SSJ100 launches operations PAK FA two prototypes flying already ...

june 2011 • Special edition for Paris Air Show 2011 

SSJ100 

launches 

operations 

[p.42] 

PAK FA 

two prototypes 

flying already 

[p.22] 

Be-200 

production moves 

to Taganrog 

[p.20] 

Russian helicopter industry on the rise [p. 6, 8, 10, 14, 30, 31, 35] 

Yak-130 

more trainers 

for RusAF 

[p.24] 

MiG-29UPG 

deliveries 

soon 

[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: info@take-off.ru 

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 

2 

June 2011 

14 

20 

22 

24 

36 

42 

46 

INDUSTRY 

Tu-204SM kicks off certification tests in Zhukovsky. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 

Mi-26T2 trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Mi-34C1 snags first orders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 

Tu-214-ON for Open Skies programme has flown. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Ka-62 to take to the air in two years . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 

Alexey Samusenko: 

“The Mi-38 may well be called a 21st century helicopter” . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 

Mi-38: successor to legendary Mi-8 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 

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 

Su-34 completes official trials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

Air Force accepting new Su-27SMs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 

First Su-35S has flown . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 

Mi-28N production on the rise. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 

Ka-52 being learnt in Torzhok . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31 

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES 

More MiG-29K/KUBs delivered while Vikramaditya kicks off trials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

Myanmar receives new MiG-29 batch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 

India got its third A-50EI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33 

Two Il-76MF freighters ready for Jordan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Kaveri tests on Russian flying testbed carry on. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34 

Rostvertol steps up Mi-35 exports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 

Upgrade of Indian MiG-29s kicks off. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36 

COMMERCIAL AVIATION 

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 

Cause of incident: counterfeit parts 

In the wake of a Mi-26 crash in India . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46 

take-off february 2011 www.take-off.ru


industry | news 

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 

4 

Tu-204SM kicks off certification tests in Zhukovsky 

Sergey Alexandrov 

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. 

take-off june 2011 www.take-off.ru 

Tupolev JSC


www.take-off.ru take-off june 2011 5

Andrey Fomin 


Mi-26T2 trials 

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- 

6 

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 

Mi-34C1 snags first orders 

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. 

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 

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 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 

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. 

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. 


Rostvertol PLC 

Andrey Fomin


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. 


Andrey Fomin 


Tu-214-ON for Open Skies programme has flown 

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. 

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 

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 

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 

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”. 

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 

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 

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. 


Ildar Valeyev

THE 10 th 

INTERNATIONAL 

АVIATION AND SPACE 

SALON 

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MOSCOW. ZHUKOVSKY 

TEC «RUSSIA» 

AUGUST 16-21 

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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 21 st -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. 

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 


Mi-8MTV during highland trials 

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 

www.take-off.ru take-off june 2011 

11 


Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant

Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant 

Mil Moscow Helicopter Plant 


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 


Mi-28N during high-altitude tests 

in the Caucasus 

Mi-34C1 upgraded light helicopter 

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. 

Mi-26T2 upgraded heavy-lifter prototype 

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. 

www.take-off.ru 

Rostvertol PLC

THE 11 TH LANGKAWI 

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6th - 10th December 2011 

Langkawi, Malaysia 

DELIVERING BUSINESS TO YOU 

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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 : hw5@hwlima.org 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 


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

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. 

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 



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 

Mi-38 first flying prototype (OP-1) 

in its maiden flight, 22 December 2003… 


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. 

… and at MAKS 2007 airshow, 

August 2007 


15



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 


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

Sergey Lysenko Alexey Mikheyev 

Mi-38 (OP-2) cockpit 

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 

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. 


17

industry | company 

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. 

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 

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 

MOTOR SICH ENGINES 

FROM SMALL UAVs TO HEAVY LIFTERS 

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 

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 

An-148 

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 alti- 


commercial 

www.take-off.ru

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. 

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 

промышленность industry | company | итоги 

Mi-26T 

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: motor@motorsich.com, 

eo.vtf@motorsich.com 

http://www.motorsich.com 

AI-136T 

www.take-off.ru commercial 

take-off june 2011 19

Andrey Fomin 

industry | report 

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- 


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. 

Alexander MANYAKIN, 

Andrey FOMIN 

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

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 

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, 

industry | report 

Wing centre section panel for the first Be-200 

of Beriev company production in assembly rig 

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. 


21 

Andrey Fomin 

Andrey Fomin

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-on- 

Amur 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 


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 

TWO PROTOTYPES 

IN TRIALS 

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

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 

Andrey FOMIN 

military aviation | event 

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 


23 

Sukhoi

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. 


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

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. 

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- 

military aviation | report 

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. 


25

Nikolay Anisimov 

military aviation | news 

Su-34 completes official trials 

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 Interfax- 

AVN 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. 

26 

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- 

Air Force accepting new Su-27SMs 

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 

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 

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 

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 

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. 

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. 


Nikolay Anisimov Sergey Chaikovsky

KnAAPO 

KnAAPO 


First Su-35S has flown 

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 

28 

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 mid- 

May, 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

Andrey Fomin 

Andrey Fomin 


Mi-28N production on the rise 

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 

30 

Andrey Fomin 

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. 

take-off june 2011 www.take-off.ru



Ka-52 being learnt in Torzhok 

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. 

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 


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. 

take-off june 2011 

31 


CSTS Dinamika

M Radzi Desa 

contracts and deliveries | news 

More MiG-29K/KUBs delivered while Vikramaditya kicks off trials 

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 MiG- 

29K/KUB multirole carrierborne fighters 

to make up the carrier air group 

(CAG). The 29 options for such fight- 

32 

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 

Myanmar receives new MiG-29 batch 

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. 

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 

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 

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 

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. 

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. 


Alexey Mikheyev


India got its third A-50EI 

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. 


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. 


33 

Yochai Mossi



Two Il-76MF freighters ready for Jordan 

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 

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 

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. 

Kaveri tests on Russian flying testbed carry on 

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. 



Ivan Kirillov

Mikhail Mizikayev 

Rostvertol steps up Mi-35 exports 

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 Ulan- 

Ude 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 

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 


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. 


35 

Rostvertol 

Mikhail Mizikayev 

Andrey Fomin

RSK MiG 

contracts and deliveries | programme 

UPGRADE OF INDIAN 

MiG-29 G-29s 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. 


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 Russian- 

Indian 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

Andrey FOMIN 

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 under- 

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 

contracts and deliveries | programme 

The first MiG-29UB UPG upgraded twin-seater fulfilled its maiden flight 

at Sokol plant airfield, Nizhny Novgorod, on 19 May 2011 

The second MiG-29UPG single-seater first flew 

in Zhukovsky on 20 May 2011 

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 MiG- 

29s, 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. 

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. 



37 

Sergey Lysenko 

Sergey Lysenko

Alexey Filatov 

commercial aviation | news 

Russian An-148s launching operations to Europe 

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. 

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. 

38 

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. 



Alexey Boyarin/Julia Lokteva

Sergey Popsuyevich 

Andrey Fomin 

An-158 gearing up for new orders 

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 

Andrey Fomin 

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 

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. 

www.take-off.ru take-off june 2011 39 

Sergey Popsuyevich 

Antonov

Andrey Fomin Andrey Fomin 


MC-21 has got 190 orders and waiting for more 

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 

40 

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. 

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. 


Irkut 

Andrey Fomin



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- 


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

“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 

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 

commercial aviation | event 

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. 


43 

SuperJet International 

SuperJet International

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 


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

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 

TsSKB-Progress 

Rysachok’s cockpit 

Rysachok first flying prototype in its maiden flight, 3 December 2010 

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 

commercial aviation | project 

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”. 


45 

TsSKB-Progress 

TsSKB-Progress

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 


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 

www.take-off.ru

chinanews.com 

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. 

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 KAU- 

140 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. 


47


All news of MAKS 2011 airshow 

in MAKS news show daily 

MAKS News Daily newspaper is an on-site 

publication with a 10,000 copies circulation 

covering all important events of the airshow, 

exhibitors’ news, latest aerospace headlines, 

news conferences reports 

Postal address: P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia 

Tel./fax: + 7 495 644-17-33 Mobile: + 7 495 798-81-19 

E-mail: 48 info@take-off.ru take-off june website: 2011 http://www.take-off.ru 

from Take-off magazine publisher 

Distribution: 

• Every exhibitor’s stand and chalet 

• Thousands of trade visitors 

at the entrance gates 

• Chalet of the President of Russia 

• Publisher’s stand and distribution 

points throughout the exhibition area 

With it’s exhibition-focused content, interviews with aerospace 

top-managers and decision makers the main topics are: 

• Aerospace industry 

• Commercial aviation 

• Combat aircraft 

• Aero engines and avionics 

• Weapons and air defence 

• UAVs, etc. 

www.take-off.ru

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