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

commercial aviation | project
RYSACHOK
FOR FLYING SCHOOLS AND COMMUTER AIRLINES
On 3 June, the Gromov LII Flight Research Institute in Zhukovsky witnessed the
arrival of a new light twin-engined turboprop airplane named Rysachok (Russian
for ‘little trotter’). The aircraft that made its maiden flight on 3 December 2010 in
Samara is under development on order from the Russian Ministry of Transport for
civil aviation flying schools, but it may be used for commuter passenger services,
flying club parachutist airdrop, medevac, patrol and other operations as well.
The aircraft manufactured by Samara-based TsSKB-Progress State Scientific
Production Space Rocket Centre was developed by the team led by Chief Designer
Vyacheslav Kondratyev, the unchallenged leader of the Technoavia company
known for its light multirole planes.
Early in 2007, the Russian Ministry of
Transport issued tenders for an advanced
twin-engine trainer for civil aviation flying
schools. Until recently, cadets of Russia’s
major civil aviation flying school in Ulyanovsk
(UVAUGA) had to take their graduation
exams on the Antonov An-26 and Yakovlev
Yak-40, which has cost the flying school an
arm and a leg. The growing obsolescence of
aircraft and the latter’s expiring service lives
have resulted in UVAUGA retaining only two
or three serviceable aircraft like that. Cadets
of a flying school in Buguruslan (BLUGA)
have to take their final exams on a rarity An-2
piston-engined biplane. An attempt at making
the Myasischev M-101T Gzhel single-engine
turboprop manufactured by the Sokol plant
in Nizhny Novgorod has failed for a number
of reasons (seven aircraft of the type
were delivered to UVAUGA and BLUGA
in 2006–2007). Against this backdrop, nine
44 take-off june 2011
Diamond DA-42 light twin-diesel-engine
glass-cockpit planes were bought in Austria
in 2009 to provide basic training to cadets.
However, the Diamonds still will be unable
to meet fully all of the requirements in a
multiengine graduation exam plane for future
commercial pilots. Therefore, development
of a domestic turbine-powered twin-engine
trainer remains on the agenda.
According to the Kommersant daily,
the contenders for such an aircraft in the
Ministry of Transport tender were Yakovlev,
Myasischev and Technoavia, with the latter’s
proposal having been preferred. According to
the official websites of the State Procurement
Agency and Federal Treasury, on 25 June 2007
UVAUGA and Technoavia signed a 740-million-ruble
($25 million) governmental R&D
contract for “development and manufacture
of a multiengine plane for final exams with
a subsequent delivery of at least 30 aircraft
to educational institutions of Russian civil
aviation for training of commercial airlines
pilots”, with the deadline in December 2009.
The plane dubbed Rysachok was given by
Kondratyev the cantilever all-metal low-wing
monoplane with a high aspect ratio wing,
sophisticated high-lift devices, classic empennage,
retractable tricycle landing gear with
the nosegear, and two wing-mounted M-601F
turboprops from Czech company Walter.
The crew (the cadet and the instructor pilot
or the pilot and co-pilot if the plane is used
in the multirole manner) are seated in the
cockpit with individual doors on both sides of
the fuselage. Access to the cockpit is also possible
via the cargo/passenger cabin fitted with
a wide portside sliding door in the fuselage
tail section.
Thus, provision has been made for multirole
operation of the Rysachok. In addition
to its trainer role for flying schools, it can
carry 10 passengers out to 2,000 km at a speed
of 400 km/h and at an altitude of 6,000 m
or various cargo up to 1,570 kg, six patients
on stretchers accompanied by a medic or
15 parachutists jumping out of the sliding
door. It also can fly land and maritime border
patrols, monitor roads, oil and gas pipelines,
high-power lines, conduct search and rescue
operations, including airlanding and airdropping
of Emergencies Ministry rescue teams to
www.take-off.ru