SSJ100 launches operations PAK FA two prototypes flying already

june 2011 • Special edition for Paris Air Show 2011
Aircraft family with expanded operational capabilities
and a new level of economic efficiency
12–15% operational cost reduction in comparison with
existing analogues.
Innovative design solutions for airframe.
Optimal fuselage cross-section to increase the comfort level
or to reduce the turnaround time.
SSJ100
launches
operations
Expanded operational capabilities.
[p.24]
[p.42]
Cooperation with the world leading suppliers of systems
and equipment.
Matching future environmental requirements.
Yak-130
more trainers
for RusAF
PAK FA
two prototypes
flying already
MiG-29UPG
deliveries
soon
[p.22]
Be-200
production moves
to Taganrog
[p.20]
www.irkut.com
Russian helicopter industry on the rise [p. 6, 8, 10, 14, 30, 31, 35]
[p.36]
june 2011
Editor-in-Chief
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Editor
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Columnist
Alexander Velovich
Artyom Korenyako
Special correspondents
Alexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov,
Andrey Zinchuk, Valery Ageyev,
Natalya Pechorina, Marina Lystseva,
Dmitry Pichugin, Sergey Krivchikov,
Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski,
Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi
Design and pre-press
Grigory Butrin
Translation
Yevgeny Ozhogin
Cover picture
Alexey Mikheyev
Publisher
Director General
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Director General
Nadezhda Kashirina
Marketing Director
George Smirnov
Business Development Director
Mikhail Fomin
News items for “In Brief” columns are prepared by editorial
staff based on reports of our special correspondents, press
releases of production companies as well as by using information
distributed by ITAR-TASS, ARMS-TASS, Interfax-AVN, RIA Novosti,
RBC news agencies and published at www.aviaport.ru, www.avia.ru,
www.gazeta.ru, www.cosmoworld.ru web sites
Items in the magazine placed on this colour background or supplied
with a note “Commercial” are published on a commercial basis.
Editorial staff does not bear responsibility for the contents of such items.
The magazine is registered by the Federal Service for supervision of
observation of legislation in the sphere of mass media and protection
of cultural heritage of the Russian Federation. Registration certificate
PI FS77-19017 dated 29 November 2004
© Aeromedia, 2011
P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia
Tel. +7 (495) 644-17-33, 798-81-19
Fax +7 (495) 644-17-33
E-mail: [email protected]
http://www.take-off.ru
Dear reader,
You are holding another issue of the Take-Off magazine, the special
supplement to Russian monthly aerospace magazine Vzlet, timed to the
air show in Le Bourget. The event is considered the most authoritative and
prestigious display of the latest achievements of the world’s aerospace
industry, with virtually all aircraft manufacturers being eager to participate
in the show. By tradition, the Le Bourget air show has been held in high
esteem by Russian aerospace companies. It is also regarded as an
excellent place to bolster international aerospace cooperation.
A graphic example of such cooperation is the Sukhoi SuperJet 100
advanced regional airliner programme pursued by a close-knot team
of Russian, French, US and several other foreign companies. This year
Sukhoi SuperJet 100 takes part in the Paris Air Show for the second time,
but now in a new status – of a production airliner which already started its
operation. In April 2011 the first production SSJ100 had entered service
with Armavia airline while Aeroflot got its first aircraft of the type in early
June.
Another programme Russia cooperating heavily with its European and
American partners is the Irkut MC-21 prospective short/medium-haul
airliner which will be presented by a full-scale mock-up of a 20-m-long
fuselage section housing pilots cockpit and passenger cabin for the
first time at Le Bourget. Beriev Be-200 amphibian that was certified by
EASA last autumn will become one more Russian participant of the flight
display programme of this Paris Air Show.
By the way Russian-made helicopters are still in great demand in
the world market. Last year Russian helicopter industry produced 214
machines and the plan for this year stands for 260 with a future increase
up to 300 in 2012. Now our country ranks third in helicopters production
and its aim is to win not less than 15 per cent of the world market in the
nearest years. Russian Helicopters holding company uniting most of the
country’s rotorcraft developers and manufacturers recently has started
some new programmes and is now intensifying helicopter production.
That’s why Russia’s rotorcraft industry and its main programmes have
become the important topics in this issue.
As usual Take-Off offers you also a brief review of the other recent
most important events in the Russian aerospace industry, commercial
and military aviation.
I wish all the participants and visitors of this air show in Le Bourget
interesting meetings, useful contacts and lucrative contracts and, of
course, the pleasure of unforgettable demonstration flights of aircraft
from all over the world.
Sincerely,
Andrey Fomin,
Editor-in-Chief,
Take-Off magazine
contents
INDUSTRY
June 2011
14
Tu-204SM kicks off certification tests in Zhukovsky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mi-26T2 trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mi-34C1 snags first orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Tu-214-ON for Open Skies programme has flown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ka-62 to take to the air in two years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
4
6
6
8
8
Alexey Samusenko:
“The Mi-38 may well be called a 21st century helicopter” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Mi-38: successor to legendary Mi-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
20
Amphibian changes its place of origin
Be-200 series production in Taganrog kicks off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
MILITARY AVIATION
PAK FA: two prototypes in trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22
Advanced Yaks for RusAF
Borisoglebsk Air Force Training Centre receives five Yak-130s . . . . . . . . . . 24
22
24
36
Su-34 completes official trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Air Force accepting new Su-27SMs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
First Su-35S has flown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mi-28N production on the rise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Ka-52 being learnt in Torzhok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26
26
28
30
31
CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES
More MiG-29K/KUBs delivered while Vikramaditya kicks off trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Myanmar receives new MiG-29 batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
India got its third A-50EI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Two Il-76MF freighters ready for Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Kaveri tests on Russian flying testbed carry on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Rostvertol steps up Mi-35 exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
32
32
33
34
34
35
Upgrade of Indian MiG-29s kicks off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
COMMERCIAL AVIATION
42
Russian An-148s launching operations to Europe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
An-158 gearing up for new orders. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
MC-21 has got 190 orders and waiting for more . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
First Sukhoi Superjet launches operations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
Rysachok: for flying schools and commuter airlines. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
FLIGHT SAFETY
46
2
take-off february 2011
Cause of incident: counterfeit parts
In the wake of a Mi-26 crash in India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
Yevgeny Yerokhin
4
take-off june 2011
Sergey Alexandrov
The upgraded Tupolev Tu-204SM
airliner prototype powered by
advanced PS-90A2 engines co-developed by the Aviadvigatel joint stock
company and Pratt & Whitney and
manufactured by the Perm Engine
Company was unveiled to the public
on 22 April during the International
Air Transport Forum in Ulyanovsk.
On the same day, the aircraft flew to
Zhukovsky in the Moscow Region,
where the main segment of its certification tests began in May. Prior
to that, the first Tu-204SM had flown
33 test sorties under the preliminary
test programme during December
2010 through April 2011.
The airliner’s presentation included
a meeting of the leaders of Tupolev
and its Ulyanovsk-based affiliate and
representatives of Russian airlines
that might be interested in Tu-204SM
acquisition with the Red Wings,
Transaero, Polyot, Volga-Dnepr,
Aviastar-TU, Continent and several
other Russian carriers among them.
During the meeting, special attention
was paid to the upgrade of the airliner’s avionics, which made possible
the transition to a crew of two.
The guests also were shown the
manufacturing of other Tu-204SMs
in the final assembly shop of the
Aviastar-SP close corporation, housing two more airliners at various
degrees of completion. The second
aircraft (c/n 64151) could be rolled
out to the in-house flight test facility come June and the third one
(c/n 64152) in November.
A tentative schedule of the future
full-rate Tu-204SM production by
Aviastar-SP in 2012–2016 was
Tupolev JSC
Tu-204SM kicks off certification tests in Zhukovsky
presented at the forum. According
to the diagram displayed, the
first production-standard airliner
(c/n 64153) could be made in July
next year, with 2012 to see four
production-standard aircraft made
and two prototypes to be groomed
for delivery (first, 64152 and then
64150). The Tu-204SM annual out-
put is to total eight aircraft in
2013, with c/n 64151 to get up to
snuff at the same time. The manufacturer is prepared to make 10
and 11 production aircraft in 2014
and 2015 respectively, with the six
final airliners to follow in 2016 (the
final plane, c/n 64191, is slated for
production in July 2016).
However, the future of the
Tu-204SM programme remains
hazy. In spite of the governmental
decision to support the programme,
Alexander Lebedev, a co-owner of
the Red Wings airline, the launch
customer for the advanced airliner,
Vnesheconombank has failed to craft
a Tu-204SM leasing mechanism
and decisions on the plane’s price,
delivery dates, penalty provisions,
depreciation value, maintenance and
spares have not been made yet. To
cap it all, a key driving force behind
the programme, the Ilyushin Finance
Co. leasing company, is withdrawing
from the programme.
Ilyushin Finance Co. Director
General Alexander Rubtsov himself
has commented on the decision:
“After the Ilyushin Finance Co. had
worked out the project and proposed the terms of its funding to the
government and Vnesheconombank,
a number of meetings have taken
place, which have resulted in the
government’s position that the project is very complicated and difficult
and has many factors calling for clarity and supervision. All of the parties
have decided that a risky project like
that should better be entrusted lock,
stock and barrel to a governmental
entity, which VEB-Leasing is.”
Thus, the future of the programme of production and delivery of 44 Tu-204SM hinges on the
government-owned VEB-Leasing
company. Time will tell if it is able to
disentangle the web of problems still
facing the programme.
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
www.take-off.ru
take-off june 2011
5
industry | news
crystal displays (MFD), control
panels, integral digital computer,
NAVSTAR/GLONASS-capable satellite navigation systems and a digital
flight suite. Optional gear includes
night-vision goggles (NVG).
To keep an eye on the externally slung cargo in daytime,
there is an integral TV device
Andrey Fomin
Flight tests of the first upgraded
Mil Mi-26T2 heavylift helicopter
continue at Rostvertol JSC’s flight
test facility in Rostov-on-Don. The
machine is a derivative of the production Mi-26T, from which it differs
in having an up-to-date digital avionics suite allowing effective roundthe-clock operation and a flying crew
reduction down to two. In addition,
provision has been made for use
of upgraded D-136-2 (AI-136T) turboshaft engines featuring enhanced
power under hot-and-high conditions.
The Mi-26T2’s advanced avionics suite is wrapped around the
NPK-90-2 flight/navigation system
comprising an electronic display
system of five multifunction liquid-
Rostvertol PLC
Mi-26T2 trials
feeding full-colour imagery on to
the multifunction display in the
cockpit. At night, visual control
of the cargo can be exercised
by means of the extra TSl-1600
searchlight installed in the fuselage nose section. In addition to
the standard mode, the searchlight has the infrared mode for
use of NVGs.
The Mi-26T2 helicopter hauls
outsized cargo and vehicles
weighing a total of 20 t both
inside the cargo cabin and on the
external sling. The troop carrier
variant carries 82 troops, with its
casevac version airlifting up to 60
casualties or sick personnel. The
machine can be used for civil and
erection works of various degrees
of complexity, fire-suppression
operations and fuel delivery,
including self-contained refuelling
of vehicles on the ground, and
other operations.
The Mi-26T2 upgrade is a contender in the tender issued by the
Indian Defence Ministry for 15
heavylift helicopters. A Mi-26T
performed a successful series
of demonstration flights in India,
including some of them in mountainous terrain, and Indian pilots
have tested a Mi-26T2 prototype in
Rostov-on-Don recently. The potential customer has not spared praise
for the aircraft, and experts rate
the Mi-26T2’s chances for coming up on top in the Indian tender
high enough. The Russian Defence
Ministry is eying the Mi-26T2 too.
Following a long lull, it has resumed
acquisition of a new Mi-26 batch
recently. The first new helicopter for
the Russian Air Force was rolled out
to Rostvertol’s airfield and kicked
off its flight test programme in May
this year. The Russian military is
expected to order the upgraded
Mi-26T2 in the future.
the launch customer UTair had
placed an order for ten Mi-34C1
helicopters for its training centre.
The deliveries are slated to kick off
in 2012. In addition, the show saw
an agreement signed by the French
company Aero Progress, the latter
intent on promoting the Mi-34C1
on the European market. The signatories believe the helicopter can
be needed in the West, since it features a number of advantages over
the popular Eurocopter EC120. The
first two Mi-34C1s are planned for
delivery to the French company
in 2013.
The key current light helicopter programme being pursued by
the Russian Helicopters holding
company is the resumed production of the heavily upgraded Mil
Mi-34C1 by the Progress aircraft company in the town of
Arsenyev. New helicopter features the advanced M9FV piston
engine, an up-to-date avionics
suite and a number of design and
systems improvements aimed
at enhancing the operating efficiency and reliability as well as
extending the service life of the
aircraft. This, coupled with a reasonable price, is going to help the
Mi-34C1 to get a good niche on
the market.
6
take-off june 2011
Russian Helicopters Mi-34C1
programme manager Dmitry Rodin
told Take-off that Mil Helicopter
Plant now completing two Mi-34C1
prototypes. One of them, the OP-1,
is slated for the maiden flight in
June to be followed by the other,
the OP-2. Both Mi-34C1 prototypes
will be displayed during the MAKS
2011 air show in August, one to
be demonstrated as part of the
flight programme and the other as
a static display. The Mi-34C1 is
to complete its certification programme by year-end.
On 19 May, during the HeliRussia
2011, the Russian Helicopters holding company landed its first order
for the advanced machine after
Andrey Fomin
Mi-34C1 snags first orders
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
United Engine Corporation (UEC) is the leading
Russian industrial group in production of engines
for aviation, launch vehicles,
electric energy sector and gas pumping.
United Engine Corporation is a part and a subsidiary
of United Industrial Corporation Oboronprom.
UEC integrated more than 80% of assets
of the Russian aviation engine-building industry.
www.take-off.ru
take-off june 2011
7
industry | news
1 June saw the maiden flight of
a new Tupolev Tu-214-ON specialpurpose aircraft at the Kazan Aircraft
Production Association’s (KAPO) airfield, with the aircraft manufactured
in support of the Open Skies programme. The crew under command
of Tupolev’s test pilot Nikolay Kapelkin
flew the aircraft (RA-64519) on its
first mission that lasted 1 h 22 min.
The plane was developed by Tupolev
team led by Chief Designer Igor
Kabatov and made by KAPO on order
of the prime contractor under the
Open Skies programme, the Vega
radio-electronics corporation. Once
the tests have been complete, the aircraft will be delivered to the Russian
Defence Ministry.
The Treaty on Open Skies, which is
aimed at strengthening trusts among
its signatories by means of mechanism of monitoring military activities
and compliance with the existing
arms control treaties through flying
over the territories of the signatories, was signed by OSCE member
states in Helsinki on 24 March 1992.
Ildar Valeyev
Tu-214-ON for Open Skies programme has flown
The Russian Federation ratified it on
26 May 2001. To date, as many as
34 states have signed the treaty.
Russia has used two types of
aircraft for inspection missions –
Tupolev Tu-154M-LK1 to fly over
North America and Antonov An-30B
for missions over Europe. According
to the Vega corporation, the special equipment carried by the aircraft includes various photographic
cameras. To perform more effective
monitoring under the Treaty on Open
Skies, Tupolev was tasked with developing a special version of the Tu-214
airliner, fitted with an airborne surveillance system from Vega. According to
official statements by the developer
of the system, the Tu-214-ON is “the
first plane among the planes of the
34 signatories to the treaty, equipped
with all means of observation allowed
by the treaty – four photographic and
three TV cameras, synthetic aperture
radar and a linear-scanning infrared
sensor”.
The first Tu-214-ON is to undergo
the development trials and monitoring equipment tests, after which it
will kick off its official test programme. The aircraft will have to
pass international certification prior
to starting its monitoring flights. A
Vega news release reads that the
plane’s delivery is slated for late
2011 and that another Tu-214-ON is
being built by KAPO in support of the
government’s commitments under
the Treaty on Open Skies.
Ka-62 to take to the air in two years powered by Ardidens
Andrey Fomin
In spite of the AW139 licence
production programme being
run by Russian Helicopters and
AgustaWestland in Tomilino,
Moscow Region, the Kamov
Ka-62 advanced medium multirole
helicopter remains high on the
holding company’s priority list of
helicopters with a takeoff weight
of 6–7 t. Initially the Ka-62 was
conceived as a civilian version of
8
take-off june 2011
the Ka-60 military multirole helicopter, which first prototype flew
its maiden mission as far back
as December 1998. The second
prototype was made in the Ka-60U
trainer version in 2007. Ka-60
was improved repeatedly, but its
main weakness was its RD-600V
engines and powertrain that never
met the reliability requirement.
As a result, the Russian Defence
Ministry cut the financing of the
Ka-60 programme last summer.
Nevertheless, it remains interested
in buying helicopters in the class.
The military has made a decision
that it will buy, further down the
road, the militarised version of the
commercial Ka-62 that is under
development now to meet the most
stringent commercial helicopter
certification standards.
Kamov’s Ka-62 programme
manager Alexander Vagin has told
Takeoff that the Progress aircraft
company in the town of Arsenyev
begins to make parts of Ka-62
prototypes this year. In all, three
flying prototypes, a static tests
prototype and an ‘Iron Bird’ integrated full-scale test rig to test the
avionics suite and aircraft systems
are to be manufactured. The type
of the engine to power the Ka-62 –
the Turbomeca Ardiden 3G – has
been selected finally. Russian
Helicopters and Turbomeca made
a long-term contract for 308
Ardiden engines in April this year
and the two companies signed a
firm contract for the first batch
of 40 engines on 19 May, during
the HeliRussia 2011 show. The
first Ardidens are to be delivered
to the Ka-62’s developer late in
2012. Compared to the Ka-60, the
Ka-62’s reduction gearbox and
powertrain will be from a different
supplier too, while KumAPP JSC
will continue to make the composite main rotor blades to equip the
Ka-62. Development of the avionics suite has been vested in the
Transas company. The Progress
plant will make the airframe and
handle the final assembly of all
Ka-62 helicopters.
The Ka-62 prototype is to start its
flight tests in the first half of 2013.
Two more flying prototypes are to
be made in the same year. The certification programme is supposed
to be complete by mid-2015, with
deliveries of production-standard
Ka-62s to begin in 2016.
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industry | news
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take-off june 2011
9
industry | interview
At the HeliRussia 2011 show in May
this year, Russian helicopter makers
unveiled to the public and experts
their helicopters in various classes
ranging from the light to heavylift
ones. The Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant,
a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters
holding company, is a world leader
in helicopter development and a
most important asset of the holding.
Several Mil machines including the
advanced Mi-38, were presented
to the exhibitors and public. Takeoff’s Deputy Editor-in-Chief Vladimir
Scherbakov has seen Mil Designer
General Alexey Samusenko and asked
him to speak about the Mi-38 and
other ongoing programmes as well.
ALEXEY SAMUSENKO:
“The Mi-38 may well be called a 21st-century helicopter”
At the HeliRussia 2011 show, the Russian
Helicopters unveiled a programme, which priority is very high to the Mil Moscow Helicopter
Plant, – the Mi-38. What has been done under
the programme, and when will the market be
able to receive the production-standard helicopters?
The Mi-38 development programme is
important not only to our company but also
to Russia as a nation. The Mi-38 is being
developed with governmental support, and,
therefore, the status of the programme is good
for a whole number of reasons. Firstly, the
government has made up its mind about the
funding of the programme. Secondly, we have
got positive responses from representatives of
potential Mi-38 operators, who have seen a
real machine and learnt the advanced technical solutions implemented in the helicopter to
make it easier for pilots and ground crews.
Thirdly, according to our calculations, the
innovations introduced as part of the programme could heavily influence the cost of
the flight hour of the new helicopter, which
is a key competitive edge under the current
economic conditions.
The Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant is running the factory tests of the Mi-38. They
involve the second prototype, the OP-2,
embodying virtually whole of the configuration of the future production-standard helicopter.
We plan the OP-2 will complete the factory flight tests programme in 2011 and kick
off its certification tests. At the same time,
we plan to use the TV7-117V-powered OP-1
for the factory development flight tests and
10
take-off june 2011
pass over to the certification trials next year.
Also, we are waiting for completion by Kazan
Helicopters of the third prototype powered by
Russian-built engines and fully outfitted with
flight navigation gear. The machine could
become the standard for full-scale production
further down the road.
On the whole, we plan to complete the
flight test programme during 2012–2013 and
wrap up all the development segment of the
programme and launch full-rate production
of the advanced helicopter in 2014.
What may be the Mi-38’s flight hour cost,
in your opinion? How superior could the new
helicopter be in these terms to the in-service
Mi-8/17 machines so that it prompts keen
interest of potential customers?
The issue of the flight hour cost is not as
simple as it may seem on the face of it. The
cost of the flight hour is generated mostly
from the expenditure on the remuneration of
flying and ground crews and the cost of fuel.
The cost of maintaining the hardware itself
has a very insignificant influence on the flight
hour cost.
As to the second question, I can tell you
that the Mi-38 should be on a par with the
Mi-8 in terms of the flight hour cost, which
will result in potential customers opting for
the Mi-38, given the strengths of the advanced
helicopter.
Strictly speaking, Mi-38 deliveries to operators may result in a drastic change in the
approaches to operation. The thing is that the
Mi-8’s main rotor blades have to be replaced
every seven to eight years, while we are going
to do it much more seldom as far as the Mi-38
is concerned. Under the Mi-38 programme,
a new resources policy is being implemented
along with introduction of other up-to-date
engineering and technological solutions. This
is one of the reasons that a decision was taken
to display the Mi-38 during the HeliRussia
2011 show. The public managed to see the
second prototype, the OP-2, participating in
the flight tests, carrying an up-to-date avionics suite from Russian Helicopters partner –
Transas company in St. Petersburg.
Is the ‘twin-engine’ concept of the new
helicopter still on the table and how could it
influence the helicopter’s demand by Russian
customers, particularly, uniformed services?
The Mi-38 programme provides for two
variants of the machine – one powered by
engines from Pratt&Whitney Canada and the
other by Russian-made TV7-117Vs developed by Klimov and being productionised
by Chernyshev. This is the ideology of the
programme. If all goes to plan, the Mi-38 will
have two versions of the powerplant. We presume this will be able to influence the price of
the production-standard helicopter and woo
Russian operators – both civilians and uniformed ones. I would like to emphasise that
uniformed services have been rather keen on
the Mi-38 owing to the need for machines of
such dimensions.
The advanced helicopter is among the best
in terms of lifting capacity. Unlike the Mi-8,
it carries 5 t of cargo, rather than 3 t, internally and 7 t slung externally. In addition, the
Mi-38 has a low vibration level, a reduced
extraneous noise level and can be flown by a
crew of only two.
www.take-off.ru
Mi-38 second flying prototype arrives
at HeliRussia 2011 airshow at Moscow's
Crocus Expo, 18 May 2011
I believe the Mi-38 may well be called
a 21st-century helicopter, since we have
succeeded in implementing cutting-edge
design solutions, including up-to-date avionics and materials. By the way, composites
make up over 30% of the materials used in
the helicopter. Such sensitive design elements as main and tail rotor blades and
parts of the fuselage are made of composites. The advanced machine is planned to
feature an extended service life. We assume
that it is possible that the Mi-38 will have
no service life limits, but will be subject to
on-condition maintenance.
What about the simulator for the Mi-38?
As is known, today, successful market promotion of any helicopter is regarded by
potential customers from the viewpoint of
availability of training aids as well, particularly simulators.
The Mi-38 programme is one of the few,
under which the development of the helicopter
ran parallel to the development of its simulator.
The task was given to the Transas company, the
manufacturer of the flight navigation suite to
fit the Mi-38. A Mi-38 helicopter simulator
was displayed in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region,
during the MAKS 2009 air show.
The Mi-38 simulator, which we are going
to offer to potential buyers of our advanced
helicopter, is expected to simulate the cockpit
and agility of the helicopter, responding to the
controls and simulating the outside view. Mil
and Transas are looking into the feasibility
of developing a specialised Mi-38 helicopter
simulator centre.
www.take-off.ru
Mi-8MTV during highland trials
What is the prospect of the Mi-8/17 helicopter family?
The Mi-8/17 family has been upgraded
repeatedly, but we believe it has not exhausted
its upgradeability yet. As far as the Mi-8
is concerned, we are running the so-called
reversed modernisation by applying some of
the solutions embodied in the leader, the
Mi-38, to the older machines. In the near
future, change can be made to the main rotor
that we are going to borrow from the Mi-38.
If all goes to plan, this will enable the Mi-8
to fly faster and higher and will offer a novel
approach to the service life of the rotor system, though no considerable modification of
the airframe is planned.
The Russian Helicopters holding company
has cleared a heavy upgrade programme for
helicopters of the type, with the resultant
machine to be dubbed Mi-171A2. The holding management has approved the requirements specification for the upgrade of the
Mi-171A1 version certificated in line with
the up-to-date air worthiness standards and
recognised internationally.
A priority of the upgrade is to retain the current market share in this niche and enhance
the machine’s safety. The model is to mount a
main rotor with all-composite blades. The tail
rotor will be composite too. This will ensure
a very long service life. The main and tail
rotors are to feature an advanced aerodynamic
configuration building on the latest scientific
advances and TsAGI’s wealth of experience.
As a result, we managed at the modeling stage to attain a speed of 280 km/h
take-off june 2011
11
Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
Alexey Mikheyev
industry | interview
Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
Mi-28N during high-altitude tests
in the Caucasus
Mi-34C1 upgraded light helicopter
with power and control margins remaining,
another feature will be an increase in range,
which could total 800 km in the baseline
model. We also are looking into the feasibility of the helicopter upgrade to extend its
range further.
The upgraded helicopter is going to carry
a flight navigation suite similar to that of the
Mi-38 in terms of the tasks handled.
Could you describe the status of the Mi-34
programme?
This is one of the best programmes in the light
helicopter segment of the Russian helicopter
industry. We are working proactively on a new,
commercially attractive version, the Mi-34C1,
as part of the Russian Helicopters holding company. The updated version is supposed to have
an extended range, hydraulic controls and the
up-to-date M9FV engine in addition to a high
degree of comfort for the pilot and passengers.
The certification tests are planned to begin this
year, to be more precise, we will have to confirm
the latest modifications within the framework of
the current certificate.
Potential customers, including foreign
ones, have shown interest in the Mi-34C1. We
expect the Mi-34C1 to meet the requirements
of most stringent customers both in Russia and
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take-off june 2011
abroad. We studied the best world helicopters
in this class. This has furnished us with a welldesigned machine with high design flight and
operating characteristics that, hopefully, will
be proven by tests. Add here a rather attractive
price that is one of the objectives.
We plan to unveil the upgraded Mi-34C1
at the MAKS 2011 air show in August –
both on the ground and in the air. This will
enable us to attract potential customers.
The Mi-34C1 certification programme is
to be completed by year end. This will
allow the Progress plant in Arsenyev to
launch full-scale production and early
deliveries in 2012.
The upgraded Mi-26T2 heavylifter has
flown for the first time recently. How is the
programme going?
Under the Mi-26T2 upgrade programme,
the helicopter is to be re-engined and fitted
with an advanced flight navigation suite,
and its main rotor hub is to be improved.
The military version of the machine is to
be equipped with an advanced defensive
aids suite capable of duping heat-seeking
missiles.
The Russian Defence Ministry has
showed the interest in the upgraded
Mi-26. The helicopter also is a contender in the competition held by the
Indian Defence Ministry. It was shown to
its customer last year, with its mountainous terrain operating capabilities demonstrated.
What stage is the Mi-28N programme at?
The Mi-28N is being upgraded to refine
its components. The upgrade is being done
in the support of the Russian Defence
Ministry and on its initiative. The result
sought is supposed to increase the combat
capabilities of the machine by far.
Rosoboronexport is taking proactive
marketing measures to woo foreign customers. The configuration of the export
variant, the Mi-28NE, is similar to that of
the Mi-28N, but the export version has got
no mast-mounted radar yet.
Rostvertol PLC
Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant
industry | interview
Mi-26T2 upgraded heavy-lifter prototype
www.take-off.ru
THE 11TH LANGKAWI
INTERNATIONAL MARITIME
AND AEROSPACE EXHIBITION
6th - 10th December 2011
Langkawi, Malaysia
DELIVERING BUSINESS TO YOU
Government of Malaysia
Ministry of Defence
Ministry of International Trade & Industry
Ministry of Transport Malaysia
HW LIMA SDN BHD
35F-1-6 Jalan 2/27F, KLSC II, Section 5, Wangsa Maju 53300 Kuala Lumpur T : +603 4142 1699 F : +603 4142 2699 E : [email protected] W : www.lima.com.my
Kazan Helicopters
industry | programme
Mi-38
Andrey FOMIN
successor to legendary Mi-8
The advanced Mil Mi-38 multirole medium transport helicopter made its debut at
the HeliRussia 2011 show at the Crocus Expo exhibition centre in Moscow. Made
by Kazan Helicopters last year, the second Mi-38 prototype (OP-2) had landed in
front of Crocus Expo and sat by the entrance to the pavilion, receiving all exhibitors
and guests of the forum.
The Mi-38 programme dates back quite a while. Conceived as far back as three
decades as a successor to the Mi-8, which remains the most popular machine
in the world, the new medium transport helicopter of the Mil Moscow Helicopter
Plant has traversed a long path from the development of early projects, which
were essential upgrades of the production Mi-8, to its current configuration, having
gained weight and been given a better lifting capacity. In its day, during the stormy
1990s, the Mi-38 programme became one of the first Russian helicopter industry
programme, in which foreign colleagues – famous Eurocopter and Pratt&Whitney
Canada – took part.
The first Mi-38 prototype (OP-1) took to the air in December 2003, but the
programme actually has been given a kick-start only recently, after the emergence
of the Russian Helicopters holding company that has incorporated key assets of
the Russian helicopter industry. The holding has set the Mi-38 as its promising
project in class of medium transport/passenger helicopters with a lifting capacity
of 5–7 t. The machine is to rival the best foreign helicopters in the class – the
AgustaWestland EH101 (AW101) and Sikorsky S-92 – and there are grounds for
optimism, since the trials of the first Mi-38 produced a number of outstanding
results, Kazan Helicopters manufactured the second, upgraded prototype, and
a third machine is to join the tests this year. Two Mi-38 prototypes are slated for
demonstration during the MAKS 2011 air show in August this year, with the first of
them to have been powered by Russian-made TV7-117V engines by then.
Background
At the turn of the 1980s, the Soviet Armed
Forces started taking delivery of upgraded
Mi-8MT multirole helicopters powered by
advanced TV3-117MT engines, while civil
aviation continued to put up with the ordinary
Mi-8Ts fitted with less powerful TV2-117As.
However, the aircraft, which had been in
service for almost two decades, began to grow
obsolete and needed upgrade to meet the
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take-off june 2011
new requirements. As a result, the government issued a resolution on 30 July 1981,
in which it authorised development of the
Mi-8M upgraded medium transport/passenger helicopter that has gradually evolved into
today’s Mi-38.
A principal requirement to the advanced
helicopter was an increase in traffic profitability. Therefore, the Mi-8’s upgrade was based
on replacing the TV2-117 engine with the
more advanced and efficient TV7-117, which
design was offered by the Leningrad-based
engine design bureau led by Sergey Izotov
(now the Klimov company). In addition, the
development of the improved helicopter was
to include replacement of the mixed-design
rotor blades with fibreglass ones, improvement of the fuselage aerodynamics and shifting of the fuel tanks to the bay under the cargo
cabin floor.
Then, a decision was taken to introduce
a number of more advanced technical solutions to the design of the machine. The solutions included an elastomeric main rotor hub,
retractable landing gear, X-shaped tail rotor,
up-to-date flight/navigation suite, etc. The
improvements led to the emergence of a new
helicopter dubbed Mi-38 in 1983.
Later on, the Mi-38 underwent numerous
modifications aimed at enhancing its reliability, efficiency and components/systems weight
reduction and, in the end, at improving the
technical and economic characteristics of the
helicopter and honing its competitive edge on
the global market. Naturally, implementation
of the advanced solutions delayed the design
process, to which the economic turmoil in
this country in the later ‘80s and the ‘90s
contributed.
Overall, the Mi-38’s configuration had
matured by 1990s, when the draft design
was prepared. Compared to the initial Mi-38
design, the draft design had undergone quite
a change. The design normal takeoff weight
had grown from 12.5 t to 13 t and the maximum weight from 14 t to 14.5 t, while payload
www.take-off.ru
industry | programme
Kazan Helicopters
had accounted for 5 t. An increase in the
powerplant’s emergency rating had boosted
flight safety when flying with one engine
down. A technical and economic analysis had
proven that the Mi-38 would be far superior
to the Mi-8 by 1.8 times in payload weight,
by 2 times in performance capacity and by 1.7
times in fuel efficiency. Civil aviation leaders approved the draft design, and the Kazan
Helicopters began to gear up for productionising the Mi-38.
on cooperation in December 1992 and set up
their Euromil joint venture in 1994 including
the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, Kazan
Helicopters, Klimov plant and Eurocopter
company.
Under the work sharing agreement between
the partners, the Mil Moscow Helicopter
Plant was to design and test the advanced helicopter, the Kazan Helicopters was tasked with
making prototypes and production machines
and with their after-sales support and the
Klimov plant was responsible for the development of the TV7-117V helicopter engine rated
at 2,500 h.p. (3,750 at the emergency rating)
and, a bit later, offered an even more sophisticated next-generation engine TVa-3000 rated
at 2,800 h.p. Eurocopter undertook the development of the flight/navigation suite, flight
control system and cockpit and cabin interiors. It also promised to facilitate the Mi-38’s
international certification, promotion on the
global market and after-sales support.
The helicopter’s development by an international team was supported by the Russian
government that included it into the Russian
Civil Aircraft Development Programme for
the Period through 2015. However, the funding of the programme by the government
proved to be scarce. The problem was further
exacerbated by the crisis of the late ‘90s and
a number of federal laws that limited the
amount of foreign capital in the Russian
aircraft industry and, hence, banned foreign
partners from managing joint venture in that
branch of economy.
This led to the Klimov plant’s pullout from
the Euromil joint venture due to Klimov’s dire
financial situation. Then, Eurocopter followed
suit, having been stripped of incentives to
keep on participating in the programme. Only
two companies, Mil and Kazan Helicopters,
had stuck to the programme by 2003 when
Kazan Helicopters completed the first Mi-38
prototype (OP-1). After Klimov’s withdrawal from the programme, the Mi-38 project
was tailored for use of Canadian PW127TS
turboshaft engines with a takeoff power of
2,500 h.p. (3,750 h.p. at the emergency rating). A two-engine set was provided to the
Mi-38 developers by Pratt & Whitney Canada
anticipating the future market success of the
programme and subsequent lucrative orders.
Mi-38 first flying prototype (OP-1)
in its maiden flight, 22 December 2003…
www.take-off.ru
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Together with foreign partners
The Mi-38 transport/passenger helicopter
was designed to carry passengers and cargo,
cargo handling, civil and erection works, search
and rescue operations, forest engineering, geologic exploration, ambulance services, medical
evacuation and operation as a VIP wagon.
From the outset, the aircraft was designed for
operation under various weather and climatic
conditions. It is also important that the Mi-38
became essentially the first Russian helicopter,
whose designing provided from the outset, its
certification in line with the Russian and foreign air worthiness standards.
However, the collapse of the Soviet Union
disrupted the existing industrial links. Many
of the Mi-38 programme participants found
themselves in different former Soviet states
or switched to different products. At the
same time, Russian helicopter makers found
new opportunities to cooperate with foreign
partners. Major European helicopter maker
Eurocopter took interest in cooperation with
the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant, with the
Mi-38 out of all of Mil’s development programmes attracting its attention. The two
companies made a preliminary agreement
… and at MAKS 2007 airshow,
August 2007
take-off june 2011
15
Kazan Helicopters
industry | programme
Mi-38 second flying prototype (OP-2) during
its first hoverings, 3 November 2010
Powered by such a powerplant, the first
Mi-38 conducted its maiden flight in Kazan
on 22 December 2003, flown by a Mil crew of
Vladimir Kutanin and Alexander Klimov.
From first flights to upgrade
Late in October 2004, following the preliminary factory trials at the airfield of Kazan
Helicopters, the first Mi-38 prototype was ferried to Mil’s flight test facility in the Moscow
Region. It was unveiled at the MAKS 2005 air
show in Zhukovsky in August 2005 and demonstrated as part of the flight demonstration
programme. In autumn 2006, Mil reported
that the Mi-38’s tests had produced results
exceeding the specifications requirement, in
particular, design flight speed and altitude.
For instance, during a flight under the factory test programme on 27 September 2006, a
Mil aircrew made up of pilot Vladimir Kutanin,
co-pilot Sergey Barkov and project engineer
Igor Klevantsev climbed to a record-setting
altitude of 8,170 m, with the takeoff weight
being 11,100 kg on that mission. Earlier, the
Mi-38 had climbed to 5,900 m with a takeoff
weight of 14,200 kg and to 5,450 m with a takeoff weight of 15,600 kg. The static ceiling tests
were a success too. With the aircraft weighing
14,300 kg at take-off, it managed to climb
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take-off june 2011
to an altitude much higher than 3,000 m. In
addition, the Mi-38 proved to be able to hover
out of ground effect with its takeoff weight
equalling 16,350 kg. The tests also produced a
maximum speed of 320 km/h.
The first phase of the Mi-38 OP-1
(reg. RA-38011) development test programme,
during which 86 successful sorties were flown,
was complete in October 2007. The helicopter
was partially disassembled for analysis of the
state of the systems after four years of trials
and improvements. Meanwhile, an adjusted
programme of further Mi-38 development
work aimed at the soonest market entry of the
advanced helicopter was devised. In so doing,
a decision was taken to fit the Mi-38 the
cutting-edge avionics suite from the Transas
company in St. Petersburg.
As part of the HeliRussia 2008 show on
15 May 2008, Russian Helicopters company,
UMPO and TsIAM, on the one hand, and
Pratt&Whitney Canada, on the other, signed
a memorandum of understanding on cooperation in developing and manufacturing the
PW127TS engine to equip the Mi-38 helicopter. Under the agreement made, the Canadian
company was to complete the development of
a turboshaft variant of the PW127 turboprop
engine for use on the Mi-38, have it cer-
tificated and launch delivery of its knockdown
kits to Russia for final assembly of production
engines, which assembly was to be handled
under licence by UMPO.
However, Pratt&Whitney Canada later
decided to suspend its participation in the
programme. The Mi-38 again had to switch
to the TV7-117V earmarked for the machine
almost three decades ago from the outset.
Georgy Sinelschikov, Mi-38 programme
Director and Mil deputy chief designer, said at
the presentation of the updated Mi-38 design in
May 2009 that, though the switch to a different
engine would delay the pace of the programme
by two to three years, it will, nonetheless, allow
a hike in several characteristics of the helicopter
and an increase in its applications, e.g. the future
medium troops carrier, which acquisition is being
looked into by the Russian Defence Ministry.
For instance, the more powerful Russianmade TV7-117V engine will increase the
Mi-38’s maximum takeoff weight up to
16,200 kg (the PW127TS-powered first Mi-38
prototype had that of 15,600 kg) and the maximum cabin cargo weight up to 6,000 kg (7,000
kg on the external sling). Given the 14,200-kg
normal takeoff weight, the helicopter will have
a maximal speed of 310 km/h and a cruising
speed of 285 km/h, with its static ceiling to
www.take-off.ru
Mi-38 (OP-2) cockpit
Sergey Lysenko
Alexey Mikheyev
industry | programme
Mi-38 first prototype (OP-1) under upgrade
and re-engining at Mil facilities in Panki, May 2010
account for 3,840 m and its service ceiling for
6,400 m. Its endurance with a 30-min. emergency fuel reserve will be 880 km (1,000 km
without the emergency fuel reserve).
At the same time with the modification of the
design owing to the replacement of the powerplant (the modifications will not be too substantial, because Mil developed the TV7-117Vpowered Mi-38 versions – the cargo/passenger
Mi-382 and Mi-383 troop carrier – a long
time ago), Transas launched the development
and debugging of the advanced IBKO-38 integrated avionics suite.
The IBKO-38 suite allows round-the-clock
operation in various geographic and climatic
conditions in the automatic, director and
manual control modes. It has modular open
architecture and comprises five new-generation 12.1-inch TDS-12 multifunction displays
that show all relevant flight and navigation
data, the status of the helicopter equipment,
digital terrain map and imagery generated by
the 38A-813 weather radar. In addition, the
suite includes the redundant TNC-1G air
navigation computer system with an integral
GLONASS/GPS receiver, a mapping server,
a helicopter system and engine data gathering
and monitoring system, the TTA-12N terrain
collision avoidance system, up-to-date radar
www.take-off.ru
and comms gear. The suite has the optional
SVS collimator synthesised-vision head-up
display. The suite’s open architecture allows
the use of extra radio-technical and optronic
equipment and introduction of new data display modes as well.
It is important that the key components
of the IBKO-38 integrated avionics suite are
commonised with the IBKV-17 suite designed
for upgraded versions of the Mi-8 (Mi-17).
This ensures optimisation of the operation
and MRO and enables aircrews to convert to
a new type easily.
Productionising
The IBKO-38 suite was first installed on
the second Mi-38 prototype (OP-2) assembled by Kazan Helicopters in August 2010.
The second prototype is equipped with a
pair of Canadian PW127TS turboshafts, as
the first prototype (OP-1) was in its day. At
the same time, unlike the OP-1, the OP-2
embodies a number of design improvements,
such as the modified hydraulic and fuel
systems, redesigned main rotor blades and
standard feel-spring mechanisms introduced
to the helicopter control system. This has
resulted in a better controllability and stability.
The Mil crew of test pilots Vladimir Kutanin
and Salavat Sadriyev and flight test engineer
Igor Klevantsev put the advanced machine
into a hover for the first time on 30 October
2010. In all, the second Mi-38 prototype
had logged seven missions to test its hovering
capabilities and fly slowly over the runway.
Finally, Vladimir Kutanin’s crew performed
a pattern flight in Kazan on 22 November
on the helicopter with registration number
RA-38012. Overall, there were three sorties
on that day, on which speed was gradually
increased up to 260 km/h.
On 16 December, the Mi-38 OP-2 flew
from Kazan to Tomilino in the Moscow
Region where Mil’s flight test facility is. The
first Mi-38 prototype (OP-1) is now being fitted with advanced Russian-made TV7-117V
engines here. It is to fly soon. Meanwhile,
Kazan Helicopters has been assembling the
third Mi-38 prototype (OP-3) and which is
intended to be powered by TV7-117V engines
too. The time the third Mi-38 prototype
joins the trials hinges on the preparedness of
Klimov to supply the second set of TV7-117Vs.
This is expected in 2011. The OP-3’s airframe
is at a high degree of completion, and the
second IBKO-38 suite has been ordered from
Transas.
The Mi-38 certification programme is
planned for completion in 2014, after which
the helicopter will be fit for full-scale production and subsequent deliveries. It certification
tests will kick off this year, with the second
prototype powered by Canadian engines in the
lead to be followed by the TV7-117V-powered
first prototype and then the third one.
Thus, if all goes to plan, deliveries of production-standard Mi-38s may well begin in
four years. As far back as 2008, Russian
Helicopters was reported to have had tentative orders for 75 Mi-38s from several Russian
air carriers. The Mi-38 has a good prospect
on the global market as well. With about a
hundred Mi-17s (Mi-171s) exported annually,
there is a good chance for the cutting-edge
medium transport from Mil to succeed the
legendary Hip.
The Mi-38 programme is a key element of
the long-term strategy of Russian Helicopters.
No doubt, production of various variants of
the Mi-8MTV (AMT) and Mi-17 (Mi-171),
including the heavily upgraded Mi-8M
(Mi-17M, Mi-171A2) version, by the plants
in Kazan and Ulan-Ude will continue for
years to come, because demand for them will
persist in the coming years, especially after
they have been upgraded. But anyway the
market will demand new-generation medium
transport helicopters, and the Mi-38 may well
become the best offer of the Russian helicopter makers in the class starting from the
middle of the decade.
take-off june 2011
17
industry | company
and other passenger and cargo aircraft powered by cruise engines of D-436 family. It is
intended to start cruise engines and supply
compressed air and electric power to airplane
onboard systems, with cruise engines inoperative. High AI-450-MS AGTE efficiency is
attained through low specific fuel consumption that is a result of high thermodynamic
cycle parameters, high efficiency of subassemblies, as well as a result of selecting air
bleed from an ancillary compressor; and
through low operation costs.
Currently, efforts are undertaken to develop
An-158 99-passenger airplane derived from
An-148 regional jet with its maiden flight performed on 28 April 2010, An-168 corporate
of Mi-2 helicopter fleet opens good prospects for AI-450M engine manufacture, with
re-motorising a substantial part of the fleet
being profitable.
To increase helicopter performance and
operational efficiency when operating at
higher altitudes and higher temperatures,
Motor Sich JSC has developed a new
TV3-117VMA-SBM1V helicopter engine
that possesses extended life limits: time before
the first overhaul and time between overhauls
(TBO) are 4,000 hours/cycles, total life is
12,000 hours/cycles.
TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engine has the
same weight and dimensions, overall and
fitting to fit the engine to helicopter fitting
D-436-148
Vyacheslav BOGUSLAYEV
Chairman of the Board,
Motor Sich JSC
Motor Sich JSC trade mark is a symbol
of cost-effective, reliable, and competitive
products that are a part and parcel of aviation industry of Ukraine. The company offers
state-of-the-art multipurpose aero engines
operated all over the world in more than 120
countries.
To expand its presence in the market of
aeronautical propulsion systems, Motor Sich
JSC is undertaking efforts to develop and
commercialise manufacture of a variety of new
promising aero engines and to upgrade commercial ones, with D-436-148, AI-450-MS,
AI-450M, TV3-117VMA-SBM1V and
MS-500V among them.
An-148
MOTOR SICH ENGINES
FROM SMALL UAVs TO HEAVY LIFTERS
D-436-148 engine has been developed
around the best design solutions; it is intended for An-148 passenger family airplanes.
An extensive package of design-and-research
works related to the engine combustion
chamber and enhancement of engine acoustic performance make it possible to provide
emission and noise levels substantially lower
than ICAO standards. In terms of its performance, this commercially manufactured
engine is as good as its foreign competitor
products being developed currently.
Motor Sich JSC has developed AI-450-MS
two-shaft auxiliary gas turbine engine
(AGTE) for various An-148 modifications
18
take-off june 2011
aircraft with its range being up to 7,000 km,
cargo and military-cargo aircraft able to carry
20 t of cargo to a distance of up to 2,000 km
or 15 t to a distance of 3,200 km.
The company pays great attention to
manufacturing engines for utility helicopters. AI-450 is the smallest helicopter engine
developed by Motor Sich JSC along with
Ivchenko-Progress design bureau. Various
engine modifications can provide takeoff
power at the range of 370 to 730 hp. AI-450M
engine modification is intended to re-motorise Mi-2 helicopters previously manufactured, wherein it is to replace GTD-350 gas
turbine engine. We hope that a huge world
commercial
points, like the engines that power Mi and Ka
helicopters. TV3-117VMA-SBM1V series 1
engine modification with FADEC automatic
control system is developed for new helicopter projects. Using this automatic control
system will result in further enhancement of
engine and helicopter performances.
Upgraded Mi-24 helicopter powered by
TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines has been
introduced into service by the Ministry
of Defence of Ukraine. Mi-24 helicopter
powered by TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines
showed record rate of climb earlier in the
course of previous tests: it climbed at the altiwww.take-off.ru
п р о м ы iшn лd еu нs нt rо yс т | ь c |o mи pт оa nг иy
tude of 5 km for 9 minutes only, which means
2.5-time increase in rate of climb.
On 19 May 2010, Mi-8MTV helicopter
powered by TV3-117VMA-SBM1V engines
took off from the airfield of Konotop aircraft
repair and overhaul plant. The helicopter
climbed to the altitude of 8,100 m for 13 seconds in the course of tests, with the world’s
record set up.
Taking into consideration changes of the
world helicopter market conditions, the
company is undertaking efforts to develop a
new generation of MS-500V family engines
of 600–1,000 hp power class, which are
intended for utility helicopters whose take
off weight is 3.5-6 t. As experts predict, the
market sector of this class helicopters is
going to be one of the most promising one
in the coming up years due to helicopter versatility. A leading version of MS-500V model
line is going to be an engine of takeoff power
of 630 hp designed according to requirements specification by Kazan Helicopters
JSC for Ansat type helicopter.
Simple and effective design of MS-500V
family engine is typical for engines of this
class currently available. The core engine
includes a one-step centrifugal compressor
with high compression ratio, an annular
reverse flow combustor, and a one-step turbine. Power developed by the one-step free
turbine is transmitted to the main helicopter
reduction gear through an integrated intermediate reduction gear. The engine possesses an advanced electronic control and
monitoring system with hydromechanical
redundancy.
Currently, development efforts are undertaken by Ivchenko-Progress design bureau
within AI-8000V engine project that is to be
implemented along with Motor Sich JSC.
AI-136T
Mi-26T
The engine power is 8,250 hp at takeoff
power setting and 9,300 hp at emergency
power setting. The engine is intended for
heavy cargo helicopters and utility helicopters of Mi-46 type.
D-136 engine is the largest helicopter
engine by Motor Sich JSC. It provides
power of 11,400 hp at takeoff power setting
at environment temperature of 15°С and
it has an unrivalled position in the world
in terms of this parameter. D-136 engine
is operated at Mi-26, the world’s largest
heavy-lift helicopter.
Currently, Ivchenko-Progress design
bureau is designing D-136 engine upgrade
project. A new engine has been designated
AI-136T1, and it is to provide power of
11,650 hp at maximum takeoff power setting;
the power specified is to be kept up to envi-
Mi-24
TV3-117VMA-SBM1V
www.take-off.ru
commercial
ronment temperature of 50°С. Emergency
power setting has been introduced to provide
power of 12,500 hp. AI-136T1 engine is
intended to upgrade Mi-26 helicopters and
to power new heavy-lift helicopters.
A wide range of helicopter engines manufactured and prospective ones makes it possible to implement virtually any project of
developing a new helicopter or re-motorising the ones available.
Developing multipurpose unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) is considered one of the
most prospective trends in the development
of military aviation. Motor Sich JSC manufactured engines make it possible to develop
UAVs and missiles of various types and purposes: from small UAVs powered by MS-100
engine to unmanned combat air vehicles
(UCAVs) powered by versions of AI-25TL
and AI-222 engine families, as well as strategic UAVs powered by AI-22 type engines.
To summarise, it is pertinent to say that
aeronautical propulsion industry of Ukrain
can offer a wide range of engines that meet
requirements of the international regulations. Developed and introduced by Motor
Sich JSC, its advanced technical and design
solutions are based on state-of-the-art
achievements of science and technology.
Close collaboration with designers and multiple partners allows the company to develop
engines that assure the future of air transport.
Motor Sich JSC
15, Motorostroiteley av.
Zaporozhye 69068, Ukraine
Tel.: +38 (061) 720-48-14
Fax: +38 (061) 720-50-05
E-mail: [email protected],
[email protected]
http://www.motorsich.com
take-off june 2011
19
Andrey Fomin
industry | report
Alexander MANYAKIN,
Andrey FOMIN
AMPHIBIAN CHANGES ITS PLACE OF ORIGIN
Be-200 series production in Taganrog kicks off
Among the displays at the current Le Bourget air show, there is to be the Be-200ChS
amphibian aircraft brought to Paris by its developer and manufacturer Beriev
company. The full-rate production and sales of the Be-200 amphibian is a priority
for Beriev, even more so that new prospects are facing the programme now. In
September 2010, the Be-200ES-E was issued its long-awaited type certificate by
the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), which paved the way to the Western
market for it. Very recently, on 25 May 2011, the Russian Emergencies Ministry
awarded Beriev a long-term order for six more Be-200ChS amphibians, with the
aircraft to be built in Taganrog this time. Beriev launched manufacture of parts for
its own production-standard Be-200ChS amphibians.
The baseline model of Beriev Be-200 is
designed to put out forest fires using water
or flame extinguisher liquid. It has spawned
the Be-200ChS derivative for the Russian
Emergencies Ministry, the launch customer for
the amphibian. Under the contract awarded by
the Emergencies Ministry, the Irkutsk Aircraft
Plant, a subsidiary of the Irkut corporation,
made and delivered four production amphibians from 2003 through 2006, while the fifth
aircraft made in 2007 was exported a year later
to Azerbaijan where it has been in service with
the Azeri Emergencies Ministry ever since.
In the wake of the forest fires raging all
over Russia last summer, the Russian government decided to beef up the air arm of the
Emergencies Ministry with more Be-200ChS
amphibians. An agreement on delivery of eight
more Be-200ChS’s to the ministry was signed
in a ceremony during the Gydroaviasalon show
in Gelenjik in September 2010. The agreement
provided at Phase I for Beriev to bring the two
previously-ordered final aircraft under construc-
20
take-off june 2011
tion in Irkutsk up to snuff with the requirements
specifications and deliver them and then launch
deliveries of Be-200ChS of its own make.
The
sixth
production-standard
Be-200ChS (c/n 301) made its maiden flight
in Irkutsk in July last year and was ferried to
Taganrog last August. Now, it is sitting in a
Beriev assembly shop, receiving customerapproved improvements that were applied
to the previously-acquired Emergencies
Ministry amphibians as part of scheduled
overhauls after they had kicked off their
operations. The final, seventh Irkut-built
Be-200ChS (c/n 302) was completed this
spring: its maiden flight took place in the
city of Irkutsk on 3 April, and the aircraft
was ferried to Taganrog the same month to
be given the same improvements Aircraft
301 is being given prior to the delivery.
Both aircraft are to enter service with the
Emergency Ministry’s air branch until late
November 2011 under the governmental
contract signed last November.
Construction
of
the
remaining
Be-200ChS’s will be handled by Beriev that
has since April this year been a single company uniting the previously independent
TAVIA production plant and Beriev company proper situated on the same premises.
For the purpose of construction, part of
the production tools has been moved from
Irkutsk to Taganrog, new assembly jigs have
been made and cutting-edge processing
centres and other high-tech gear have been
imported. The governmental contract for
six production Be-200ChS amphibians to
be made and delivered to the Emergencies
Ministry prior to 2014 was signed on 25 May
2011. The aircraft shall be fielded with air
units of the Siberian and Far Eastern regional centres of the Emergencies Ministry.
The first Taganrog-built aircraft is to be complete in the second quarter of 2013. Overall,
Beriev is to manufacture three Be-200ChS’s
in 2013, according to Director General –
General Designer Victor Kobzev. Three more
aircraft are to be made in 2014 under the order
the Emergencies Ministry placed recently.
The first export Be-200ES-E is to be completed at the same time. Victor Kobzev said
the plans provided for an increase in the
Taganrog output up to six Be-200ChS aircraft
a year with a possible subsequent increase
up to 10–12 units per annum. According to
the Beriev head, there may be demand for
30–35 aircraft of the type in Europe alone,
www.take-off.ru
Andrey Fomin
industry | report
Wing centre section panel for the first Be-200
of Beriev company production in assembly rig
the Be-200), the Be-300 can operate from
unpaved airfields to handle a wide range of
missions in the regions lacking a developed
airfield network.
The common aerodynamic configuration
and flight performance similar to that of
land-based aircraft provided the Be-200 with
a high degree of upgradeability. This offers
excellent opportunities for deriving a whole
range of Be-200 versions, both amphibian
and land-based, to accomplish a variety of
civilian and military missions in an effective
manner. The Be-210 passenger amphibian
has been derived from the Be-200 and provision has been made for developing a cargo/
passenger and patrol derivatives. In addition,
the Be-200 and its Be-300 land-based version could be of interest as a versatile platform for specialist aircraft for military and
civilian roles.
Last spring, the Be-200ChS amphibian has
proven its top-notch characteristics yet again
during the FIDAE 2010 international air show
in Chile, after which it toured several Latin
American countries and the United States for
the demonstration purpose. Overall, the aircraft covered upwards of 56,000 km within a
total of 121 flying hours. The Be-200ChS flew
over 14 countries on three continents. Earlier
this year, the Be-200ChS has performed a
series of demonstration flights in India and
Israel.
Andrey Fomin
with potential customers including France,
Spain and Greece. High expectation also is
pinned on the Asian market, particular, India,
where the Be-200 is bidding in several tenders
at once.
Also important is that the assembly jigs
set up in Beriev’s shops to make the Be-200
amphibians are fit for manufacturing the
non-amphibian Be-300 plane as well.
According to Victor Kobzev, both aircraft
have 75–85% commonality. Essentially, the
Be-300 and Be-200 differ only in the shape
of the lower fuselage that has the conventional aeroplane shape, rather than that of
a boat. Owing to the engines mounted on
top of the wing (a solution borrowed from
The last Irkut-production Be-200ChS c/n 302 arrived
in Taganrog for outfitting before delivery to Russian
Emercom due to take place before late November 2011
www.take-off.ru
take-off june 2011
21
Sukhoi
military aviation | event
PAK FA
The second flying prototype of the
T-50 fifth-generation fighter, built by
the Sukhoi company under the PAK FA
Future Tactical Fighter programme, took
from the airfield of the Komsomolsk-onAmur Aircraft Production Association
(KnAAPO) on 3 March 2011. The
57-min. maiden flight was performed
by Honoured Test Pilot Sergey Bogdan,
who had taken the first prototype to
the skies just over a year ago, on
29 January 2010. According to Sukhoi,
the flight was a success and in line
with the mission scenario, with the
operation of the systems, powerplant,
stability and controllability assessed.
“The plane performed well throughout
the flight programme”, the developer’s
news release reads.
By now, as many as four prototypes of the
advanced aircraft are used under the PAK FA
test programme, of which two are flying prototypes. The so-called ‘zero’ static test prototype
(T50-0) has been undergoing endurance tests
at a dedicated facility of Sukhoi in Moscow
since summer 2009. The T50-KNS integrated full-scale testbed is used for ground trials
of onboard systems, including the fuel and
hydraulic systems, powerplant, control system, etc. In 2009, it was moved to KnAAPO’s
airfield where it performed its first taxiing
and high-speed runs. Then, it was airlifted
on 8 April last year by an An-124 transport to
Zhukovsky along with the first flying prototype
and has carried on with the ground tests at
22
take-off june 2011
TWO PROTOTYPES
IN TRIALS
Sukhoi’s flight test and debugging facility in the
Moscow Region.
The first flying prototype, T50-1, has been
undergoing the flight tests in Zhukovsky since
29 April 2010, having logged six acceptance
test sorties in Komsomolsk-on-Amur from
29 January to 26 March 2010. It had had about
40 flights under its belt by late autumn 2010,
including several demonstration sorties when
it was shown to Prime Minister Vladimir Putin
on 17 June 2010 and an Indian delegation on
31 August 2010.
Sukhoi’s March news release reads:
“36 flights have been performed on the first
flying prototype in support of the flight test
programme” and “the preliminary ground and
flight test programme has been completed in
full”. Early in February this year, the T50-1
resumed flight tests after it had undergone a
planned improvement programme that had
begun last autumn. This done, its check flight
took place on 10 February.
The first flying prototype of the T-50 plane
first broke the sonic barrier in the Moscow
Region on a test flight on 9 March, with Test
Pilot Sergey Bogdan, Sukhoi’s project pilot
under the PAK FA programme, at the controls.
The T-50 started flying at supersonic speed
owing to the prototype’s operating envelope
expansion based on the results produced by
the preliminary test phase, during which its
stability, controllability and other characteristics were evaluated against the backdrop of
the gradually dwindling g-load, speed and altitude limits inherent in the phase of the initial
flight tests characteristic for any newly-developed aircraft. The way the aircraft behaved at
supersonic speed was pronounced satisfactory,
which allows another expansion of the maximal authorised flight speed and altitude range.
Meanwhile, the acceptance tests of the second PAK FA flying prototype were wrapped
up in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in early March.
Overall, Sergey Bogdan had flown four missions from 3 to 5 March, after which the
aircraft was sent to be painted and prepared
for the transfer to Sukhoi’s flight test and
debugging facility in Zhukovsky. An Antonov
An-124 heavylifter hauled the T50-2 from
Komsomolsk-on-Amur to the Moscow Region
on 3 April. Once brought to Zhukovsky and
subjected to relevant assembly, debugging and
checkouts, the second flying prototype joined
the PAK FA flight test programme alongside
the T50-1.
Several Sukhoi test pilots fly the PAK FA
prototypes now. Project pilot Sergey Bogdan
recently awarded with a title of the Hero of
Russia has flown most of the sorties. However,
other Sukhoi test pilots have been prepared for
the PAK FA’s trials due to the increasing scope
of work under the programme, for instance,
Roman Kondratyev and Yuri Vaschuk conducted their first flights on the T50-1 last September.
Roman Kondratyev has been taking an active
part in the continued tests of the first PAK FA
prototype in Zhukovsky. Other pilots are gearing
up for the test programme too.
The third flying prototype is sitting in
KnAAPO’s assembly shop and components
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | event
Sukhoi
Andrey FOMIN
of the fourth one are being manufactured.
Thus, “we will have generated the core that
will ensure a positive preliminary report”,
said Mikhail Pogosyan, Sukhoi Director
General and UAC president. The third
PAK FA flying prototype is supposed to
be equipped with a prototype active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar that
Tikhomirov-NIIP has been developing.
The developer has made and conducted
numerous tests of three AESA radars, with
the third of them earmarked for fitting the
PAK FA prototype.
At the same time, the third and fourth aircraft will be furnished with a number of other
avionics systems, which tests are not supposed to be carried out by the first and second
prototypes. “We will use two more aircraft for
the tests in 2012, as we planned”, Mikhail
Pogosyan said during the Bangalore air show
in February. Probably, he meant the fifth and
sixth flying prototypes to be equipped with the
complete avionics and weapons suites.
As is known, Vladimir Putin set the task of
having the early PAK FAs of the low-rate initial production (LRIP) batch delivered to the
Russian Air Force centre in Lipetsk in 2013
for their operation evaluation and launching
deliveries of production-standard fighters to
RusAF combat units in 2015. As the then
Deputy Defence Minister and armed forces
armament chief Vladimir Popovkin told the
media during the PAK FA’s unveiling in
Zhukovsky in June 2010, the draft governmental armament programme designed to
cover throughout 2020 stipulated acquisition
of “more than 50 fifth-generation fighters”
from 2016.
PAK FA flying prototype is slated for the
public unveiling during the MAKS 2011 international air show in August this year.
T50-2 landing after its maiden flight,
3 March 2011
Sukhoi
Sukhoi's test pilot Sergey Bogdan reports
the results of the second T-50 prototype
speed taxi tests, Komsomolsk-on-Amur,
2 March 2011
www.take-off.ru
take-off june 2011
23
military aviation | report
ADVANCED Yaks FOR RusAF
Borisoglebsk Air Force Training Centre receives five Yak-130s
Five advanced Yakovlev Yak-130 combat
trainers arrived at the Air Force Training
Centre in the town of Borisoglebsk,
Voronezh Region, from the Sokol
aircraft plant in the Nizhny Novgorod
Region in early April. The Borisoglebsk
training centre provides basic and
advanced flying training to cadets of
the Krasnodar Air Force Academy (now
an affiliate of the Prof. Zhukovsky &
Gagarin Air Force Command and Staff
Academy), who then are posted to
attack and tactical bomber units of the
Russian Air Force.
As is known, the first four Sokol-built
Yak-130s were delivered to the Air Force
Combat and Conversion Training Centre in
Lipetsk just over a year ago, during February
through April 2010, and participated in
the Victory Day parade over Red Square
in Moscow on 9 May 2010. Unfortunately,
one of the Yak-130s (serial 93) crashed on
takeoff in Lipetsk on a routine training
sortie, which led to temporary grounding
of all aircraft of the type operated by the
Air Force.
24
take-off june 2011
Although the immediate cause of the
crash was not a design or manufacture
defect, rather pre-flight errors mostly, the
developer decided to use the lull in the
flight operations of production planes to
refine the aircraft control system. In particular, an advanced software package for
the integrated flight control system was
introduced, which allowed full-fledged use
of the reprogramming modes enabling the
Yak-130 to simulate the specific features of
controlling both light and heavy or highly
manoeuvrable planes. To test the upgraded
control system and improved display system, the first production Yak-130 made
by the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant of the Irkut
Corp. was used as well. It was serialled
134 for the duration of the tests. Mention
should be made that the flights of the Irkutowned prototypes and production-standard
Yak-130s were not grounded in the wake of
the crash in Lipetsk, with all of them carrying on with various test programmes.
Under the circumstance, the Sokol plant
was unable to fulfil the government-award-
ed contract for delivery of the first 12-ship
Yak-130 batch for the Air Force last year
(Sokol Director General Alexander Karezin
said in May last year that the contract was to
be fulfilled in November 2010). At present,
the delivery of the whole batch of advanced
combat trainers under the first governmental contract is slated for completion before
mid-2011.
The Yak-130 serialled 23 was the first of
the four planes to touch down at the airfield
in Borisoglebsk half an hour before noon
on 6 April 2011. Serials 24, 25, 21 and 22
followed it to the runway at an interval
of 5 to 10 minutes. The new productionstandard Yak-130s were ferried from Nizhny
Novgorod to Borisoglebsk by the crews
made up of test pilots of the Sokol plant, the
customer’s representative office at Sokol,
and Chkalov State Flight Test Centre.
The Borisoglebsk Air Force Training
Centre dates back almost 90 years. The
establishment of the 2nd Red Air Fleet
Flying School in Moscow was ordered in
December 1922, and the school was moved
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | report
Yevgeny YEROKHIN
Photos by author
to its permanent station, Borisoglebsk, on
order of the Red Air Fleet’s chief of military
educational institutions in early April 1923.
The flying school was named after legendary
Soviet pilot Valery Chkalov later on. It was
converted into the Borisoglebsk Air Force
Academy after WWII. In summer 1970, it
started training its cadets on the L-29 jet
trainer. The academy underwent another
change on the verge of the 1990s, when it
was reformed into the 1080th Air Force
Training Centre named after Valery Chkalov
and fielded with advanced fourth-generation MiG-29 fighters and, in February 1994,
Su-25 attack aircraft.
The 1080th Air Force Training Centre comprised as many as six air bases in Borisoglebsk,
Buturlinovka, Bagai-Baranovka, Lebyazhye,
Tonkoye and Uprun. Its purpose was theoretical and practical conversion of air force
academy graduates from the L-39 trainer
to RusAF’s up-to-date tactical aircraft –
MiG-29, Su-24 and Su-25. In 2000, the 2nd
Tactical Aviation Department of the Armavir
Military Aviation Institute, which trained personnel for tactical bombers and ground attack
aircraft was established in Borisoglebsk. Flight
training was given on the L-39 and Su-25
in the 160th Training Air Regiment that was
activated as far back as 1971 as part of the
Borisoglebsk Air Force Academy.
www.take-off.ru
Lately, the Air Force aircrew training system has been changed as part of the reform
of the Russian Armed Forces. A decision
has been made to form the 786th Air Force
Training Centre for aircrew conversion
training (it absorbed the military posts in
Borisoglebsk and Michurinsk) and reforming the 2nd department of the Armavir
Military Aviation Institute. Under the governmental resolution dated 10 May 2001,
the department of the disbanded Armavir
Military Aviation Institute was assigned to
the Krasnodar Military Aviation Institute
as the 3rd Tactical Bomber and Attack
Aircraft Department. Its cadets learnt to fly
at training air regiments in Borisoglebsk and
Michurinsk.
Thus, there is a training air regiment
stationed in Borisoglebsk these days, providing flying training to future attack air-
craft and bomber pilots – cadets of the
3rd department of the Krasnodar affiliate
of the Prof. Zhukovsky & Gagarin Air
Force Command and Staff Academy. After
the Borisoglebsk instructor-pilots have
completed their conversion, cadets flight
training on cutting-edge Yak-130s shall be
launched here.
The Sokol plant has promised to complete the construction, testing and delivery
of three production aircraft more not later
than June. “The Nizhny Novgorod-based
Sokol aircraft plant plans to deliver three
Yak-130 combat trainers to the Russian Air
Force and, thus, fulfil the contract for 12
aircraft of the type awarded by the Defence
Ministry”, Nizhny Novgorod Region
Industry and Innovation Minister Vladimir
Nefyodov told the RIA Novosti news agency
late in March.
take-off june 2011
25
military aviation | news
In mid-April, Russian Air Force
Commander-in-Chief
Col.-Gen.
Alexander Zelin signed the report
on completion of the official test
programme by the Sukhoi Su-34
multirole tactical bomber. The
tests themselves were fulfilled
successfully in January this year.
In this connection, the InterfaxAVN news agency reported: “The
near future will see the signing of
the Phase two official tests report
expected to pave the way for the
Su-34 tactical bomber to the Russian
Air Force’s inventory”. The Russian
government will issue a special
resolution to authorise the plane’s
service entry in line with the current
practice.
The Su-34 official tests involving
a total of six prototype and preproduction aircraft and two
production warplanes had been
conducted since 1996. The flight
programme designed to obtain a
preliminary report on feasibility of
full-rate production and operational
evaluation had been completed by
April 2003, and Phase One of the
official test programme, conducted
under the refined specifications
requirement, was over in September
2006. Phase Two of the official trials,
designed to test advanced weapons
and tactics, had taken place from
late 2006 to January 2011.
The operational evaluation of the
Su-34 kicked off in the Lipetsk-
Sergey Chaikovsky
Su-34 completes official trials
based State Aviation Personnel
Training and Operational Evaluation
Centre in 2007, with the Centre
having been given three productionstandard bombers serialled 02, 04
and 05 before December 2009. Late
last year, the centre received four
more production planes (serials 06
through 09) under the December
2008 five-year contract for 32 Su-34
bombers earmarked for fielding
with the RusAF air base in Voronezh
further down the line. This year,
RusAF expects delivery of six
production-standard Su-34s more
under the contract.
Nikolay Anisimov
In mid-February, the Russian
Air Force took delivery of the first
four out of an order of 12 Sukhoi
Su-27SM multirole single-seat
fighters, which delivery had been
stipulated by the deal clinched by
the Sukhoi company and the Russian
Defence Ministry during the MAKS
2009 air show in August 2009. The
warplanes completed a long flight
from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to
the air base in Krymsk, Krasnodar
Region, which had taken delivery
of a pair of two Su-30M2 twin-seat
multirole fighters last year. Unlike
the Su-27SMs delivered to RusAF in
2003 through 2009 and derived from
in-service Su-27 fighters by KnAAPO
by means of upgrade, the newly
delivered aircraft are brand-new and
just out of the assembly shop.
Probably, the new Su-27SMs
were made using the backlog of
Su-27SK airframes that KnAAPO
26
take-off june 2011
retained from the suspended licenceproduction contract with China. The
aircraft are powered by advanced
Salut AL-31F-M1 (AL-31F Series 42)
turbofans with thrust enhanced up
to 13,500 kgf, extended service life
as well as upgraded avionics and
weapons suites that are even more
sophisticated than those fitting the
upgraded Su-27SMs that have been
supplied until recently.
Last autumn, Tikhomirov-NIIP
Director General Yuri Bely told
Take-off in an interview: “Late
September saw the first launch
of a new medium-range air-to-air
missile by a Su-27SM3 prototype,
with the missile hitting its target.
To ensure the use of the missile
at an extended range, the antenna,
emitter and radar updates datalink
of the fighter’s radar had been
upgraded. The Su-27SM3 kicked
off its official test programme”. In
Nikolay Anisimov
Air Force accepting new Su-27SMs
all probability, the four Su-27SMs
delivered in February were made in
this particular version. At the same
time with improving the fire control
radar and beefing the weapons
suite with upgraded medium-range
missiles, the cockpit management
system was refined, with the cockpit
goes ‘all-glass’.
The first four Su-27SM3s were
ferried from KnAAPO’s factory
airfield to the south of Russia by
a group of pilots with the Lipetskbased Air Force State Aviation
Personnel Training and Operational
Evaluation Centre, who were led by
Lt.-Col. Yuri Spryadyshev, honoured
military pilot and sniper pilot. The
group took off from Komsomolskon-Amur on 15 February and made
their first stopover at Domna Air
Force Base vic. Chita, where the
Defence Ministry was giving a press
tour to the Russian media. Their
further itinerary included Novosibirsk
and Perm to be completed in Krymsk
successfully. With three stopovers,
the four new fighters covered
upwards of 7,000 km from the
Russian Far East to the Krasnodar
Region in the country’s south.
Meanwhile, KnAAPO is gearing
up for delivery of the remaining
eight aircraft under the contract.
They may well enter inventory of the
Air Force this year.
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | news
suite, set by the requirements
specification. The tests had
involved two prototypes of the
export version of the plane before
the first aircraft for the Russian
customer has joined them. Now
the new fighter has been furnished
for the official trials. The results to
be produced by their first stage’s
results will yield a preliminary
report on the fighter’s compliance
with the customer’s basic
requirements and feasibility of its
full-rate production for subsequent
fielding with combat units of the
Russian Air Force.
The Su-35S-1’s acceptance tests
at KnAAPO’s airfield, which included
seven test sorties, had been
completed with success by midMay, after which the preparation
of the aircraft for handover to the
Defence Ministry for the official test
programme began. The programme
will be pursued mostly at the
Defence Ministry’s State Flight Test
Centre in Akhtubinsk where the
plane was ferried in late May.
The Su-35’s key features setting it
aside from other aircraft of the Su-27
family are a drastically innovative
avionics suite, wrapped around a
digital information management
system, and the cutting-edge
Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis phased array
radar featuring the unique aerial target
acquisition range and enhanced
multiple-target
simultaneous
tracking and engagement capability
(it tracks 30 and engages eight
aerial threats or four and two ground
targets respectively). The fighter is
powered by advanced, NPO Saturn
117S thrust vector control turbofan
engines. The Su-35 will pack a
wide range of up-to-date and future
weapons in all classes.
The contract for the development
and delivery of 48 Su-35S fighters
to RusAF by 2015 was signed in
August 2009. The production and
delivery are supposed to continue
afterwards.
KnAAPO
KnAAPO
3 May saw the first productionstandard advanced Sukhoi Su-35S
multirole fighter built under the
contract awarded by the Russian
Defence Ministry take off from
KnAAPO’s airfield for its maiden
flight. During the sortie, which
lasted an hour and a half, various
operating modes of the integrated
control system and powerplant of
the aircraft and its stability and
controllability were tested. The
engine, systems and avionics
operated without fault. Honoured
Test Pilot Sergey Bogdan was at
the controls. He had taken the
Su-35’s first flying prototype
(No. 901) to the air on 19 February
2008 and the second prototype,
Su-35-2 (No. 902), on 2 October
the same year.
According
to
a
Sukhoi
spokesperson,
the
Su-35
preliminary trials have been
complete. At this stage, testers have
proven the stability, controllability,
powerplant performance and basic
characteristics of the avionics
KnAAPO
First Su-35S has flown
28
take-off june 2011
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | news
under the contract awarded in 2005.
However, this is only the first phase,
and the current contract is to be
followed by others, since RusAF’s
total Mi-28N helicopter requirement
stands at 300 machines at the least,
as was repeatedly stated by the
service’s brass.
The helicopter’s developer,
the Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant,
and manufacturer, Rostvertol,
are making efforts to refine the
machine further, in particular,
the Mi-28UB combat trainer with
twin controls is gearing up for
construction, and work on the
Mi-28N’s upgrade is under way in
line with the helicopter’s official
test programme report. Since
late 2009, line units have been
fielded with Mi-28Ns powered by
advanced VK-2500-02 engines (the
earlier-build machines are powered
by TV3-117VMAs). Rostvertol
Director General Boris Slyusar
told the media in April that the
company would productionise the
upgraded version designated as
Mi-28NM. It remains yet unknown
what it will differ from the current
production-standard aircraft in, but
probably, it will mount a radar,
more sophisticated electro-optical
systems, an effective defence aids
suite (DAS) and latest weapons.
Boris Slyusar also said the
company planned to launch Mi-28NE
deliveries for export from 2012. It
had been reported previously that
Algeria, Venezuela and several
CIS countries (e.g. Belarus and
Kazakhstan) had been keen on
the type. In addition, the Mi-28NE
is a contender of the tender for
22 combat helicopters, issued by
the Indian Defence Ministry. Last
autumn, the helicopter took part
in the demonstration and test
flight programme in India and won
approval of the potential customer.
In February this year, there were
media reports that talks in 2010 had
resulted in the first export contract
for 12 Mi-28NEs, but who is the
buyer remains unknown for the time
being.
Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
Another production-standard Mil
Mi-28N combat helicopter made
on order from the Russian Defence
Ministry completed its first flight
from the airfield of Rostvertol
JSC in Rostov-on-Don on 8 April
2011. It is the 40th aircraft of the
type manufactured by Rostvertol,
including the second prototype and
seven preproduction Mi-28Ns built
by Rostvertol during 2004 through
2007 and subjected to official trials.
The Mi-28N entered service under
the Presidential decree dated 15
October 2009.
During 2010, the first RusAF air
squadron stationed in Budyonnovsk
converted to the Mi-28N (Rostvertol
had made a total of 16 helicopters
for it, of which 10 were delivered
in 2009) and a second RusAF unit
stationed in Korenovsk, started
taking deliveries. According to the
Russian media, the first five Mi-28Ns
were shipped there in October 2010,
with three more having followed
before year-end 2010. According to
the Russian press, Rostvertol is to
deliver 67 Mi-28Ns in the near future
Andrey Fomin
Mi-28N production on the rise
30
take-off june 2011
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | news
Ka-52 being learnt in Torzhok
Having assembled and prepared
the machines after their delivery
from the manufacturer plant and
having trained flying and ground
crews, CCTC in Torzhok launched
flight operations on the Ka-52s early
in February this year. To date, military
pilots have flown new helicopters not
only in daytime but also at night and
under adverse weather conditions
as well owing to the cutting-edge
avionics suite equipping the Ka-52.
It includes a gyro-stabilised electrooptical system, night vision goggles
(NVG) and a radar that ensures the
helicopter’s 24-hour all-weather
combat capability.
To facilitate and speed up the
conversion of aircrews to the
www.take-off.ru
Ka-52, the Dinamika scientific and
technical services centre in the
Moscow Region has developed the
KTE-52 full-mission crew simulator,
the company reported in a news
release late in March. Kamov’s
order for developing the simulator
was landed last year. In addition to
the KTE-52 simulator, the complex,
allowing the full cycle of air and
ground crew training, includes an
automated basic ‘ground school’
system.
The KTE-52 allows training and
conversion training of aircrews for
the Ka-52 as far as all basic flight,
navigation and weapons use tasks
are concerned. It enables aircrews to
hone their skills in routine operating
modes and in an emergency, e.g. a
materiel failure, a piloting error and
foul weather.
The Progress-made simulator
mock-up is a dead ringer for the real
cockpit of the production helicopter
in terms of internal dimensions and
position of the controls, control
panels, consoles, etc. The Ka-52’s
real controls are used to simulate
the control stations. The simulator’s
visual system a six-channel projector
and partial dome display complex. It
provides angles of view ranging from
-90 deg. to +90 deg. in azimuth and
from -30 deg. to +53 deg. in elevation.
To simulate night vision modes and
the use of NVGs, there is a software/
hardware complex comprising a
computer and outside-world image
generation software tailored to the
peculiarities of the NVG imagery,
and virtual reality (VR) goggles and
a laser tracker as well. The simulator
also includes an onboard acoustics
simulation system.
The KTE-52 simulator was
developed by Dinamika in cooperation
with Kamov, which provided it with the
data package, and Konstanta Design
LLC, which furnished the outsideworld image generator. The company
has launched assembly a second
Ka-52 full-mission simulator, and the
Russian Army Aviation will now receive
a sophisticated training aid along with
advanced combat helicopters.
“Ka-52 simulators will become a
key component of the programme
on training pilots to fly latest combat
helicopters of the Russian Air
Force that took delivery of its four
first production-standard aircraft
in 2010”, reads Dinamika’s news
release. “Progress is slated to deliver
10 more production-standard Ka-52s
in 2011, with the output expected
to be maintained in 2012–2013 as
well. Overall, construction of 36
Ka-52 helicopters is stipulated by
the contract awarded by the Russian
Defence Ministry in 2009”.
Fielding of production-standard
Ka-52s with a RusAF’s Chernigovka
air base in the Russian Far East
started in May.
CSTS Dinamika
Alexey Mikheyev
Alexey Mikheyev
Alexey Mikheyev
As was reported by Take-off in its
February 2011 issue (p. 33), fielding
of the advanced Kamov Ka-52 roundthe-clock multirole combat helicopters
with the Russian Army Aviation
kicked off in December last year.
Their series production was launched
by the Sazykin Progress plant in
Arsenyev. The first four productionstandard aircraft were delivered to
the Russian Army Aviation Combat
and Conversion Training Centre
(CCTC) in the town of Torzhok, and
the acceptance ceremony took place
on 28 December 2010.
take-off june 2011
31
contracts and deliveries | news
More MiG-29K/KUBs delivered while Vikramaditya kicks off trials
ers were firmed up last spring. The
first batch of six production-standard
MiG-29K/KUBs were headed for India
in December 2009 and entered service with the Indian Navy in February
last year. The next five aircraft were
delivered in May 2011. To date, the
first batch of 16 MiG-29K/KUBs has
been almost complete, but the customer has requested the delivery of
the remaining aircraft of the batch to
be put on the back burner until some
time closer to the delivery date of the
Vikramaditya, from which they are
being bought to operate.
Under the additional agreement
signed last spring, the upgraded
Vikramaditya is to be delivered in late
2012, and then Indian naval pilots
will be able to start operating their
MiG-29K/KUB fighters off the carrier.
The Russian Defence Ministry
also is looking into acquisition of a
MiG-29K/KUB batch for operation
off the Admiral Kuznetsov,
Russia’s only aircraft carrier so far.
Considering that the production
of the Admiral Kuznetsov’s Su-33
fighters had been discontinued a
rather long time ago, the advanced
MiG fighters may well complement
the CAG of the Russian carrier, as
they carry a more sophisticated
avionics suite and a formidable
array of guided weapons of all
classes.
Alexey Mikheyev
In March, the Sevmash shipyard in
Severodvinsk launched the mooring
trials of the Vikramaditya multirole
aircraft carrier being developed
through overhauling and upgrading
the Admiral Gorshkov aircraft-carrying
cruiser previously in service with the
Russian Navy. “The most difficult and
important tests will be those of the
propulsion plant. The second priority
is to test the radio-electronic systems,
including Indian-made systems, and
the carrier’s aviation component as
well. The final objective of the mooring
tests is to prepare the systems and
equipment to the next phase, the
factory sea trials, during which the
aircraft carrier will put to sea. This
phase is slated for late 2011”, said a
Sevmash spokesperson.
The deal on the delivery of the
Vikramaditya aircraft carrier to the
Indian Navy was clinched in January
2004. It was accompanied by a deal on
development and delivery of 16 MiG29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters to make up the carrier air group
(CAG). The 29 options for such fight-
Myanmar receives new MiG-29 batch
M Radzi Desa
The MiG Corp. has delivered
the first batch of MiG-29 fighters
to the Republic of Myanmar. The
Russian media reported the readiness of the planes for shipping as
far back as early March. The contract
for 20 MiG-29 fighters for Myanmar
was landed in late 2009. According
to the Burmese press, it provides for
delivery of 10 MiG-29B fighters (the
baseline export variant also known as
type 9-12B), six MiG-29SE (9-13SE, a
version with a slightly increased fuel
load and improved avionics) and four
MiG-29UB two-seat combat trainers
to the tune of $550 million.
32
take-off june 2011
Since the MiG Corp. several years
ago has switched to production of a
commonised family of advanced versions of the fighter (MiG-29K/KUB,
MiG-29M/M2, MiG-35), it used its
backlog of earlier versions of the
MiG-29. The singleseaters were
manufactured by the MiG Corp.’s
production facility in Moscow and
the twinseaters by the Sokol plant in
Nizhny Novgorod.
The MiG-29 is well known in
Myanmar. The country awarded
the MiG Corp. the first contract for
12 aircraft of the type (10 MiG-29B
singleseaters and two MiG-29UB
twinseaters) in 2001 and the delivery took place in 2002–2003 (see the
photo). Once the new deal has been
fulfilled, Myanmar’s air force will
beef up its fighter fleet considerably:
Flight International has reported
that it had comprised 12 MiG-29s
and 24 obsolete F-7M (the Chinese
upgrade of the clone of the MiG-21,
a second-generation Soviet fighter),
by the beginning of this year. The
latter were delivered to Burma as
far back as the 1980s and are said
to have seen the termination of their
active operation in anticipation of
replacement with more advanced
MiG fighters.
At the same time with fulfilling the
Burmese contract, the MiG Corp. carries on with a major order from the
Indian Navy for MiG-29K/KUB carrierborne fighters. In addition, the early
MiG-29M/M2 single- and twinseaters are in construction under the
2007 contact with Syria, and upgrade
is underway of the first batch of the
Indian Air Force’s 62 MiG-29 fighters
under the MiG-29UPG programme
stipulated by the 2008 contract.
The situation is a bit more complicated as far as the prospect of the
heavily upgraded MiG-35 fighter (the
two-seat variant is designated as
MiG-35D) is concerned. The Indian
Defence Ministry is known to have
published in late April the short
list of contenders in the tender for
acquisition and licence production
of 126 MMRCA medium multirole
fighters, with the short list comprising the Eurofighter Typhoon
and Dassault Rafale. Nevertheless,
acquisition of a considerable number
of MiG-35s is stipulated by Russia’s
governmental armament acquisition
programme for the period until 2020.
Belarus has mentioned the feasibility of buying such planes recently
too. “There are plans for buying
MiG-35 or Su-30 aircraft as well”,
said Sergey Gurulyov, chairman,
State Military Industrial Committee
of Belarus, during a press conference in Minsk on 4 May.
www.take-off.ru
contracts and deliveries | news
Yevgeny Yerokhin
The first trilateral contract on three
Beriev A-50EI airborne early warning
and control (AEW&C) aircraft for
the Indian Defence Ministry was
fulfilled with success this spring. In
March, the third aircraft of the type,
serialled KW3553, flew to IAF’s air
base in Agra, having been fitted with
the radar system and subjected to
relevant trials in Israel.
As is known, the Beriev A-50EI
AEW&C system was developed
under the Russo-Indo-Israeli contract
signed in 2004 as a derivative of
the Ilyushin Il-76TD airlifter made
by TAPC (Uzbekistan), powered
by Beriev-installed Aviadvigatel/
Perm Engine Company PS-90A-76
engines and equipped with Israeli
radar system MSA Phalcon that was
installed by its manufacturer ELTA.
In addition, a datalink from Russian
corporation Vega is mounted on the
aircraft.
The first plane built under the
contract on the basis of the airframe
of Il-76TD c/n 94-02 first flew in
Taganrog on 29 November 2007
and entered service with IAF two
years ago, in May 2009, serialled
KW3551. The second unit, based
on the airframe of Il-76TD c/n 94-03
and serialled KW3552, conducted its
maiden flight from Beriev’s airfield on
11 January 2009 and was delivered in
March 2010. The final, third aircraft
derived from the airframe of Il-76TD
c/n 94-04 performed its first flight
in Taganrog on 9 June last year and
was ferried to Israel on 8 October.
www.take-off.ru
Yochai Mossi
India got its third A-50EI
With its delivery this spring, the
2004 contract has been fulfilled.
Nonetheless, the parties are
gearing up for making another
contract for three more aircraft. In
particular, Rosoboronexport Deputy
Director General Victor Komardin
mentioned this at the Bangalore air
show this February. He said the
delivery of the third A-50EI “will
be followed by another three”.
“We are waiting for the request”,
Mr. Komardin said in February.
To manufacture next three A-50EIs,
there is a plan to use TAPC’s backlog
of Il-76TD airlifters that will be
refined, completed and fitted with
PS-90A-76 engines by Beriev and
then equipped with the radar system
and tested in Israel as it was done
under the first contract. However,
a final configuration of the deal will
hinge on TAPC’s preparedness and
the Uzbek government’s decision to
take part in fulfilling a new export
contract.
As is known, to avoid dependence
on Uzbek suppliers, the Aviastar
plant in Ulyanovsk launched the
productionising of an upgraded Il-76
version (Project 476) in line with
the Russian governmental directive
dated 20 December 2006. The first
Russian-built flying protoype of the
Il-76-TD-90A (c/n 01-02) is to be
completed before the end of this
year. Aircraft like that are supposed
to be made not only in the military
airlifter and commercial freighter
versions, but also as a platform for
deriving a tanker plane, an AEW&C
aircraft and other applications.
For instance, at the late-April
International Air Transport Forum
in Ulyanovsk, a model of such a
promising AEW&C aircraft based
on the Project 476 airframe was
unveiled to the participants in the
forum and the public. The aircraft
featured an advanced wing design,
PS-90A-76 engines and other design
peculiarities of the future Aviastarbuilt Il-76s. The aircraft has all of the
properties of the A-50 AEW&C plane
and its subsequent versions and
upgrades – the radar with the antenna
in the disc-shaped radome on top of
the fuselage, other extra antennae
and equipment cooling air intakes
in various sections of the airframe,
fuselage nose section devoid of the
navigator’s station characteristic of
the transport versions of the Il-76,
in-flight refuelling system, etc.
Obviously, the unveiled model has
the purely presentational purpose
to demonstrate the prospect of
Programme 476. However, it makes
sense to assume that it is such
a platform that this country will
use further down the road to make
advanced AEW&C aircraft both for
its own military and for export.
take-off june 2011
33
contracts and deliveries | news
for outfitting and acceptance tests
prior to the delivery. In April this year,
TAPC assembled the second aircraft
(c/n 94-01, test registration 76953)
under the Jordanian order. It made
its maiden flight in Tashkent on 12
May and ferried to Zhukovsky for
acceptance tests on 31 May. Both
aircraft are expected to be delivered
this summer following the completion
of acceptance trials and customer’s
crews training.
Ivan Kirillov
In April, the first production
Ilyushin Il-76MF transport built by
Tashkent-based TAPC corp. last
year under the contract signed by
Rosoboronexport and Jordan in
August 2005 completed its tests
at Ilyushin’s testing facility in
Zhukovsky and was painted in the
customer’s colours prior to delivery.
Now, the aircraft has Jordanian
registration JY-JID and the logos of
the Royal Falcon and JIAC (Jordanian
International Air Cargo) carriers.
JIAC was set up in Jordan in 2005.
It hauls freight in the Middle East,
Afirca and Asia, using Il-76, An-32
and Boeing 737-200F transports. Set
up in 2007, its sister company Royal
Falcon is a specialist in charter and,
since 2009, scheduled passenger
operations with the use of Boeing
737-400, 767-200/300ER and A320
aircraft (four units in all).
The first Jordanian Il-76MF
c/n 96-02 (test registration 76954) first
flew in Tashkent on 30 September 2010
and went to Zhukovsky on 29 October
Alexey Mikheyev
Two Il-76MF freighters ready for Jordan
Kaveri tests on Russian flying testbed carry on
Alexey Mikheyev
The tests of Indian turbofan
engine Kaveri on Russian flying testbed Il-76LL (serial 76492), which
began at the Gromov Flight Research
Institute in Zhukovsky on 3 November
2010, were stepped up in April. Only
four sorties had been flown by early
March, at the first stage of the tests.
The pace of the trials was hindered by
34
take-off june 2011
problems experienced by the engine.
During a March press conference,
the Gromov Flight Research Institute
Director, Honoured Test Pilot and
Hero of Russia Pavel Vlasov, said the
tests were to resume after the customer had provided new examples
of the Kaveri. Finally, in mid-April,
the Russian flying testbed began to
fly in earnest, logging several sorties
a week.
According to Indian newspaper
Frontier India, the Il-76LL carrying the
Kaveri turbofan had logged 11 flights
by May, with its total flying time having
accounted for about 20 h. The engine
had been tested in various operating
modes at an altitude of up to 12,000 m
and a speed of Mach 0.7. According
to Pavel Vlasov, 43 missions are to
be flown under the Russian-Indian
contract signed on 2 August 2007 with
Rosoboronexport’s assistance.
The GTRE Gas Turbine Research
Establishment, a laboratory of
India’s Defence research and development Organisation (DRDO), has
been developing the Kaveri turbofan
since 1989. Initially, it was planned
for use on Indian Light Combat
Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, but the production LCA is powered by US engine
F404-GE-IN20. In the mid-decade,
the Indian Air Force is to begin
to take delivery of upgraded Tejas
Mk.2 fighters yet again fitted with
US engines F414-GE-INS6. At the
same time, India hopes for an indigenous engine to emerge as part of
the powerplant of the Indian fifthgeneration fighter being developed
by the Aeronautical Development
Agency under the Advanced Medium
Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme.
It is due to take to the air late in the
decade.
www.take-off.ru
contracts and deliveries | news
Rostvertol steps up Mi-35 exports
Mikhail Mizikayev
Mikhail Mizikayev
Rostvertol
The Rostvertol joint stock
company has shipped two new Mil
Mi-35P attack helicopters to Peru this
spring (right photo). According to a
Rosoboronexport spokesperson, the
contract for two brand-new Mi-35Ps
and six Mi-171Sh multipurpose
medium troop carriers from UlanUde plant was signed in Lima on
22 July 2010. “This helicopter
contract was lightning-fast indeed”,
Rosoboronexport Director General
Anatoly Isaikin commented on the
deal at the time. “The contract was
signed only a month and a half
after the Peruvian side had made
its request”. The new helicopters
are to be used on counternarcotics
www.take-off.ru
Mi-35M. The first order for Mi-35Ms
was awarded by Venezuela five years
ago. 10 helicopter of the type were
delivered from 2006 to 2008. In
October 2008, a contract was signed
for 12 machines of the type for Brazil
(photo below). The first three of
them were delivered on December
2009 and three more followed last
summer. Thus, a third Latin American
nation gets sophisticated Rostvertol
helicopters.
Mi-35P deliveries to Indonesia
resumed last year after a sevenyear lull (left photo above). The
first two machines were shipped
in September 2003, and 2007
saw Russia and Indonesia make
an intergovernmental agreement
on a major loan to Indonesia
for acquisition of various types
of combat gear. A contract for
three Mi-35P attack helicopters
was signed as part of the
agreement. They were assembled
by Rostvertol last year and airlifted
to Jakarta by an An-124 Ruslan on
23 September 2010.
The Republic of Myanmar became
another buyer of Rostvertol’s
Mi-35Ps last year (right photo
above). A deal for such machines
was part of the December 2009
package of contracts for advanced
Russian aircraft designed for
Myanmar. Rostvertol shipped the
first four Mi-35Ps to the customer in
August last year, and the remaining
four had been prepared for shipping
by February this year.
The Mi-35M and Mi-35P shall
remain an important part of
Rostvertol’s production programme
for the near future. According to
Rostvertol Director General Boris
Slyusar, the orderbook for aircraft
of the family is full until 2015. The
media report that the talks with
potential customers from a dozen
countries have resulted in contracts
for 28 Mi-35Ms and 30 Mi-35Ps.
The major of them, probably, is the
contract for 24 Mi-35Ms awarded by
Azerbaijan last autumn. Rostvertol
is poised to kick off the assembly of
these machines in the near future.
Andrey Fomin
operations and in support of the
Peruvian military fighting the rebels
of the Sendero Luminoso extremist
organisation. The deliveries under
the contract are due for completion
before year-end.
Russian military aircraft appeared
in Peru as far back as the 1970s.
The Latin American country acquired
12 Mi-25 combat helicopters (the
export variant of the Mi-24D) from
the Soviet Union in 1982. Seven
machines more are said to have
been bought from Nicaragua in 1992.
According to Flight International, the
Peruvian Air Force had operated 16
aircraft of the type by late last year.
The newly acquired Mi-35Ps differ
from Peru’s Mi-25s in packing the
formidable fixed gun mount with
the 30-mm GSh-30K twin-barrel
automatic gun instead of the swivelling
12.7-mm four-barrel machinegun and
the sophisticated Shturm-V antitank
guided missile (ATGM) system
and the latest avionics as well. The
Mi-35P is in production by Rostvertol
concurrently with the modernised
take-off june 2011
35
RSK MiG
contracts and deliveries | programme
UPGRADE OF INDIAN
MiG-29
G-29ss KICKS OFF
Tests of the first upgraded MiG-29UPGs
are under way in Zhukovsky, Moscow
Region, with the upgrades designed
and performed by the MiG Corp. at the
request by the Indian Defence Ministry.
The first IAF MiG-29UPG serialled
KBU3301 flew its maiden mission after
the upgrade at the airfield of the LII
Gromov Flight Research Institute in
Zhukovsky on 4 February 2010. The
aircraft remained airborne for about an
hour and its flight was as planned. The
MiG Corp.’s chief of flight operations,
senior test pilot Mikhail Belyayev, flew
the plane. Two more upgraded aircraft
including one twin-seater joined it
in May when all three aircraft were
demonstrated to Indian Air Force
delegation headed by IAF’s Chief of
the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Pradeep
Vasant Naik at LII airfield in Zhukovsky
on 23 May.
36
take-off june 2011
The MiG Corp. has been implementing the MiG-29UPG programme under the
contract signed on 7 March 2008 for integrated upgrade of the whole of the MIG-29
fleet of the Indian Air Force. In all, 62 aircraft, including several MiG-29UB two-seat
combat trainers, are subject to upgrade. They
are to be given more up-to-date avionics,
with their weapons suite to be beefed up with
advanced weapons. In addition, airframe and
powerplant improvements will extend the
fighters’ service life by far, and the aircraft
will switch to on-condition maintenance.
The fuel load will increase owing to a conformal spine fuel tank aft of the cockpit. At the
same time, the fighters will get the mid-air
refuelling capability.
Overall, the concept of upgrading the
IAF MiG-29s corresponds to that of the
MiG-29SMT that has been in service with
the Russian Air Force since 2009 and mastered by Russian pilots. At the same time,
there will be a high degree of avionics and
weapons commonality with the MiG-29K/
KUB carrierborne fighters that entered service with the Indian Navy on 19 February
2010. At the customer’s request, systems
from various foreign manufacturers are integrated with the avionics suite of the upgraded
MiG-29UPG (the so-called international
avionics suite). Similar experience has been
gained from the fulfilling of the RussianIndian contracts for upgrade of the IAF’s
MiG-21bis to MiG-21UPG Bison standard
and for development and manufacture of the
Su-30MKI and MiG-29K/KUB fighters.
The experience has showed itself to good
advantage.
The upgraded MiG-29UPG’s fire control
system is wrapped around the advanced
www.take-off.ru
contracts and deliveries | programme
passive radar homing antiradation missile,
KAB-500Kr TV-homing bombs, etc.
The MiG-29 has been in IAF’s inventory
since 1987. Overall, 80 aircraft of the type
had been delivered from the later 1980s to
the mid-‘90s, including about 70 MiG-29
singleseaters (version B, or MiG-29B) and
10 MiG-29UB twinseaters. The delivery of
the first batch of 44 fighters commenced in
1987, the second batch of 26 aircraft was
delivered in 1989 and the third one (10
units) in 1994. Three IAF air squadrons
operate the MiG-29 fighters – the 28th and
47th since December 1987 and the 223rd
since November 1989. According to Indian
warbirds.in website, at least 11 IAF MiG29s, including a MiG-29UB, had been
lost from 1994 to 2008 (at least four fatal
accidents and seven incidents are known).
According to Flight International, IAF had
operated 69 fighters of the type by early
2011.
Sergey Lysenko
The first MiG-29UB UPG upgraded twin-seater fulfilled its maiden flight
at Sokol plant airfield, Nizhny Novgorod, on 19 May 2011
Phazotron-NIIR Zhuk-M2E slotted-array
radar and OLS-UEM IRST with the laser,
thermal-imager and TV capabilities from
the NIIPP Precision Instrument Research
Institute (now Precise Instrument System
Scientific and Production Corporation,
NPK SPP). The same radar and IRST fit
the MiG-29K/KUB. The cockpit management system is based on colour multifunction liquid-crystal displays. The international segment of the avionics suite includes
inertial/satellite navigation, communication and electronic warfare systems being
produced and supplied by companies from
France, India and some other countries.
In addition to the conformal fuel cell
behind the cockpit and the mid-air refuelling boom on the portside, visual differences between the MiG-29UPG and
the baseline MiG-29 include the underwww.take-off.ru
Sergey Lysenko
Andrey FOMIN
The second MiG-29UPG single-seater first flew
in Zhukovsky on 20 May 2011
wing chaff/flare dispensers from Bharat
Dynamics and advanced antennae of the
defence aids suite under wing and in the
root of the right fin.
The basic weapons carried by the
MIG-29UPG are the same as those
carried by the MiG-29SMT and
MiG-29K/KUB. Unlike the weapons suite
of production MiG-29s, they also include the
RVV-AE medium-range active radar homing air-to-air missiles and such precisionguided air-to-surface weapons, as the Kh-29T
general-purpose TV-homing missile, Kh-31A
active radar homing antiship missile, Kh-31P
Under the contract, the first six IAF
MIG-29s (four singleseaters and two twinseaters) shall be upgraded and tested in
Russia, where they arrived from India in
2008. The remaining 56 aircraft will be
upgraded in India at the production facilities
of the IAF 11th Repair Base, using knockdown kits supplied from Russia. Mikhail
Pogosyan, MiG Corp. Director General/
Designer General and UAC President, said
at the Aero India 2011 air show that the
first MiG-29UPG would be returned to the
customer this year following the completion
of the tests.
take-off june 2011
37
commercial aviation | news
Russian An-148s launching operations to Europe
Alexey Mikheyev
Antonov An-148-100B of the
Rossiya airline performed its first
international service on 16 March:
RA-61705 regional jet brought
passengers from St. Petersburg to
Berlin. Prior to that, Russian An-148s
had flown domestic services only.
Rossiya began scheduled operations
of its An-148s in December 2009,
and now it has as many as six
aircraft of the type, leased from the
Ilyushin Finance Co. Talks on turning
the nine An-148 options into firm
orders are under way. If all goes to
plan, all Rossiya’s An-148 fleet could
be beefed up with three more aircraft
of the type by year-end.
Alexey Filatov
Meanwhile, later March saw
Voronezh-based VASO plant
completing the assembly of and
rolling out, for ground tests, the
first An-148-100E (c/n 41-40) built
for the Polyot airline in Voronezh.
Sberbank-Leasing is the lessor
under this contract for 10 planes.
Late in April, the aircraft was given
Polyot’s paintjob and RA-61709
registration. The delivery of the
first An-148-100E to the Polyot
airline is slated for June, and the
carrier might take delivery of one
or two more aircraft of the type
before year-end.
38
take-off june 2011
Alexey Boyarin/Julia Lokteva
An-148 regional jets scheduled
operation in Russia is being carried
out for a year and a half. The first
An-148-100B airliner built in the
summer of 2009 by the VASO plant
in Voronezh and leased by the
Ilyushin Finance Co. to the launch
customer, the Rossiya airline,
commenced its scheduled services
in late December 2009. The aircraft
with RA-61701 registration hauled its
first passengers from Pulkovo airport
in St. Petersburg to Domodedovo
airport in Moscow on 21 December
2009.
The second An-148-100B
(RA-61702) arrived at Rossiya’s
base airport in late December 2009
and launched its operations in
January 2010. Four more aircraft of
the type (RA-61703, 61704, 61705,
61706) were delivered to Rossiya
airline under Ilyushin Finance Co.
lease contract in 2010.
www.take-off.ru
commercial aviation | news
by the aircraft plants in Voronezh and
Kiev. In the single-class configuration, it
carries 99 passengers out to 2,500 km,
while the two-class configuration
version seats 86 passengers on
services out to 3,100 km (compare that
to the An-148-100B that flies economyclass 75 passengers to a distance of
3,500 km).
The An-158 prototype (UR-NTN)
derived from An-148-100 c/n 01-02
first flew in Kiev on 28 April 2010.
The An-158 logged 79 test sorties
with their total duration of 147 flying
hours under the certification test
programme that included high-alpha,
Category III landing and takeoff/landing
performance tests, external and
internal noise measurements, stability
Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
Sergey Popsuyevich
The Interstate Aviation Committee
(IAC) of the CIS has completed the
certification of the modified Antonov
An-158 regional airliner by having
issued Supplement to Type Certificate
ST264-An-148 that had been issued
for the An-148-100 on 26 February
2007. IAC Chairwoman Tatyana
Anodina handed the document to
Antonov President and Designer
General Dmitry Kiva in a ceremony
in Kiev on 28 February. At the same
time, Ukrainian deputy Transport and
Communication Minister Anatoly
Kolesnik gave Antonov’s boss a similar
certificate issued by the Ukrainian
State Aviation Administration.
The An-158 is a 1.74-m-stretched
version of the An-148-100 in production
www.take-off.ru
Antonov
Sergey Popsuyevich
An-158 gearing up for new orders
and controllability tests, emergency
passenger disembarkation, etc. In
addition to the flight test programme,
a sizeable part of the certification
efforts was made as part of ground
tests, which included the use of the
Engineering Flight Test Bench.
Antonov production plant in Kiev
will handle the manufacturing of the
An-158, with a considerable part of the
components to be supplied by Russia’s
VASO Voronezh Aircraft Production
Association.
Russian leasing company Ilyushin
Finance Co. (IFC) became the An-158’s
launch customer in July last year,
having awarded Antonov 10 firm
orders with 10 options. IFC has
declined to name the end user of the
An-158s the company has ordered yet.
Last autumn, Antonov’s head, Dmitry
Kiva, said that Russia had ordered 20
An-158s, and there were 87 options,
including 12 for Russia, five for
Ukraine, six for Cuba and 64 for Iran.
Actually, Iran could become a major
customer for the Ukrainian An-148 and
An-158 regional jets. A memorandum
to that effect was signed with the
Iranians as far back as 31 October
2008. It provides for delivery of up to
80 aircraft, with 60 may be licenceproduced by Iranian company HESA
in Isfahan. The afore-said number may
include 16 standard An-148-100s and
64 An-158 stretches.
However, only Ilyushin Finance Co.
has made firm orders for the An-158
so far, the company that has made
the decisive contribution to the launch
of the An-148’s production in Russia
and that is the launch customer for
the plane of VASO’s assembly. Despite
its plans to diversify its business
(IFC plans to start leasing foreignmade aircraft), the company remains
committed to pursuing its programme
of acquisition of the An-148 and
An-158 to lease them to Russian
carriers and for export.
take-off june 2011
39
commercial aviation | news
According to the developer, the
MC-21 will one-up its closest foreign
rival, the Airbus A320, in better
efficiency, since its direct operating
costs are expected to be 12–15%
less, fuel efficiency 25% higher and
maintenance costs 30% lower.
This is to be achieved through using
cutting-edge equipment and systems
from major foreign manufacturers
and a number of ingenious design
and layout solutions. For instance,
a large part of the airliner’s design,
35–37%, is composites, of which, in
particular, the wing and empennage
will be made in full.
The most important component
of the MC-21’s competitive edge
concept is the comfort unprecedented
for aircraft in the class. The MC-21’s
cabin is 3.65 m wide, which is 12 cm
more than that of the A320 and 19 cm
of the cabin of the Boeing 737. This
allows either using wider and more
comfortable seats or increasing the
width of the aisle, which will expedite
boarding and disembarkation and
enable passengers to pass clearly
of service trolleys easily. Like the
Dreamliner, the MC-21 will have
larger passenger windows.
Irkut President Oleg Demchenko
estimates that the MC-21
programme can win the company up
to 10% of the global 150–200-seat
narrow-body airliner market. Leading
Western companies, which joined
the MC-21 programme, agree with
him, believing the MC-21 output may
exceed 1,000 aircraft.
UAC President Alexey Fyodorov
said, “The MC-21 is UAC’s priority as
far as civil aviation programmes are
concerned. The plants in Ulyanovsk
and Voronezh are coming on
board; they will join UAC’s division
being established on the basis of
Irkut. The government is doing its
best to facilitate the programme.
Pursuing the MC-21 programme,
we are developing a new-generation
passenger plane and, hence,
high-tech branches of Russia’s
economy”.
There is little time left before the
airliner’s maiden flight. Irkut plans
that the first MC-21 will take to the
skies in late 2014. If all goes to plan,
its certification tests will have been
complete by 2016 and then deliveries
of early production-standard airliners
to the launch customer will kick off.
Andrey Fomin
two options, and a customer, who
requested anonymity, ordered the
same number of airliners. Overall,
these deals clinched at Farnborough
2010 generated a good orderbook
for the MC-21 developer,
totalling 140 aircraft. Later on,
in September, an agreement on
delivery of 50 airliners to the Russian
Technologies state corporation that
manages assets of a number of
major Russian air carriers was
signed. The planes are to be
delivered between 2016 and 2022.
So, by 2011, the MC-21 orderbook
has grown up to 190 units.
Andrey Fomin
Andrey Fomin
Irkut Corp. is going to display a
full-scale mock-up of a 20-m-long
section of the fuselage of its
prospective MC-21 new-generation
short/medium-haul airliner at
Le Bourget for the first time. An
impressive mock-up includes pilots
cockpit and passenger cabin. By now
Irkut has already got 190 orders for
MC-21 airliner.
Malaysian investment company
Crecom Burj Resources became the
launch customer of the MC-21 at
Farnborough airshow last summer and
placed 50 firm orders (25 MC-21-200s
and 25 MC-21-300s designed for
168 and 212 seats in the singleclass tourist layout respectively). The
contract is valued at $3 billion in
list prices, with the delivery slated
for 2016–2020. Russia’s Ilyushin
Finance Co. leasing company ordered
28 airliners with 22 options. Another
Russian aircraft lessor, VEB-Leasing,
made an agreement for 15 planes
with 15 options. Two letters of
intent were signed by air carriers as
well: Russian tourist charter carrier
Nordwind ordered five MC-21s plus
Irkut
MC-21 has got 190 orders and waiting for more
40
take-off june 2011
www.take-off.ru
commercial aviation | news
www.take-off.ru
take-off june 2011
41
Sergey Lysenko
commercial aviation | event
Grigory ARONOV
FIRST SUKHOI SUPERJET
LAUNCHES OPERATIONS
The first Sukhoi Superjet 100 airliner was
delivered in a ceremony at Yerevan’s
Zvartnots airport to Armenian air carrier
Armavia on 19 April 2011. The lead
production airliner (c/n 95007) was
named after the Earth’s first cosmonaut
Yuri Gagarin and given registration
number EK95015. The aircraft has a
single-class configuration for 98 seats.
A day after having been ferried to the
operator’s airport, the new airliner
commenced regular services. Russia’s
Aeroflot is to start flying its Superjets
this summer, too.
“The delivery of the first production
plane is a landmark in the implementation
of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 programme”,
said UAC President and Sukhoi Director
General Mikhail Pogosyan during the ceremony in Yerevan. “Today’s event marks a
new phase of the programme – the beginning of the commercial operation and fullrate production. I am certain that the new
Russian airliner will prove itself as part of
the aircraft fleet of the Armavia airline and
that our colleagues in Superjet International
will provide comprehensive support to
Armenia’s flag carrier at the SSJ100’s ser-
42
take-off june 2011
vice entry stage and provide quality timely
aftersales support”.
The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company (SCAC)
and Armavia airline signed the contract
for Russian-built airliners SSJ100/95B on
14 September 2007. The first production airliner (c/n 95007) designed for the Armenian
customer performed its maiden flight in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 4 November 2010,
and its technical acceptance demonstration
took place here on 12 April this year following the completion of the tests and presales
preparation.
Just a day after the delivery ceremony at
Zvartnots, the SSJ100 went on its first passenger flight, having brought 90 passengers from
Yerevan to Sheremetyevo airport in Moscow
early in the morning on 21 April. The aircraft
had logged 24 flights from Yerevan to Moscow,
Athens, Donetsk, Aleppo (Syria), Tehran,
Tel Aviv and Simferopol in only first 10 days in
service, and scheduled Superjet services from
Yerevan to Venice kicked off on 1 May. At the
initial stage of operation, Armavia pilots supported by Superjet International instructor-pilots
Leonid Chikunov and Sergey Korostiyev.
“The plane is excellent in terms of operation. Flights are conducted without signifi-
cant delays. All flights take place in automatic
mode at an altitude of 10,700–11,900 m and a
speed of Mach 0.78–0.8”, the Superjet’s pilot
Aram Yegoyan said upon arrival to Venice.
“The SSJ100 has excellent flight-deck ergonomics and handling qualities. It is easy and
comfortable to fly an aircraft”.
The first two production Superjets for Armavia and
Aeroflot being preparing for delivery, April 2011
www.take-off.ru
SuperJet International
commercial aviation | event
The first SSJ100-95B for Aeroflot and next production
Superjets in the SCAC's assembly hall, December 2010
a total of 66 flights for the overall distance of
85,800 km carrying 2,885 passengers.
The second SSJ100 earmarked for Armavia
(c/n 95009) is nearing its completion by SCAC
in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. According to the
carrier’s head, Mikhail Bagdasarov, “the second
SSJ100 shall join Armavia’s fleet in June”. In
May, SCAC also was preparing the lead Superjet
for delivery to Aeroflot. The aircraft c/n 95008
flew for the first time on 31 January this year and
had been given the colours of the customer and
registration number RA-89001 late last year. Its
delivery flight from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to
Moscow's Sheremetyevo took place on 9 June.
In accordance with SCAC’s plans, at least
10 out of the 30 Superjets ordered are to be
delivered to Aeroflot this year with two aircraft are slated for Armavia. The Aeroflotintended SSJ100s are to be performed by
the VEB-Leasing company, VTB-Leasing
supports the fulfilling of the contract
awarded by Armavia, and the yet-to-beclinched deal with Yakutiya was supposed
to be fulfilled under a contract between
SCAC and the Financial Leasing Company
dated 17 August 2005. In addition, a firm
order of 24 SSJ100s is to be placed by
the UTair carrier, UTair Director General
Andrey Martirosov has said recently, with
Perm-based Aviaseasing, which awarded the
contract for those aircraft to SCAC in June
2009, to act as a lessor.
SuperJet International
“The SSJ100 fights nicely Armavia’s strategic plans of developing its network of routes
between the Middle East and Europe, using
Zvartnots airport as a hub”, stressed Armavia
President Mikhail Bagdasarov.
Established in 1996, Armavia is the leader of
the Armenian air transport market, conducting
over a hundred scheduled operations a week on
40 routes to 20 countries. In 2010, it carried about
800,000 passengers. Prior to receiving its first
Superjet, its aircraft fleet comprised three Airbus
A320s, three A319s, a Bombardier CRJ-200 and
a few Il-86s and Yak-42s (some of the latter two
have been decommissioned of late).
During the first month of regular services
with Armavia Sukhoi Superjet 100 has made
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take-off june 2011
43
commercial aviation | project
RYSACHOK
FOR FLYING SCHOOLS AND COMMUTER AIRLINES
On 3 June, the Gromov LII Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky witnessed the
arrival of a new light twin-engined turboprop airplane named Rysachok (Russian
for ‘little trotter’). The aircraft that made its maiden flight on 3 December 2010 in
Samara is under development on order from the Russian Ministry of Transport for
civil aviation flying schools, but it may be used for commuter passenger services,
flying club parachutist airdrop, medevac, patrol and other operations as well.
The aircraft manufactured by Samara-based TsSKB-Progress State Scientific
Production Space Rocket Centre was developed by the team led by Chief Designer
Vyacheslav Kondratyev, the unchallenged leader of the Technoavia company
known for its light multirole planes.
Early in 2007, the Russian Ministry of
Transport issued tenders for an advanced
twin-engine trainer for civil aviation flying
schools. Until recently, cadets of Russia’s
major civil aviation flying school in Ulyanovsk
(UVAUGA) had to take their graduation
exams on the Antonov An-26 and Yakovlev
Yak-40, which has cost the flying school an
arm and a leg. The growing obsolescence of
aircraft and the latter’s expiring service lives
have resulted in UVAUGA retaining only two
or three serviceable aircraft like that. Cadets
of a flying school in Buguruslan (BLUGA)
have to take their final exams on a rarity An-2
piston-engined biplane. An attempt at making
the Myasischev M-101T Gzhel single-engine
turboprop manufactured by the Sokol plant
in Nizhny Novgorod has failed for a number of reasons (seven aircraft of the type
were delivered to UVAUGA and BLUGA
in 2006–2007). Against this backdrop, nine
44
take-off june 2011
Diamond DA-42 light twin-diesel-engine
glass-cockpit planes were bought in Austria
in 2009 to provide basic training to cadets.
However, the Diamonds still will be unable
to meet fully all of the requirements in a
multiengine graduation exam plane for future
commercial pilots. Therefore, development
of a domestic turbine-powered twin-engine
trainer remains on the agenda.
According to the Kommersant daily,
the contenders for such an aircraft in the
Ministry of Transport tender were Yakovlev,
Myasischev and Technoavia, with the latter’s
proposal having been preferred. According to
the official websites of the State Procurement
Agency and Federal Treasury, on 25 June 2007
UVAUGA and Technoavia signed a 740-million-ruble ($25 million) governmental R&D
contract for “development and manufacture
of a multiengine plane for final exams with
a subsequent delivery of at least 30 aircraft
to educational institutions of Russian civil
aviation for training of commercial airlines
pilots”, with the deadline in December 2009.
The plane dubbed Rysachok was given by
Kondratyev the cantilever all-metal low-wing
monoplane with a high aspect ratio wing,
sophisticated high-lift devices, classic empennage, retractable tricycle landing gear with
the nosegear, and two wing-mounted M-601F
turboprops from Czech company Walter.
The crew (the cadet and the instructor pilot
or the pilot and co-pilot if the plane is used
in the multirole manner) are seated in the
cockpit with individual doors on both sides of
the fuselage. Access to the cockpit is also possible via the cargo/passenger cabin fitted with
a wide portside sliding door in the fuselage
tail section.
Thus, provision has been made for multirole operation of the Rysachok. In addition
to its trainer role for flying schools, it can
carry 10 passengers out to 2,000 km at a speed
of 400 km/h and at an altitude of 6,000 m
or various cargo up to 1,570 kg, six patients
on stretchers accompanied by a medic or
15 parachutists jumping out of the sliding
door. It also can fly land and maritime border
patrols, monitor roads, oil and gas pipelines,
high-power lines, conduct search and rescue
operations, including airlanding and airdropping of Emergencies Ministry rescue teams to
www.take-off.ru
Rysachok’s cockpit
TsSKB-Progress
TsSKB-Progress
commercial aviation | project
TsSKB-Progress
Rysachok first flying prototype in its maiden flight, 3 December 2010
Andrey FOMIN
austere airstrips pinpointed from the air, and
perform aerial photography, environmental
monitoring and other missions.
The cockpit has combined instrumentation, including three colour multifunction
displays and a number of electromechanical
instruments and indicators.
The Rysachok’s maximum takeoff weight
equals 5,700 kg, with its good power-to-weight
ratio (the two M-601F turboprops produce
750 hp each) ensuring excellent take-off and
amending performance. Even taking off with
the maximum takeoff weight, the aircraft needs
a runway of within 1,000 m, and when its
maximum take-off weight stands at 5,000 kg,
a 500-m-long unpaved airstrip is enough for
take-off. The aircraft can operate from airfields
sitting up to 2,000 m above sea level.
Unlike the previous aircraft designed by
Vyacheslav Kondratyev, manufacture of prototype and production Rysachok planes will
be handled by the TsSKB-Progress in Samara.
Over the past five decades, the company has
been a specialist in development and production rocket-and-space hardware. It has
been making all versions of the Soyuz launch
vehicle and developing advanced rockets and
spacecraft. However, the plant in Samara
(Kuibyshev at the time) had been a major
player of the nation’s aircraft industry before
1960, when it switched to developing and
www.take-off.ru
making space-related products. The plant
had built over 42,000 planes from 1909 to
1960. Thus, TsSKB-Progress, a rocket-andspace developer and manufacturer, is using
the Rysachok to regain its aircraft-making
competences.
Construction of five pre-production
Rysachok planes began during 2008–2010
under the contract signed. The static tests
plane (c/n 00-02) was built first. It was followed last autumn by the first flying example
(c/n 00-01). After a number of ground tests of
the powerplant and systems and test taxiing
and runs, the aircraft had been prepared for
its maiden flight by winter. On 3 December
2010, pilot Vladimir Makogonov and co-pilot
Mikhail Molchanyuk took the Rysachok to
the air. Having climbed to 400 m and completed two patterns over the Bezymyanka
airfield situated on the eastern outskirts of
Samara, the new aircraft landed safely 15
minutes later. The first Rysachok was painted
at the nearby Aviakor plant in January.
In March, US engine manufacturer GE
Aviation reported that Technoavia had ordered
from it H80 turboprops for 30 Rysachok
planes with 30 more as options. The H80
is an upgraded version of the Czech-made
M601, with power increased up to 800 hp and
reduced fuel consumption. The GE Aviation
and Technoavia agreement also provides for
cooperation in certificating the US engine in
Russia and providing its after-sales support.
In late January 2011, TsSKB-Progress
Director General Alexander Kirilin said
that the company was to make two more
Rysachok planes this year. “There are 30
options designed for flying schools in the
first place. In the long run, we will launch
line assembly. The productionising we have
completed will enable us to make six planes
a year. If the project becomes successful, the
company’s facilities allow production six
planes a month to provide such planes for
all airports that sit idle now”, Mr. Kirilin
said.
The launch order by the Ministry of
Transport, which cannot objectively be very
big, may well be followed by new orders by
regional airlines, flying clubs and uniformed
services, and the Rysachok, its developers
believe, is facing good prospects in this respect.
For instance, the air arm of the Emergencies
Ministry has been keen on the Rysachok. “A
plane in the An-2 class is needed by the country”, opined Ravil Akhmetov, first deputy
Director General, TsSKB-Progress. “Just like
the famous agricultural plane, it will be in
high demand. The Rysachok is an up-to-date
twin-engined aircraft. It is relevant for pilot
training, inter- and intraregional operations,
agriculture and airlifting of ill persons”.
take-off june 2011
45
Take-off archive
flight safety | tendency
CAUSE OF INCIDENT: COUNTERFEIT PARTS
In the wake of a Mi-26 crash in India
There was an incident at Satwari airport in Indian state Jammu and Kashmir on 14 December 2010, involving a Mi-26 in
service with the Indian Air force (IAF). The helicopter crashed onto the ground from an altitude of about 5 m due to a
malfunction in the lateral control system. None of the nine persons on board died, but the machine proved to be beyond
repair. In spite of the Mi-26 being covered by a guarantee of the manufacturer plant, which had overhauled it, no claim was
raised with the Russian side. It turned out that on the eve of the fatal flight the operator had replaced a helicopter control
system part without having it cleared by the guarantee team, with the origin of the substitute being unknown. Today, the
factual background is known. The facts indicate that the December crash cannot besmirch the Russian-made Mi-26 in the
run-up to summing up outcome of the IAF tender for 15 heavylift helicopters no matter how much someone wants it to.
As is known, the advanced Russian Mi-26T2 and US CH-47 Chinook are rivals in the IAF tender.
Mi-26 in India
IAF bought its first two Mi-26 heavylifters
in May 1986. The machines serialled Z2897
and Z2898 were fielded with the 126th helicopter unit activated at the same time. Two
more aircraft (serials Z3075 and Z3076) were
fielded with the air unit in February 1989.
The four Mi-26s have been used proactively
in India for over two decades to carry heavy
cargo and conduct unique transport operations. For instance, an externally slung pontoon bridge was airlifted in February 1989 in
a unique operation. Indian Mi-26s carried
MiG-21 fighters from the crash sites to their
air bases at least twice, in 1999 and 2002. In
July 2002, a Mi-26 airlifted a Beechcraft passenger plane from the site of its incident at
the Kangra airport, with the operation being
unique also due to the duration of the flight
with cargo on the external sling – 3 h 25 min.
Mi-26s hauled Mi-17 helicopters from hand
landing sites at least twice, in February 2006
and September 2007. Last year, the Indian
Mi-26s were widely used to airlift heavy
46
take-off june 2011
equipment required for construction of a
railway in the Srinagar valley.
The way it was
The Mi-26 serialled Z3076 (c/n 14-10)
was made by Rostvertol plant in November
1988 specifically for IAF. It underwent
another overhaul in March 2008 at the
manufacturer plant, after which its assigned
life was extended up to 27 years and eight
months (until June 2016), its time between
overhauls was set at 900 h and service
life until next overhaul was set at eight
years, while the manufacturer’s guarantee
for three years of 500 flying hours (deadline
in March 2011) was provided. At the time of
the incident, the helicopter had logged 484
flying hours and 705 landings after the latest overhaul and 1,815 h and 2,994 landings
since the beginning of its operation, with
the remaining time before overhaul standing at 415 h or 5.5 years. The operation and
routine maintenance had been in line with
the current documentation.
On 6 December 2010, the Mi-26 (Z3076)
departed its air base in Chandigarh to
Jammu and Kashmir to take part in airlifting heavy cargo as part of the construction
of the railway there. At its destination,
a 13.5-tonne tractor and long 1.7-tonne
metalwork were loaded on board. Prior
to the flight, the ground crew had spotted hydraulic system oil dripping from the
KAU-140 combined control unit responsible for lateral control of the helicopter. The
operator decided to replace the unit with
a similar one from its own backup pool of
components, which was done right at the
Satwari airport on 12 December, the manufacturer’s guarantee team in Chandigarh
was not informed and a certificate of damage was not issued.
Following the replacement of the
KAU-140, the replacement unit was tested
from the NS-46 onboard hydraulic power
unit and then, once the engines were started, in line with the operating flow chart.
The control system operated normally. After
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chinanews.com
flight safety | tendency
that, the helicopter with its cargo took off
and performed a test hovering. All was well.
The problems began piling up when the
crew started climbing and accelerating at
the same time. The machine started rolling
to the portside while starting veering off the
runway’s centerline. Attempts to offset the
roll were futile. According to the pilot, the
controls became hard to move about and
would not go to the right. In the end, the
helicopter hit the ground first with the main
rotor blades and then with the cockpit at a
high angle of roll and a negative angle of
pitch about 50 m away from the runway. The
fuselage nose section with the cockpit was
torn off, the machine rolled on its portside,
the main and tail rotors disintegrated completely, and fractures of the tail boom and
tail rotor pylon emerged. The crew of five,
two flight operators and two official personnel were injured.
www.take-off.ru
Conclusions
To probe into the crash, IAF set up an
investigating committee who considered
several versions, e.g. piloting error, helicopter overloading and technical failure.
The probe revealed that the cargo had
been fastened well and its shift could not
facilitate the incident. The helicopter’s
load (14.5 t of cargo and 5 t of fuel), takeoff weight (48.4 t) and centre-of-gravity
location were within the limits. The flight
recorders and analysis of the helicopter’s
structure and systems on site showed that
the aircrew had not been the cause of the
crash, but also indicated that the newly
replaced KAU-140 combined lateral control unit, which had operated well enough,
had started responding in a strange way
to the inputs from the controls after the
helicopter started accelerating. This was in
the form of ‘biting’ the rod of the actuator
of the unit, with the rod then moving at
will and finally getting stuck in the fully
extended position. This resulted in the loss
of lateral control and the helicopter hitting
the ground. The rest of onboard systems
had operated well until the impact.
A request to the manufacturer of the
KAU-140 (Gidroagregat JSC in Pavlovo,
Nizhny Novgorod Region, Russia) revealed
that the serial number on the case of the unit
and its technical certificate had been doctored. The entry in the faulty KAU-140’s
technical certificate on its delivery to the
operator in 2009 indicates that the KAU140 had been bought by IAF from a former
Soviet republic. This relieves Russia of any
responsibility for the incident.
Thus, the problem of counterfeit parts
showed up again. Trying to save on original
spares and components, the operator lost
much more – a whole helicopter that could
have been operated for at least five years
more. Luckily, the incident suffered by
the Mi-26 in Jammu and Kashmir did not
involve any loss of life.
Unfortunately, the incident is not the first
one caused by the use of counterfeit units
and components. The fatal accident of the
Kamov Ka-32T (RA-31575) of the Avialift
Vladivostok carrier during logging operations on Kalimantan in Malaysia made
quite a stir on 17 April 2004. The investigation found out that the cause had been the
failure of the TV3-117VK engine due to
the fatigue failure of the compressor turbine disks installed during an overhaul by
UZGA and being counterfeit. Another wellknown crash is that of UTair’s Mi-8MTV-1
(RA-27411) in Liberia on 2 November 2007
due to the disintegration of the tail rotor
fitted with counterfeit blades, as the probe
discovered. These are only a couple of
examples widely known and pertaining to
helicopters operated by Russian carriers,
but there are more such incidents involving
Russian-made helicopters in service with
foreign operators. Usually, their true causes
are kept under wraps, because nobody wants
to won up to losing a helicopter to a failure
of second-hand units or components bought
on the cheap or to unauthorised repairs or
service life extension not authorised by the
manufacturer.
Hopefully, the lessons learnt from the
crash of the IAF Mi-26 will persuade operators both in Russia and abroad be more
careful with selecting suppliers. The use
of original parts and components, coupled
with strict compliance with technical maintenance and flight operation standards,
ensures flight safety, while Russian helicopters have reliability and ruggedness in
spades.
take-off june 2011
47
flight safety | tendency
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