20 - 15

Total 1255 620 872 383

Em

bra

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44-47_LAAD_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:17 Page 46


ing concern that orders from the Brazilian Air

Force secured by Embraer were in fact dis-

guised subsidies to facilitate the company's

market expansion. Embraer was prompt to

refute these assertions. The company state-

ment of 19 May reads, inter alia:

"The facts show the accusations are

unfounded. In the last five years, Embraer's

revenue totaled US$ 13.8 billion, with sales to

the Brazilian Air Force representing US$ 500

million, or 4 per cent of the Company's total

revenue. During the same period, deliveries

to the Brazilian Air Force totaled 16 air-

planes, including eight ISR aircraft, seven

Super Tucanos and one AMX...

"Why doesn't Bombardier abide by the

rules like Embraer? The total development

cost of the successful EMBRAER 170/190

family was about US$ 1 billion without any

government support. The Company will fol-

low the same legal, transparent proceedings

to expand its executive jet portfolio to include

aircraft of the Very Light and Light segments,

the launch of which has begun to worry our

competitor."

The achievements of Brazilian aviation

industry demonstrate that the country has

more than just coffee beans to contribute to

global economy. The author is convinced

that aerospace cooperation between Russia

and Brazil might become the core element

of further bilateral relations - and not mutu-

ally beneficial trade alone but also mutual

technology transfers. This, however,

requires a forward-looking political philos-

ophy on the part of Russian officials ranked

much higher than CEOs of Russian aircraft

manufacturing corporations. The upcoming

visit to Brazil by Russia’s Prime Minister

Mikhail Fradkov might bring some good

news in this sphere. Whatever happens, we

will keep updating you on further develop-

ments.

Embraer spent about $1 billion on the development of E170/175/190/195 family, having not received a centime of government support. By the way,

this picture is not a collage but a real photo of all four models in formation flight

L A A D 2 0 0 5 | r e p o r t

Em

bra

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Embraer's new development programme of Light (LJ) and Very Light (VLJ) business jets will

require about $235 million of investment

44-47_LAAD_eng.qxd 6/6/05 16:17 Page 47


c o s m o n a u t i c s | i n b r i e f

48

On 15 April 2005, Roscosmos's

launch teams supported by combat

personnel of the Russian Space

Force launched a Soyuz-FG LV

mounting the Soyuz TMA-6

manned spacecraft from the 5th

launch site of the 1st launch pad of

the 5th State Test Cosmodrome, or

Baikonur. The LV inserted the crew

of ISS-11 mission chief Sergey

Krikalyov, spacecraft flight engi-

neer-2/ISS-11 flight engineer John

Phillips and spacecraft flight engi-

neer-1/visiting flight engineer

Roberto Vittori.

The launch was aimed at bring-

ing the 11th main expedition crew

to the ISS, replacing the previous

crew and Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft

that had been acting as a rescue

capsule since 16 October 2004,

conducting the 8th visiting expedi-

tion's programmes, including space

experiments and research under the

Eneide programme, and maintain-

ing the orbiter.

On 17 April, the Soyuz TMA-6

spacecraft docked with the ISS

automatically, with the 11th mis-

sion's crew, cosmonaut Sergei

Krikalyov, astronaut John Phillips

and visiting crewmember Roberto

Vittori, coming on board the ISS.

Following a week of a joint flight,

the Soyuz TMA-5 spacecraft

manned by Salizhan Sharipov,

Leroy Chiao and Roberto Vittori

docked off the ISS. On 25 April, its

landing craft landed safely in

Kazakhstan. According to SAR per-

sonnel, the cosmonaut and astro-

nauts feel well. The time they had

logged is as follows: Sharipov and

Chiao – 192 days 19 hours 1 min

59 sec and Vittori – 9 days 21 hours

21 min 2 sec.

Another shift is to go to the ISS

in autumn on the Soyuz TMA-7 car-

rying the ISS-12 crew slated for

27 September 2005.

The Baikonur launch centre situ-

ated in Kazakhstan marked its 50th

anniversary on 2 June 2005. On that

day in 1955, the General Staff of the

Soviet Armed Forces approved the

TO&E of the cosmodrome dubbed

then Research and Testing Facility

No 5 of the Defence Ministry.

Baikonur is a major symbol of

the space glory of Russia. It is here

that the first Sputnik was inserted

in orbit in 1957, and Yuri Gagarin

was the first earthling to leave the

Earth on 12 April 1961. Later,

Baikonur handled all manned

launches and many unmanned mil-

itary and commercial spacecraft.

Over the 50 years in service,

Baikonur launched about 2,500 mil-

itary and commercial rockets haul-

ing over 3,000 satellites and space-

craft and more than

130 Soviet/Russian and foreign

cosmonauts. Last year, Russia

handled almost half the space

launches in the world, with 17 of 54

of them having been handled by

Baikonur. According to Roscosmos

chief Anatoly Perminov, in 2004,

“Baikonur was the world's major

space launch centre in terms of

launches, leading the US launching

facility at Cape Canaveral and other

similar facilities of the planet”.

Baikonur marked its anniversary

with more launches. On 31 May,

the 5th launch site of the 1st launch

pad inserted a Soyuz-U LV hauling

the second Photon-M research

spacecraft (Photon-14) from

TsSKB Progress, designed for

experiments in the fields of space

technology and manufacture of

materials and biological com-

pounds in support of industry and

science. On 22 May, Baikonur's

39th launch site of the 200th

launch pad launched a Proton-M LV

mounting a Breeze-M booster on

order from International Launch

Services (ILS). The LV inserted US

company DirecTV Inc.'s DirecTV-8

telecom satellite into orbit.

More launches from Baikonur are

slated for the near future. 17 June is

to see a Soyuz LV to insert the

Progress M-53 automatic cargo

spacecraft. The transport is to bring

about 2,500kg (5,500lb) of cargo to

the ISS. A Proton-K launch vehicle

with the DM booster is slated for

23 June to orbit Russia's Express-

AM3 telecom satellite developed by

the Reshetnev Applied Mechanics

Research and Production

Association.

According to Anatoly Perminov,

not only Russia is interested in fur-

ther progress of Baikonur, but other

countries as well, including

Kazakhstan, the United States and

Ukraine, since its launch pads oper-

ate in support of such international

programmes as the ISS, Ground

Launch, etc.

On 25 May 2005, The Russian

Sate Duma (parliament) ratified the

agreement between Russia and

Kazakhstan on promoting coopera-

tion on efficient use of the

Baikonur space launch centre. The

agreement extends Russia's lease

term until 2050. Under the agree-

ment, the rent is to be $115 million

a year. At the same time, Russia is

to do its utmost to facilitate

Kazakhstan's participation in pro-

grammes to build and launch from

Baikonur advanced environment-

friendly launch vehicles. The

Baiterek space rocket system pro-

gramme is to become one of the

above. It is going to include a next-

generation modular LV family, the

Angara, now under development

with the Moscow-based

Khrunichev State Space Centre.

The Baiterek space rocket system

is expected to have been devel-

oped by 2008 or 2009.

New crew at ISS

Baikonur marks 50th anniversary

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