Take Off Iss. 30

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november 2014 Special edition for Airshow China 2014
Il-76MD-90A
programme
progress
[p.36]
Mi-28NE
export
kicking off
[p.20]
Angara LV
first blastoff
[p.42]
Su-35
for RusAF and PLAAF
[p.12]
Sukhoi Superjet 100: a year in Mexican skies [p.22]
advertisement
november 2014 Special edition for Airshow China 2014
Il-76MD-90A
programme
progress
[p.36]
Mi-28NE
export
kicking off
[p.20]
Angara LV
first blastoff
[p.42]
Su-35
for RusAF and PLAAF
[p.12]
Sukhoi Superjet 100: a year in Mexican skies [p.22]
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www.oboronprom.ru
November 2014
Editor-in-Chief
Andrey Fomin
Deputy Editor-in-Chief
Vladimir Shcherbakov
Editor, air transport section

Artyom Korenyako
Editor, avionics and weapons sections

Yevgeny Yerokhin
Columnist
Alexander Velovich
Special correspondents
Alexey Mikheyev, Victor Drushlyakov,
Andrey Zinchuk, Ruslan Denisov,
Alexey Prushinsky, Sergey Krivchikov,
Anton Pavlov, Alexander Manyakin,
Yuri Ponomarev, Yuri Kabernik,
Marina Lystseva, Natalya Pechorina,
Sergey Popsuyevich, Piotr Butowski,
Alexander Mladenov, Miroslav Gyurosi
Design and pre-press

Mikhail Fomin
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
Dear reader,
You are holding a new issue of
the Take-Off magazine, a special
supplement to Russian monthly national
aerospace magazine VZLET, that has
been timed with Airshow China 2014.
By tradition, the aerospace exhibition
in Zhuhai has been attended by
numerous Russian participants and businessmen. Small wonder, because
the Russian-Chinese aerospace cooperation has been given a strong
impetus over the past more than 20 years. As a result, China has become
in 1990s a top importer of Russian aircraft, first and foremost, Sukhoi jets.
Today, the Russian-made Sukhoi Su-27SK/UBK and Su-30MKK fighters
are the mainstay of PLAAFs new-generation fighter fleet while two dozens
Su-30MK2s serve with PLANAF. Moreover, Chinas own aerospace
plants have mastered Su-27SKs license production. The next step will
be a contract for deliveries of the advanced Sukhoi Su-35 multirole
supermanoeuvrable fighters to be signed in the nearest future.
Aero engines deliveries also have been high on the priority list of the
Russian-Chinese aviation cooperation, with these turbofans powering
both Russia-supplied and advanced indigenous Chinese fighters, the J-10
and FC-1 (JF-17), prototypes of Chinese 5th generation fighters, the J-20
and J-31, as well as Chinese brand-new heavy transport aircraft, the Y-20
debuting at Airshow China 2014. Russian experts also consult their
Chinese counterparts developing new aircraft with advanced Chinese
L-15 and L-7 trainer aircraft among them.
However, the Russian-Chinese cooperation does not limit itself to
fixed-wing aircraft. China operates more then a hundred Russian-made
Mil Mi-17 and Mi-171 helicopters and deliveries go on. Russian-made
Mi-26TC heavylifters have got a great success here in firefighting and
rescue operations. Recently China received new batches of Kamov
Ka-28, Ka-31 and Ka-32A11BC helicopters. So, the cooperation
has been on the rise, with new contracts for aircraft deliveries
and joint projects development to be placed in the future. One of
the most promising projects of such joint programmes could become
a prospective widebody airliner which Russian and Chinese engineers
are going to develop together.
I wish all participants and guests of Airshow China 2014 to meet their
partners, establish useful links and snag lucrative contracts.
Special Projects Director

Artyom Korenyako
News items are prepared by editorial staff based on reports of our

special correspondents as well as press releases of production companies
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.
Aeromedia, 2014
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
www.take-off.ru
Sincerely,
Andrey Fomin,
Editor-in-Chief,
Take-off magazine
contents
MILITARY AVIATION
Su-30SM for Russian Naval Aviation. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
New Sukhoi jets from Amur shores for Russian Air Force . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Su-34: half-hundred advanced tactical bombers already in service . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
New MiGs for Russian armed forces. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Defence Ministry taking delivery of second Tu-214ON . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Landing on motorway . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Cadets learning to fly Ansat-U. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
November 2014
12
Russian Air Force fielding Su-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES
20
The fourth Il-96 for Cuba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Angara enhances its An-148 fleet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Red Wings to beef up its Tu-204 fleet with Superjets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
SSJ100 for Russian Emergencies Ministry . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
16
16
18
18
Mi-28NE: export kicking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
COMMERCIAL AVIATION
22
SSJ100: a year in Mexican skies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

Alexander Rubtsov: IFCs Chinese Focus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
INDUSTRY
36
MC-21: prototypes manufacturing begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

PD-14: testing goes on . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Fourth Mi-38 commences tests. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
The first Taganrog-built Be-200 to be ready in 2014. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mi-171A2 starting its flight trials. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Mi-26T2 production kicks off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Antonov starts first An-178 assembly . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
26
28
30
30
31
32
34
SATELLITE electronic countermeasures equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Il-76MD-90A: first production-standard airlifter got airborne. . . . . . . . . . . . 36
38
Yuri Guskov: Phazotron-NIIR ready to offer active phased-array radar

cooperation to Chinese partners . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38
Chinese vector of MOTOR SICH . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
COSMONAUTICS
42
2
take-off november 2014
Angaras first blastoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42
www.take-off.ru
military aviation | news
On 19 July 2014, the Irkut corporation delivered three Sukhoi Su-30SM

two-seat supermanoeuvrable multirole
fighters built by the Irkutsk Aviation
Plant for the air arm of the Russian
Navy. On the same day, they headed
off from Irkutsk to their new station,
the Russian Naval Aviation Combat
Training and Conversion Centre in the
town of Yeisk, Krasnodar Territory. The
aircraft, serialled 35, 36 and 37 after
having been painted, have been made
and factory-tested in May and June
this year and become the first ones
built under the contract for five Naval
Aviation-designed Su-30SMs, landed
by Irkut in December 2013.
The three Su-30SMs delivery to
the Russian Naval Aviation Combat
Training and Conversion Centre in
Yeisk is the first step towards the
conversion of several Russian Naval
Aviation units to the type. When the
first contract for five aircraft of the
type was ordered by the Russian Navy
last year, it was reported that new
contracts were being mulled over for
a total of 50-plus Su-30SMs designed
Nikolai Balabayev
Su-30SM for Russian naval aviation
to oust the obsolete Su-24 tactical

bombers and Su-27 fighters in Naval
Aviation units. At last, 6 September
2014 saw the Defence Ministry and
Irkut make a contract for seven more
Su-30SMs for Naval Aviation during
the Gidroaviasalon 2014 air show in
Gelendzhik. The deal increased the
number of the Navys firm orders for
the type to 12 aircraft.
The Su-30SM is expected to be
fielded by 2015 with the Russian Navy
Black Sea Fleets air arm, where the
replacement of the obsolete Su-24s
has been long overdue. The Baltic
Fleet naval aviators are anticipating the

advanced aircraft too.
At the same time, the Irkut corporation continues to deliver
Su-30SM fighters to RusAF under two
2012-awarded contracts for 60 aircraft. 16 fighter of the type had been
accepted by the Air Force Training
and Operational Evaluation Centre
in Lipetsk and Domna AFB vic. the
city of Chita by early 2014. 10 more
Su-30SMs had gone to Domna this
year (between late May and late
September), where the composite air
regiment stationed there is having its
second air squadron converted to the

type. The conversion is to be complete by year-end. The Domna-based
regiment has operated as many as
20 Su-30SMs by October 2014.
By November 2014, more than
30 Su-30SM fighters have been built
and flight-tested in the city of Irkutsk
under all of the current contracts, with
17 aircraft having been made and
test-flown since early this year. Irkut
President Oleg Demchenko said early
this year that a total of 21 Su-30SMs
were slated for production for the
Russian Defence Ministry in 2014.
New Sukhoi jets from Amur shores for Russian Air Force
Yuri Kabernik
The previous batch of four

Su-30M2s was delivered to RusAF in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur on 5 August
2014. The deliveries are under the
16-aircraft deal struck by Sukhoi and
Defence Ministry in December 2012.
The four August-delivered Su-30M2s
are intended for RusAF units stationed
in the Southern Military District.
The first four Su-30M2s made under
the 2012 contract were delivered and
fielded with three RusAF combat units
in the Southern and Eastern Military
Districts last December. In 2011,
the same units had accepted four

Su-30M2s manufactured under the
contract made in 2009.
Thus, by November 2014, Sukhoi
had delivered to RusAF 14 Su-30M2s
a version of the Su-30MK2 two-seat
multirole fighter tailored to the Defence
Ministry requirements. The Su-30MK2
is widely exported. It is in service
with the air forces of China, Vietnam,
Indonesia, Venezuela and Uganda. The
final Su-30M2s under the current contract are expected to be delivered to
RusAF in 2015.
Yuri Kabernik
A handover ceremony for new aircraft took place at the Sukhoi companys
Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant on
10 October 2014, the day of united new
materiel handover regularly held now by
the Russian Defence Ministry. Another
batch of warplanes delivered included three Su-35S supermanoeuvrable
single-seat multirole fighters and two
Su-30M2 multirole twin-seaters. They
were delivered to two fighter regiments
in the Russian Far East.
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V.Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design, JSC

3, Gagarina str., Zhukovsky, Moscow region, 140180, Russia
Tel.: +7 (495) 556-23-48 Fax: +7 (495) 721-37-85
E-mail: niip@niip.ru www.niip.ru
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TO SEE FIRST
MEANS TO WIN
Su-34: half-hundred advanced tactical bombers already in service
the Defence Ministry in February

2006. In all, Sukhois aircraft in
Novosibirsk made five production-standard aircraft under the
contract during 20062009. The
first of them was given to the State
Flight Test Centre in Akhtubinsk in
December 2006. The second one
went to Lipetsk in August 2007,
followed in December 2008 by
the third aircraft that later joined
the official test programme under
way in Akhtubinsk. The last two
aircraft of the batch were received
in Lipetsk in December 2009. By
then, in December 2008, the customer had signed the report on
the first phase of the official trials
that had proven the conformance
of the Su-34s characteristics to
the Air Forces requirements specification. At the same time, a fiveyear deal was clinched by the government and Sukhoi for a 32-ship
batch of Su-34s to be delivered
during 2009 through 2013.
Meanwhile, the official tests carried on. Their second phase, dedicated mostly to testing the whole
weapons suite of the advanced
aircraft, was to be wrapped up.
The final flights under the official
test programmes second phase
took place in April 2011, and
November of the same year saw
the Su-34 development, which
dated back to 1989, completed at

last. The advanced tactical fighter-bomber was cleared for fielding
with RusAFs combat units.
The first four aircraft built under
the 2008 contract were delivered
in December 2010. A decision was
made to station them in Lipetsk
until the official fulfilment of the
official joint test programme. In
Lipetsk, the planes were used for
the conversion of the flying and
ground crews of the first combat
unit slated for conversion from
the Su-24M to Su-34. At the same
time, the advanced aircraft was
subjected to the operational evaluation, and research pilots used
the flights on the type to devise
and test manuals on the warplanes maintenance and tactics.
The plant in Novosibirsk
churned out six more productionstandard Su-34s in 2011. They
were delivered in December of the
same year and then were ferried
directly to the combat unit stationed in Voronezh. At the same
time, the first four aircraft went to
the unit too. Thus, there had been
10 production-standard Su-34s in
Voronezh by late 2011.
Then, the Novosibirsk plant
ramped up the Su-34 output, having delivered 10 units in 2012 and
14 in 2013. According to RusAF
Commander-in-Chief Lt.-Gen.
Victor Bondarev, the plans for
2014 stipulate the manufacture
of 1618 Su-34 more. The 2008
contract for 32 aircraft was fulfilled last autumn, and the plant
got down to fulfilling a new order
for 92 Su-34s until 2020, placed
by Sukhoi in February 2012 the
deal unprecedented in terms of
volume and cost.
In October 2013, the delivery
of the 24th Su-34 to Voronezh
finalised the activation of two air
squadrons there, designed for
conversion to the type. The follow-on aircraft were earmarked
for a next unit, the bomber air
regiment at Morozovsk AFB in
the Rostov Region. The first nine
Su-34s were brought there in
November and December 2013,
including the first two made under
the new 2012 deal.
Six more aircraft of the type
were ferried to Morozovsk AFB in
June and July 2014. The October
delivery of the next six bombers
has brought the number of Su-34s
in the regiments fleet to 21. The
Morozovsk-stationed regiment
shall have completed its conversion to the type by year-end and
will be followed by other RusAF
units still operating the previousgeneration Su-24M.
Ilya Soloviev
Six Su-34 multirole tactical

bombers were delivered to the
Defence Ministry in a ceremony at
the Sukhoi companys Novosibirsk
Aircraft Plant on 15 October 2014.
The planes were fielded with the
bomber air regiment stationed
at Morozovsk AFB in the Rostov
Region, where the previous-generation Su-24M tactical bomber
fleet is being replaced now.
The Su-34 entered the inventory of the Russian Air Force
under a 20 March 2014 resolution
of the Russian government, thus
having completing the protracted
and complicated development and
testing of the advanced aircraft
that will considerably influence
the future of the tactical aircraft
fleet of the Russian Air Force for
many years to come.
Mention should be made that
the Su-34 is the first advanced
warplane, which acquisition
RusAF has started in the postSoviet era. The early productionstandard Su-34s were delivered
to the Defence Ministry in late
2006, but the type had faced several years of the official trials yet.
Now, they have been completed,
having proved the full compliance
of the Su-34s characteristics and
combat capabilities with the customers requirements specification.
The RusAF combat units, which
had earlier operated the Su-24M
tactical bombers, began to convert to the new-generation Su-34s
in 2011. Under the three current government-awarded orders,
RusAF shall have received almost
130 aircraft of the type until 2020,
with up to 50 having been fielded
to date. After the collapse of the
Soviet Union, the Russian Defence
Ministry has never bought so many
new combat aircraft of any type.
RusAFs overall Su-34 requirement
is estimated at 150200 aircraft,
and, probably, their acquisition
will go on past 2020. Hence, new
governmental orders for the type
could be landed by the end of the
decade.
The first batch of productionstandard Su-34 was ordered for
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On 14 April 2014, the Russian

Defence Ministry and MiG corporation
(a subsidiary of the United Aircraft
Corporation) made a three-year contract for 16 MiG-29SMT multirole
fighters to be delivered to the Russian
Air Force prior to 2016.
At present, RusAF operates a fleet
of 28 MiG-29SMTs and six MiG-29UB
upgraded combat trainers with commonised avionics. All of them were
delivered five years ago. The delivery had been the first acquisition of
new MiG fighters by the Air Force in
more than a decade and a half, with
the preceding delivery of new MiGs
having taken place in distant 1993.
The first two MiG-29SMTs (type 9-19)
were shipped to the Air Force centre in Lipetsk in February 2009, with
other fighters of the type having been
fielded with the fighter air regiment in
Kursk in the same month. In summer
2009, the regiment had as many as
10 MiG-29SMTs and four upgraded
MiG-29UB two-seaters (type 9-53A).
The unit in Kursk launched scheduled
flight operations on its MiG-29SMT
fighters in July 2009. The rest of the
aircraft were received during December
2009 through January 2010.
Of the 34 aircraft of the type
delivered to RusAF in 20092010,
24 single-seat MiG-29SMTs and four
twinseaters are in service with the
Evgeny Volkov
New MiGs for Russian armed forces
Kursk-based fighter air regiment,

with the Lipetsk-based Training and
Operational Evaluation Centre and
Akhtubinsk-based State Fight Test
Centre each having two MiG-29SMTs
and an upgraded MiG-29UB in their
inventory.
The aircraft have earned recognition by the flying and ground crews of
the Russian Air Force. The advanced
Zhuk-ME radar, which has ousted the
obsolete N019 from the rest of the
MiG-29 fighters in service with RusAF,
has a range that is almost twice as
long as that of the N019, is made of
up-to-date electronic componentry and
is far lighter and more reliable than its
predecessor. Pilots have praised the
MiG-29SMTs up-to-date display system, effective satellite navigation gear,
increased fuel load and mid-air refuelling system. The weapons suite has
been expanded considerably through
beefing the in-service R-27 and R-73

air-to-air missiles up with the advanced
RVV-AE medium-range active radar
homing missiles and an impressive set
of precision-guided weapons designed
to take out ground threats. To cap it all,
the fighter features obvious operating
advantages: the MiG-29SMT is powered by extended-life RD-33 Series 3
engines and maintained in a new manner on condition.
The fielding of new MiG-29SMTs
with RusAF combat units is likely to
begin in 2015. Having fulfilled the
contract, the MiG corporation, in all
probability, will exhaust the MiG-29
airframe backlog at Production Facility
No. 2 in Moscow and switch to making the advanced MiG-35S fighter for
the Air Force.
The current order will enable the
company to face the future with confidence and will serve a good begin-
ning for production of advanced aircraft, e.g. the MiG-35S, said Deputy
Defence Minister Yuri Borisov.
The MiG-35S is slated for delivery
to the Air Force after 2016. Therefore,
a decision has been made to buy a
batch of MiG-29SMTs now as a quick
fix to maintain the combat readiness of
RusAFs light fighter fleet.
MiG Director General Sergei
Korotkov reminded that the company
continued the MiG-29K/KUB multirole fighters delivery to the Russian
Defence Ministry. The first four aircraft
of the type were manufactured and
delivered last year. According to Sergei
Korotkov, his corporation is to deliver
the next 10 MiG-29K/KUB fighters
to the air arm of the Russian Navy
before year-end. The contract for
24 MiG-29K/KUB fighters intended
for the Russian Navy is to be fulfilled
in 2015.
Defence Ministry taking delivery of second Tu-214ON
certification by the IAC Aircraft

Registry and was delivered to the
customer, the Russian Defence
Ministry, on 22 August 2013. The
second Tu-214ON was initially slated
for delivery as far back as 2011, but
the Kazan Aircraft Plant had managed to complete it only by late last
year, with the first flight performed
on 18 December 2013. In January

this year, the aircraft was painted
and delivered in early July following
the completion of the debugging and
acceptance test programme.
Both Tu-214ONs are designed for
surveillance flights under the 1992
Open Skies international treaty providing for international cooperation in
the monitoring of arms control agreements. The signatories to the treaty

include 34 states. The Tu-214ONs
characteristics as well as the performance of its special equipment is far
superior to those of the Tu-154M-LK1
(RA-85655) and An-30B aircraft
Russia has used under the Open
Skies programme until recently.
Vladislav Dmitrenko
This summer, the Russian Air

Force received the second Tupolev
Tu-214ON aerial surveillance aircraft
to be used under the Open Skies
international programme.
On 4 July 2014 the Tu-214ON
(reg. number RF-64525) built by
the Kazan Aircraft Plant (now an
affiliate of Tupolev JSC) under a
contract with Vega JSC (primary
contractor for the development of
the Open Skies airborne surveillance system) flew from Kazan
to its base, Chkalovsky airfield in
the Moscow Region, following its
acceptance by RusAF.
Since last autumn, the Tu-214ON
(RF-64519) has been at Chkalovsky
too. It conducted its first flight in
Kazan on 1 June 2011, passed its
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Phazotron-NIIR Corporation JSC
1, Elektricheskiy Pereulok, 123557, Moscow, Russia

Tel.: +7 (495) 955-10-01 Fax: +7 (495) 955-11-00
www.phazotron.com E-mail: info@phazotron.com
over, the planes conducted landing

approach one by one, with the first
three performing a touch-and-go
and the fourth one conducting a
full-fledged landing. While the fourth
Su-25 was taxiing and been serviced, it was being provided close
air support by another attack aircraft
and a pair of Ka-52 helicopters. The
Su-25 departed following its servicing, refuelling and being furnished
with two guided missiles.
Using airfield-capable stretches
of motorways for tactical aircraft
landing and takeoff has been mastered by the Belarus Air Force
quite a long time ago. The exercise including the early land-
ings and takeoffs of a pair of

Su-25UBs took place there as far
back as April 2007. Su-27UBM
and MiG-29UB fighters practised
motorway landing in August 2007.

Now, the Russian Air Force has
started practising motorway landing too.
with 24 machines having been delivered to Syzran. The Ansat-Us have

been in opeval until recently, flown
by instructor-pilots, while the cadets
trained on obsolete Mi-2s.
At long last, the Syzran cadets
started flying the Ansats on 19 May
2014. This year, 29 rookies have
been trained on them, with each
having logged an average of over
130 sorties (almost 48 flight hours).
The total flying hours logged by the
cadets on Ansat-U helicopters during their training has accounted for
1,390 h. Next year, they will begin
to learn to fly the Mi-8 and Mi-24
helicopters.
At a meeting of the squadrons
personnel and the manufacturers
representatives in the wake of the

Ansat-U training course, Lt.-Col.
Sergei Spiridonov, OIC of the training air group, stressed that the
Ansat-U was a manoeuvrable, fast
and easy-to-control machine with
sensitive controls and electronic displays customary to youth,
which enabled the latter to learn
quickly how to fly the advance
helicopter and to get top marks
during their training. We expect
six more new machines of the
type in the Air Force training centre in November, said Lt.-Col.
Spiridonov. Next year, as many as
57 cadets are to be given Ansat-U
flight training, with about 300 to
follow suit in 2016.
Dmitry Pichugin
A Russian Air Force Su-25 attack

aircraft landed on a motorway,
rather than an airfield, for the first
time in the services history as part
of a special logistic support exercise staged by the Eastern Military
District on 4 September 2014.
The landing on the M-60 Ussuri
federal motorway was performed
by Col. Alexander Zaripov, officer
commanding the 18th Attack Air
Regiment stationed at Chernigovka
AFB in the Russias Far East.
In accordance with the exercise
scenario, the regiment left its airfield
to dodge an attack, with the airbase
later rendered inefficient by aircraft
of the notional enemy. For this reason, a decision was taken to have
the attack aircraft land on a prearranged stretch of the motorway.
A special security detachment was
dispatched to the landing site as part
of a joint vehicular convoy. There
were reports of a command team of
the notional enemy, moving towards
the improvised motorway airfield.
The DO of the attack air regiment
was called to dispatch a task force
to deal with the enemy commandos.
The task force showed up on board
four Mi-8 utility helicopters and was
committed as soon as it landed.
With the notional enemy commandos wiped out, four Su-25s appeared
over the motorway. Following a fly-
Dmitry Pichugin
Landing on motorway
Cadets learning to fly Ansat-U
Ruslan Denisov
The first group of third-year

cadets of the Syzran-based affiliate
of the Air Force Academy named
after Prof. Zhukovsky and Yuri
Gagarin has completed training in
10
flying the Ansat-U trainer helicopter that has been supplied to the
Russian Defence Ministry by Kazan
Helicopters (a subsidiary of Russian
Helicopters holding) since 2009,
www.take-off.ru
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military aviation | programme
Yuri Kabernik
RUSSIAN AIR FORCE FIELDING
Su-35S
On 10 October 2014, the common day of materiel acceptance by the Russian
Defence Ministry, the Sukhoi company delivered three more Su-35S supermanoeuvrable multirole fighters to the Russian Air Force at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur
Aircraft Plant. Thus, as many as 25 out of the 48 aircraft of the type stipulated by
the contract landed in 2009 have been fielded with combat units. An air squadron
of the 23rd Fighter Air Regiment stationed at Dzyomgi AFB in the Khabarovsk
Territory converted to the type in February 2014, and four Su-35S fighters were
ferried to the Air Force Training and Operational Evaluation Centre in the city of
Lipetsk in late May 2014. Here they are used by the centres personnel to test new
tactics being developed for the advanced fighter and also will be used for the training of the flying and ground crews of RusAF combat units converting to the type.
The Su-35S single-seat supermanoeuvrable
multirole fighter is the summit of the evolution
of the Su-27 fourth-generation aircraft family. The Su-35Ss development involved a wide
range of solutions and technologies used under
the PAK FA (T-50) fifth-generation fighter
development programme. Therefore, despite its
outward similarity to the ubiquitous Su-27 and
Su-30, the Su-35S is rightfully regarded as an
aircraft featuring radically advanced capabilities,
which attributes it to Generation 4++.
The advanced fighters features setting it
apart from the rest of the Su-27 family are
the latest avionics suite that is based on a
digital information management system and
the advanced Tikhomirov-NIIP Irbis electronically scanned radar. The latter enjoys the
unique aerial target acquisition range and a
beefed-up simultaneous multiple-target tracking and engagement capability (tracking 30 and
engaging eight aerial targets or tracking four
and engaging two ground targets).
12
The flight tests have proven the basic characteristics of the latest electronically scanned
radar, with most of the latters operating modes
having been tested. In particular, test sorties
have proven the unique ability of the Irbis to
acquire threats at a range of more than 400 km.
The avionics suite of the Su-35S also incorporates an advanced IRST from the Precision
Instrument Systems scientific and production
company, up-to-date navigation and communication systems and a sophisticated defensive
aids suite comprising missile warning and
laser warning gear in addition to the traditional radar warning receiver and electronic
countermeasures system. The cockpit management system comprises two 15-inch colour
multifunction liquid-crystal displays and a
large head-up display.
The fighter is powered by a pair of advanced
enhanced-thrust 14,500-hp extended-life 117S
thrust vector control engines developed by
the Lyulka Scientific and Technical Centre
Andrey FOMIN
and produced by UMPO JSC. This, coupled with advanced operating algorithms of
the integrated aircraft control system, allows
supermanoeuvrability in dogfight. Compared
to the Su-27, the Su-35S features an increased
internal fuel capacity, the mid-air refueling
system and drop tanks.
The weapons suite is comprised of both the
in-service smart and dumb air-launched weapons and their modernised variants, with drastically innovative missiles and smart bombs to be
carried further down the line.
The first two Su-35 prototypes (in export
version) started their flight trials in 2008, and
August 2009 saw the Sukhoi company and
Russian Defence Ministry clinch a long-term
deal for a 48-ship Su-35S batch to be delivered prior to 2015.
The first four production-standard Su-35S
fighters were made by Sukhois Komsomolskon-Amur Aircraft Plant (KnAAZ) and delivered between May 2011 and March 2012. They
have been undergoing the official tests at the
Defence Ministry State Flight Test Centre in
Akhtubinsk since 2011. Then in December
2012, the Defence Ministry took delivery of
six more production standard aircraft designed
for the test programme and, that completed,
for the conversion of the air crews of RusAF
combat units at the training and opeval centre in Lipetsk. The planes were ferried from
Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Akhtubinsk during
January through February 2013.
www.take-off.ru
The Su-35S programme features the productionising and official trials of the fighter ran
concurrently for the first time. Certain modifications to the early production-standard aircraft
based on the results produced by the tests were
the unavoidable consequence of that sort of a
payback for haste. Therefore, before fielding the
aircraft, built in 2012, with the Lipetsk unit, they
had had to be modified by the manufacturer
using the latest documentation, under which
12 Su-35S aircraft, earmarked for delivery to
an Air Force fighter air regiment, were made in
Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
the afore-said systems have been ordered for

several units earmarked for the Su-35S. In addition, a Su-35S integrated flight simulator has
been developed to be fielded at Dzyomgi AFB
and in Lipetsk in the near future.
As Igor Dyomin rightfully mentioned, however, it is always not so easy for the troops to
learn the ropes on advanced aircraft both due
to numerous organisational problems and to
the need to ensure the reliability of the most
complex avionics, which sophistication makes
the Su-35S unique in the Russian Air Force so
far. To resolve the problems effectively, there
are a warranty repair team of the developer,
maintenance kits and a technical support team
at Dzyomgi AFB. The aircraft have been given
a three-year warranty for the first time in this
country. All of the above, coupled with the
decision to field the air regiment, stationed
close to the manufacturer, with Su-35S fighters, facilitates the efficiency of the combat
units learning the advanced fighter. As soon
as April this year, Dzyomgi pilots flew their
Su-35Ss in a very intensive manner, according to Igor Dyomin.
The Su-35S faces a long service, while being
at the very beginning of the same. Today, the
fighters of the type operated by combat units can
fight using their basic weapons suites. However,
in line with the concurrent development and
full-rate production concept, advanced types
of air-launched weapons are being integrated
with the aircraft, which will make, in the future,
the aircraft more effective in battle. According
to Igor Dyomin, several types of modernised
and all-new missiles were integrated with the
Su-35Ss weapons suite during 2013, though not
all of the weapons stipulated by the programme
had been ready for the tests on board the fighter.
Therefore, their tests will continue, with the
near-term plans providing for both testing the
advanced weapons and expanding the operational envelope of the integrated ones.
Yuri Kabernik
Su-35S fighters delivered to the first RusAF

combat unit at Dzemgi AFB in February 2014
The 12 fighters were handed over to the

Russian Defence Ministry in a ceremony held
at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant of
the Sukhoi company on 12 February 2014. The
significance of the event was highlighted by
the participation of Russian Defence Minister
Sergei Shoigu, Deputy Defence Minister Yuri
Borisov, Air Force Commander-in-Chief
Lt.-Gen. Victor Bondarev, Khabarovsk territory Governor Vyacheslav Shport, UAC
President Mikhail Pogosyan, Sukhoi Director
General Igor Ozar, KnAAZ Director General
Alexander Pekarsh, etc.
10 aircraft from the batch were fielded with the
1st squadron of the 23rd Fighter Air Regiment
stationed at Dzyomgi AFB in Komsomolsk-onAmur, Khabarovsk Territory. The remaining two
had flown to Akhtubinsk, where they are used
in the final phase of the official test programme,
with the phase focused on testing advanced
weapons in the first place. Instead of the two aircraft, the air regiment at Dzyomgi AFB received
two other Su-35S fighters from the batch delivered in December 2012 and modified by the
manufacturer since February this year.
The squadron launched regular operation
of its advanced Su-35S fighters on 24 March
2014. Prior to that, its air and ground crews had
undergone a programme of conversion to the
type at a Sukhoi facility, and the regiment had
adapted its material and technical resources for
the operation of the advanced type. According
to the Sukhois Su-35 programme director,
chief designer Igor Dyomin, the preparations
had begun as far back as 18 months before the
delivery of the first fighters to the unit. Special
ground test equipment had been ordered and
tested in Akhtubinsk. Electronic tablets with
the operation support software are ready for the
introduction into aircraft maintenance routine
in combat units. An agreement with RusAF
command on the delivery of the advanced
ground support system has been reached, and
Su-35S from Dzemgi AFB taking-off

for demo flight, August 2014
www.take-off.ru
13
Yuri Kabernik

The new batch of Su-35S fighters delivered in October 2014
got a new blue-and-gray livery. Demo flight at Sukhois KnAAZ
jubilee celebration, August 2014
14
Military Pilot 1st Class Maj. Alexei Kurakin,

air squadron navigator, Air Force Training and
Operational Evaluation Centre: I like the
plane. It is far better than the Su-27 and Su-30
in terms of thrust-to-weight ratio. It can attain
beyond-stall angles of attack while retaining its
controllability, which enables it to take part in a
dogfight without having to be distracted by the
cockpit controls. I guess the aircraft is facing
bright vistas, given its combat capabilities and
manoeuvrability.
The Su-35S arrival to Lipetsk will enable
the conversion of RusAF combat units to the
type to be intensified, make it more effective
and allow the air crews to learn the fighters
drastically sophisticated capabilities, including
supermanoeuvrable tactics, upgraded and indevelopment air-launched weapons and latest
avionics.
At present, KnAAZ is manufacturing
more production-standard Su-35S planes.
According to UAC President Mikhail

Pogosyan, plan for 2014 provides for construction and delivery of 12 fighters of the
type while the plan for 2015 of the final 14
from the 48 ordered. According to the chief
designer Igor Dyomin, a new five-year contract for a similar Su-35S batch is supposed to
be signed by Sukhoi and the Defence Ministry
in the nearest future.
In addition, as is known, a political agreement has been achieved on the feasibility of
Su-35 export to China. As all technical
and organisational matters are tackled, the
contract shall be signed. China is interested
in integrating some of its own avionics and
weapons into the Su-35. According to the
fighters chief designer Igor Dyomin, only
Russian components are used in the production of the Su-35S now. However, the
open architecture principle implemented
in its avionics suite allows integration of
One of the four Su-35S jets delivered to Lipetsk-based

RusAF Training and Operational Evaluation Centre in May 2014
Sergey Chaikovsky
Late last year, when the bugs inevitable in

the official tests were debugged, the customer
released its relevant reports and a decision was
taken to OK the operation of the Su-35S by
the Air Force. Owing to that, the first batch of
aircraft of the type was shipped to the fighter air
regiment at Dzyomgi AFB. At the same time,
the manufacturer, KnAAZ, started modifying
the six aircraft, delivered in late 2012, in accordance with the design of the above-mentioned
Dzyomgi-delivered fighters (so-called Layout
2013). The six warplanes were returned to the
manufacture during January and February 2014,
and their modification had been complete. This
made the May delivery of the four Su-35S fighters to the RusAF centre in Lipetsk feasible. They
arrived here on 28 May 2014.
Lipetsk pilots had an opportunity to get the
first impression of the advanced aircraft in the
course of the long flight across Russia from
Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Lipetsk with stopovers in Irkutsk and Chelyabinsk. The impression
was very positive.
Here is the opinion of two Lipetsk-based
pilots, who learnt to fly the Su-35S among the
first in RusAF and ferried the Centres aircraft
from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Lipetsk.
Military Test Pilot 1st Class Lt.-Col. Alexei
Yamakidi, chief, flight safety division, Lipetskbased Air Force Training and Operational
Evaluation Centre: I have flown all versions
of the MiG-23, MiG-29 and Su-27 fighters.
As far as the Su-35S is concerned, I like the
way the flight data are shown on its full-colour
multifunction LCDs: everything is clear and
easy to grasp. The aircraft is easy to control.
Owing to the KSU-35 integrated flight control system, control is now easier and the
controls are more sensitive. One does not have
to apply more force, say, for achieving high
g-load. The Su-35S can be piloted almost
with two fingers.
www.take-off.ru
Maj.-Gen. ALEXANDER KHARCHEVSKY:

The aircraft proved to be splendid
Honoured Military Pilot, Military

Pilot-Sniper,
Maj.-Gen.
Alexander
Kharchevsky, chief of the Air Force
Training and Operational Evaluation
Centre, was among the first Russian Air
Force pilots, who learnt to fly the Su-35S
supermanoeuvrable multirole fighter.
In the Centre under his command, he
not only supervises the devising of
flight, navigation and tactical manuals
for the RusAF Su-35S pilots, but also
tests them in flight personally. On 12
August 2014 during the air show in
Lipetsk on the occasion of the Russian
Air Force Day and on 18 August 2014 at
the celebration of the 80th anniversary
of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft
Plant, Alexander Kharchevsky on a
Su-35S led the formation of the Russian
Falcons aerobatic team, flying a six-ship
Su-27 and Su-30 formation, and then he
performed Su-35S solo aerobatics.
The aircraft proved to be splendid. Its airframe

is reinforced, which has extended its service life by
far. The Su-35S is the same as the Su-27 in terms
of aerodynamic configuration, but it is equipped
with an advanced control system that, coupled
with the thrust vector control capability, gives the
plane a considerable shot in the arm in terms of its
flight performance and manoeuvrability.
Another feature setting the Su-35S apart from
its predecessor is its sophisticated enhancedthrust engine. In terms of design, it is a AL-31F
derivative using fifth-generation technologies.
The Su-35S also embodies some other
advanced technologies, e.g. a phased-array
radar, an advanced IRST and an expanded
weapons suite.
Today in battle, the pilot has to bear an
increased psycho-physiological load due to a
more complicated logic of using the cockpit
management system. To reduce the workload on
the pilot, the Su-35S is the first Russian aircraft
with the glass cockpit, i.e. a novel arrangement
of the cockpit controls with the use of wide-angle
multifunction colour LCDs.
Our Lipetsk Centre has taken delivery of four
Su-35S aircraft for us to devise methodological
recommendations for piloting techniques,
navigation and tactics. Mention should be
made that in 20132014, combat unit pilots
were given ground school and flight training
under our methodological supervision and with
participation of Chkalov State Flight Test centre
and aircraft industry representatives. The pilots
gave raving reports to the flight performance of
the plane. The Su-35S fighters entry into the Air
Forces inventory and mass operation by combat
units will much facilitate efficient training of
flying and ground crews in handling the Sukhoi
PAK FA fifth-generation aircraft.
Maj.-Gen. Alexander Kharchevsky displaying Su-35S

solo aerobatics at the celebration of the KnAAZ
80-years jubilee, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, 18 August 2014
www.take-off.ru
15
Yuri Kabernik
Sergey Chaikovsky
foreign-made systems and complete adaptation of the aircraft to a particular customers

requirements.
In October this year, Russian Vice-Premier
Dmitry Rogozin, supervisor of Russias military
industry, said the contract for the export of
the Su-35 multirole fighters to China could be
signed before year-end. There will be another
session of the Russian-Chinese military-technical cooperation committee in November. I
think the issue will be resolved there. I see no
urgent problems or unsolvable issues there,
Dmitry Rogozin said, adding: Certain price
aspects of the contract are being negotiated
now. According to the Kommersant daily,
China plans to buy a 24-ship batch of Su-35
fighters initially.
The basic flight and operating characteristics proven in the official trials, ergonomic
cockpit management suite, advanced avionics
suite based on an open-architecture information management system, and airframe service
life extended to 6,000 h (30 years of operation)
will enable the Su-35S to remain in service with
the Air Force virtually all the way to the middle
of the century.
Mention should be made that idea of concurrent Su-35S development, testing and productionising, which was implemented in Russia
for the first time, allowed the construction and
testing of more than 10 brand-new aircraft, thus
having slashed the time of the development of
key design features and technologies as well
as the latest design solutions pertinent to the
avionics suite wrapped around an innovative
information management system. In addition,
the approach like this allows the quick use of the
results produced for testing the technologies and
technical solutions embodied in the PAK FA.
This, in turn, ensures a reduction in the time of
the development of the fifth-generation fighter
for the Russian Air Force.
contracts and deliveries | news
The fourth Il-96 for Cuba

under an export contract with Russian
leasing company Ilyushin Finance Co.
in 20052006.They have a 262-seat
layout (18 seats in business class and
244 in economy class). Except for
the Rossiya special air detachment
performing no commercial flights,
Cubana de Aviacion is the only carrier
operating the Il-96-300 on passenger
services now.
As is known, Aeroflot wrapped
up the operation of its Il-96-300s
in spring this year and offered them
for sale. As far as the calendar
service life without life extension is

concerned, the planes can fly until
20162020, and their remaining service life ranges from 14% to 35%
10,000 h to 25,000 h depending on
a particular aircraft.
Unfortunately, there was fire on
board RA-96010 during its maintenance on 3 June 2014, and the aircraft is likely to be written off. Early in
July 2014, Aeroflot Director General
Vitaly Savelyev told the media that
Ilyushin Finance Co. was intent on
buying at least two of the five remain-
Sergei Sergeyev
Early in the morning on 8 September

2014, an unusually looking Ilyushin
Il-96-300 long-range airliner, in Aeroflot
livery but with a different air carrier
name and registration number, took off
from Moscows Sheremetyevo airport
and headed for Havana. Now, the airliner which has swapped Russian registration number RA-96008 for Cuban
CU-T1717 shall be operated by the
Cubana de Aviacion carrier as the fourth
Il-96 in its aircraft fleet.
The delivery of the first three
Il-96-300s was taken by Cubana
ing Il-96-300s. Its long-time Cuban

partners displayed interest in the aircraft. The first of the five remaining
Il-96-300s, RA-96008 (c/n 01005,
produced in 1993), which had the
lowest flight time among Aeroflots
Il-96-300s (45,000 flight hours), had
been groomed by the end of the
summer for the delivery to the new
customer. Its acceptance flight in
Sheremetyevo following almost five
months of sitting on the ground
(it conducted Aeroflots last regular
Il-96-300 flight on 31 March 2014)
took place on 26 August, and the
airliner departed for its new station
two weeks later.
The future of the four remaining Aeroflot-owned Il-96s is unclear
yet. Possibly, RA-96011 will be
bought by Ilyushin Finance Co. and
sold to Cuba in RA-96008s footsteps. The future of the other three
planes has been pinned on the Red
Wings airline until recently, but the
latter is in favour of doing without
them for now.
Angara enhances its An-148 fleet
16
ever, a pair of An-148s released by

Polyot came up handy for Angaras
further development.
The fifth aircraft, RA-61710
(c/n 41-06) shall be delivered in
November 2014. It has already been
painted in our colours, and the factory is completing a package of
improvements, Angara Director
Anatoly Yurtayev told Take-off.
It is worth mentioning that owing
to the arrival of the fourth An-148,
Angaras traffic dynamics exceeded the industrys average during

January through August 2014, totalling 191,800 passengers carried a
32.6% increase. Beefing up Angaras
aircraft fleet will enable the company
to fly to more destinations, and the
extra aircraft are being bought for
flight abroad as well. The first international service performed by Angaras
An-148s was the one from Irkutsk to
Ulan-Bator on 20 October 2014.
There will be new domestic operations in the An-148s 20142015

winter schedule from Novosibirsk
to Khanty-Mansiisk, Bratsk and
Khabarovsk, from Bratsk to Yakutsk
and from Ust-Kut to Krasnoyarsk.
Angaras managers stressed: The
An-148s have proven themselves
since their service entry with the
company, having proven their being
the optimal solution for operations
in Siberia and the Russian Far East.
Voronezh Governor press office
The 75-seat An-148-100E

(c/n 41-04, reg. RA-61709) landed in the airport of Irkutsk on
14 October 2014. It became the
fourth of the type in the aircraft fleet
of the local air carrier Angara. Since
April 2014, the aircraft had been at
VASO following decommissioning
by its previous user, Polyot, which
had flown it since August 2011.
Angara awarded a financial leasing contract for its fourth and fifth
An-148s to Sberbank Leasing Nord
on 30 July 2014, essentially having
inaugurated the An-148 secondary
market in Russia.
As is known, Angara took delivery
of its first three An-148-100Es in
late 2012 under a contract with the
Ilyushin Finance Co. leasing company. At MAKS 2013 air show, Angara
and IFC signed a letter of intent
on financial leasing of two more
An-148-100Es during 2014. Since
the VASO plant in Voronezh has its
hands full with the orders for the
type from the Defence Ministry and
other government operators, how-
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contracts and deliveries | news
Red Wings to beef up its Tu-204 fleet with Superjets

they will allow the airline to explore
new destinations in a more efficient
manner and increase the turnaround
on the current lines. In addition, if need
be, they will be able to stand in for the
larger Tu-204s during seasonal traffic
drops and will facilitate the companys
efforts to penetrate the regional carrier
niche that is new to it.
The airline is planning to pay for the
SSJ100 conversion of its crews out
of pocket, using SCACs instructors.
In addition, it is going to hire several

captains who had flown for Moskovia
before its air operator certificate was
suspended. In all, Red Wings will need
three to four air crews for each of the
three aircraft.
The Red Wings-expected aircraft,
RA-89001 and RA-89002 (MSN 95008
and 95010) were built in 2011 and had
been operated by Aeroflot before last
year. The first of them had flown a year
for Moskovia (since August 2013), and
the second one less than two months

(since early July 2014). The third
plane (RA-89021, MSN 95021) built
in 2012 was designed for Armavia, but
started commercial operations as late
as August 2013 for Moskovia. It had
flown for about a year.
Recent news coming from Red
Wings witness that the airline is going
to get the first two Superjets by the
year end with one more in spring
2015.
Christoph Guler / planepix.ch
The three Sukhoi SuperJet 100

regional airliners previously used by
the Moskovia airline, which air operator certificate was pulled on 29 August
2014, will get a new user soon. News
came in late September that the Red
Wings carrier, which aircraft fleet has
been all-Tu-204 until recently, was
intent on leasing them from the Sukhoi
Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC). The
deal was finalised on 4 October 2014,
and the three aircraft (reg. RA-89001,
RA-89002 and RA-89021) are to
launch services under the new flag as
soon as December.
Red Wings will use them in the
current two-class 93-seat layout (eight
business-class seats and 85 seats in
economy class). All of Red Wings
Tu-204-100s and Tu-204-100Bs
have a 210-seat single-class layout.
According to the carriers Director
General Yevgeny Klyucharyov, the
Superjets will be an excellent addition
to the Tu-204s in his stable, because
SSJ100 for Russian Emergencies Ministry
18
bed convertible, a comfortable seat, a

desk, a coffee table and a wardrobe.
Provision was made for transforming
the cabin into an 11-passenger version with three medical modules.
Later, in July 2014, acquisition of
two SSJ100-based airborne command posts was announced, one of
them called Airborne Command Post
Based on the RRJ-95LR-100 aircraft.
Like the aircraft slated for acquisition under the May 2014 order, the
plane is to have three passenger
cabins with a maximum capacity of
19 seats. However, its first cabin
is to be able to house one or two
medical modules depending on the
layout. This versions cost is estimated at 1.993 billion rubles (about
$53.8 million as of the date of the
contract).
The other Superjet ordered in July
2014 and designated as Airborne
Command Post with Medical
Evacuation Capabilities has differences that are more substantial.
It lacks the principal passengers
cabin, and the front cabin fitted with
two turning/rolling enhanced-comfort seats and a sofa can house two
to four passengers, while the second

cabin is fit for six passengers in
enhanced-comfort seats. Depending
on the layout, the third cabin can
be equipped with 48 economy-class
seats or one to four medical modules
(in the latter case, the cabin retains
eight economy-class seats). The version is priced at 1.97 billion rubles
(around $53.2 million).
Both tenders resulted on
10 September 2014 in the signature of governmental contracts with
UAC that as soon as 12 September
announced the acquisition of two
SSJ100-95LR
(RRJ-95LR-100)
green aircraft (MSN 95061 and
95069), each priced at 1.2 billion
rubles (in the neighbourhood of $32
million) from the SCAC. The aircraft
are to lack the passenger cabin inte-
rior. Both planes ordered shall have

been delivered to the Emergencies
Ministry before year-end 2015.
The first aircraft (MSN 95061,
temporary reg. number 97008) has
been built and flight-tested by the
SCAC affiliate in Komsomolsk-onAmur. Its maiden flight took place
on 25 May 2014. As of October this
year, the aircraft was at the affiliates
flight test facility in Komsomolskon-Amur. The other aircraft
(MSN 95069), which has not flown
yet, rolled-out from assembly hall
in September. After the factory test
programme has been completed,
both planes are to be customised
in line with the customers requirements, including the fitting of their
cabins with special interiors and
onboard systems.
Christoph Guler / planepix.ch
In September 2014, the Russian

Emergencies Ministry and United
Aircraft Corporation signed several
agreements and governmental contracts for supply of advanced Russianbuilt aircraft. The signature of the
documents took place in the ministrys
headquarters. The documents signed
included governmental contracts,
under which the ministry shall take
delivery of two Sukhoi SuperJet 100s
in special variants in 2015.
The Emergencies Ministrys intention to acquire SSJ100 (RRJ-95)
planes became known in May 2014,
when the governmental procurement
website (zakupki.gov.ru) announced
a tender to that effect. Under the
deal, the special version to be supplied was dubbed Multifunction
Airborne Command Post based on
the RRJ-95LR-100 aircraft. The version was offered in the three-cabin
19-seat variant, including the first
cabin with four turning seats and four
turning and tilting ones, a three-seat
sofa and a wardrobe; the second
cabin with a seven seat sofa; and the
principal passengers cabin in the rear
of the fuselage with a L-shaped sofa/
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Andrey Fomin
contracts and deliveries | event
Mi-28NE
Andrey FOMIN
EXPORT KICKING OFF

The export of the Mil Mi-28NE Night Hunter advanced combat helicopter, which
commenced in late summer this year, has been a landmark to the Russian
Helicopters holding company and Rosoboronexport company. According to the
Iraqi media, the first Mi-28NE batch was brought in country in late August 2014.
The deliveries are under a package of contracts made by Rosoboronexport and
Iraq in 2012. The first batch of Mil Mi-35M attack helicopters under this contracts
was delivered in autumn 2013.
According to the annual report published
this summer by Rostvertol JSC (a subsidiary
of Russian Helicopters), the company
continues to fulfil the Rosoboronexportmade contracts for 28 Mi-35M and
15 Mi-28NE attack helicopters.
The first four-ship Mi-35M batch was
shipped to Iraq a year ago, on 8 November
2013. This was reported, inter alia, by Iraqi
20
Premier Nuri al-Maliki on his Facebook page.

Late last year, the Mi-35Ms started being flown
in Iraq in support of the operations against
armed rebels, which has been covered by the
Iraqi media closely enough. On 27 September
2014, the Iraqi Defence Ministry issued an
official statement about the delivery of the third
batch of helicopters from Russia. Probably, it
meant four more Mi-35Ms.
Rostvertol made the first batch of exportdesigned Mi-28NE helicopters this summer.
Three of them complete and given the
characteristic desert camouflage paintjob,
but lacking the insignia and side numbers
could be seen during the celebration of the
manufacturers 75th anniversary on 1 July
2014. One of the aircraft was shown at a static
display dedicated to Rostvertols jubilee,
another could be easily spotted at the airfield
and yet another was in the final assembly hall
among other complete products.
Following the factory flight tests in late
August 2014, the machines were partially
disassembled and brought to Rostov-onDons airport for delivery to the customer
by an An-124 Ruslan heavy-lift transport
aircraft. The airlift took place on 28 August,
www.take-off.ru
Iraqi Ministry of Defence
contracts and deliveries | event
Lt.-Gen. MOHAMMED AL-ASKARI:

The Mi-28NE service entry is quantum leap
in the development of Iraqi Army Aviation
and a day later, the Iraqi Defence Ministry

issued an official statement about its
acceptance of the first Mi-28NE batch.
The helicopters shall enter service to
contribute to the fight of our armed forces
against the Islamic State of Iraq and Levant
(ISIS), the Iraqi Defence Ministry official
website reports.
At the same time, a video clip was
published, showing the work in a hangar
where the three Mi-28NEs were being
re-assembled following their shipping to
Iraq. The video footage was accompanied
by an interview by Iraqi Defence Ministry
spokesman Lt.-Gen. Mohammed al-Askari.
Another video clip was published in
mid-September, showing the first flights
of the Mi-28NE in Iraq and comprising
an interview of another ranking Iraqi
commander.
The manufacturing and assembly of
another export Mi-28NE batch is under
way at Rostvetrol.
www.take-off.ru
Mi-28NE helicopters in a hangar at Iraqi airbase

just after delivery, late August 2014
One of the first export version Mi-28NE helicopters at the assembly hall of Rostvertol
plant during the companys 75-years jubilee
celebration, Rostov-on-Don, 1 July 2014
I believe the arrival of these helicopters is

a quantum leap in the development of our
Army Aviation, affording it new capabilities
of fighting the terrorists under adverse
conditions.
The Mi-28NE helicopter is designed for
fighting round the clock. It features cuttingedge avionics and night-vision devices and
high firepower, which will enable our Mi-28NE
fleet to take out most of the targets they are
to encounter.
Mi-28NEs in a first flight in Iraq,

September 2014
We have received the first batch of advanced

Mi-28NE armoured combat helicopters. The Iraqi
Armys operations against terrorists have shown
that our armed forces badly need helicopters like
these, featuring high manoeuvrability and firepower,
up-to-date and highly effective. The Mi-28NE is
fitted with a guided missile system, a highly accurate
gun, a sophisticated navigation suite for round-theclock operations, close air support, reconnaissance,
attacks on terrorist groups and their installations,
and search-and-rescue operations.
21
Gabriel Mora
commercial aviation | programme
SSJ100
Andrey FOMIN
A YEAR IN MEXICAN SKIES

18 September 2014 marked a year
since Russian regional airliner Sukhoi
Superjet 100 started flying services
for Mexican airline Interjet. The latter, Mexicos second-largest air carrier,
became the launch customer for the
Superjet in the West.
Interjet awarded the contract in January
2011 for 15 units but the number of
planes ordered later increased to 20, with
10 options. The aircrafts supplier is RussoItalian joint venture SuperJet International,
which Venice facility is used for installation
of the passenger cabin interior from Italian
design bureau Pininfarina, aircraft painting
as well as flying and ground crew training.
The Mexico-operated Superjets cabin
seats 93 passengers in economy class, but
has an unusually long pitch 34 inches
22
(864 mm) owing to thinner seats and has

an entertainment system.
The first two Superjets (MSN 95023
and 95024) were flown to Mexico in
summer 2013 and kicked off commercial
operations on 18 September 2013 following
the relevant commissioning procedures.
Late last year, Interjet received two more
aircraft MSN 95028 and 95036.
Since the very beginning of the Superjet
operation, Interjet has performed very well
owing to the effective after-sales support
system provided by SuperJet International
and to the wealth of Interjets experience
in minimising downtime at airports. Suffice
it to say that during the first four months
of the SSJ100 operations in Mexico, the
monthly flight time per aircraft had averaged
210 flight hours (6.9 h a day) and each of the
airliners had flown an average of 194 times

a month (6.4 flights a day), with the average
flight duration standing at about an hour.
Over the 10 months in 2014, Interjet has
commissioned seven Superjets more, with
its SSJ100 fleet numbering 11 units now.
The 10th aircraft (MSN 95048) was handed
over to the customer and headed for Mexico
on 3 October 2014. Three weeks later it was
followed by another airliner (MSN 95046).
Several Superjets more are anticipated
in Mexico before year-end. Two of them
(MSN 95049 and 95052) are on the
premises of SuperJet International and five
more are at the test base of the Sukhoi Civil
Aircraft Company in Zhukovsky, Moscow
Region, where they are being groomed for
handover to Venice. The two final aircraft
are being manufactured in Komsomolskwww.take-off.ru
commercial aviation | programme

sitting in mountainous terrain, including
those at over 2,200 m above the sea level.
The longest flight from Mexico-City to
Tijuana takes 3 h 10 min. Interjets SSJ100s
started scheduled Monterrey San Antonio,
Tx., operations on 12 September 2014, with
another US-bound service Monterrey to
Houston was launched on 23 October.
Interjet is the first Western SSJ100
customer to see the contract it had awarded
make it to actual deliveries and commercial
operations. The SSJ100s prospects on
the Western market depend heavily on
the success of the contract and the results
produced by Superjets in Mexico. The results
produced by the Mexican SSJ100s in the
first year of commercial passenger services
have been more than good. Hopefully, the
Mexican experience will both pave the way
to new foreign customers for the SSJ100
and serve a good example to follow by the
airliners Russian users.
Onboard service
at Interjets SSJ100 flight
from Mexico-City
to Masatlan
on-Amur under the current contract with

Interjet. The airline counts on having all
of its 20 Superjets as soon as summer 2015.
The yearlong flight operations in
Mexico are a good cause for summing up
the results produced by Russian advanced
airliner SSJ100 in service with Interjet.
The nine planes have logged in excess of
11,400 passenger flights equalling a total of
12,000-plus flying hours. The daily flight
time of some of the Superjets exceeded
11 h at times. The lead aircraft (MSN
95023) has logged more than 2,400 flying
hours on 2,300 sorties. As far as uptime is
concerned, the SSJ100 is virtually on a par
with the Airbus A320 medium-haul airliner
long used by Interjet. After a year in service,
the Superjets uptime has 99% at the least.
The route network the SSJ100s operate
on in Mexico comprises 39 lines stemming
mostly from Mexico-City and from
Monterrey, Toluca, Guadalajara and Leon
as well. The Mexican Superjets fly to airports
www.take-off.ru
Alexander Popov
SSJ100 regional airliners

in Mexico-City airport
SSJ100s for Interjet airline (as of October 2014)

No
Reg. number
MSN
Maiden flight
Delivery
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
XA-JLG
XA-IJR
XA-JLV
XA-ABM
XA-NSG
XA-OAA
XA-PBA
XA-JLP
XA-LME
XA-ALJ
XA-BMO
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
n/a
95023
95024
95028
95036
95034
95038
95040
95042
95045
95046
95048
95049
95052
95050
95065
95066
95054
95071
95081
95085
12 Sep 2012
16 Dec 2012
24 Mar 2013
19 Jun 2013
28 Aug 2013
06 Oct 2013
02 Nov 2013
12 Nov 2013
22 Dec 2013
28 Dec 2013
30 Dec 2013
19 May 2014
19 Mar 2014
06 Feb 2014
09 Jul 2014
16 Jul 2014
29 Jul 2014
20 Sep 2014
18 Jun 2013
02 Aug 2013
05 Nov 2013
21 Dec 2013
01 Feb 2014
14 Mar 2014
25 Apr 2014
07 Jun 2014
04 Sep 2014
21 Oct 2014
03 Oct 2014
Commencement
of operation
Sep 2013
Sep 2013
Nov 2013
Jan 2014
Feb 2014
Mar 2014
May 2014
Jun 2014
Sep 2014
Oct 2014
Oct 2014
being customised in Venice,

delivery slated for before year-end 2014
at SCACs flight test facility in Zhukovsky;
being groomed for handover to SuperJet
International for customisation; delivery planned
for before mid-2015
being assembled
being manufactured
23
commercial aviation | interview
ALEXANDER RUBTSOV:
IFCs Chinese Focus
The deterioration of the geopolitical situation due to the development in Ukraine
as well as the US and EU sanctions slapped on a number of Russian banks makes
Russian businessmen step up cooperation with other major partners, among
which companies and financial institutions of the Peoples Republic of China hold
a strong foothold. While the cooperation between Russias aircraft industry and
China was previously limited mostly to supply of combat aircraft, helicopters and
aircraft engines, now commercial aircraft programmes are coming out into the
foreground, providing for not only complete product delivery, but also advanced
airliner co-development and co-production and large-scale cooperation with
Chinese banks and leasing companies. In the run-up to Airshow China 2014 in
Zhuhai, Take-off has turned to Alexander Rubtsov, Director General of the Ilyushin
Finance Co. (IFC), a major Russian leasing company specialising in supply of up-todate Russian- and foreign-made aircraft on the domestic and foreign markets, for
his take on the prospect of cooperation with Chinese partners.
Mr. Rubtsov, probably, Russian business
has been taking more interest in China due to
the recent developments
Certainly. Given the situation, in which
most of major Russian banks, cut off from
the global market with the US and EU
sanctions, China becomes a key financial
market. Therefore, today most of the Russian
banks and leasing companies are staking on
Southeast Asia, particularly, China. I guess,
the number of meetings between the leaders
of Russian banks and leasing companies and
their Chinese partners will have increased by
several time in the coming several months:
the Russians need to find out the feasibility
of getting alternative financing of the aircraft
24
earmarked for delivery on the Russian market.

This applied to all basic airliner types (Boeing,
Airbus, Bombardier and ATR), because
Western exports crediting institutions have
virtually stopped financing aircraft deliveries
to the Russian market. Against the backdrop
like that, to obtain funds from major Chinese
banks is the only alternative.
The current Airshow China is an
important venue for talks on the above
matter, and, there, the Ilyushin Finance
Co. pins its hopes on its participation in
the air show in Zhuhai. This is due, among
other things, to our being a major buyer
of the latest Bombardier CSeries aircraft.
We shall meet both our potential Southeast
Asian customers and the financiers dealing

with funding aircraft deliveries. We have a
pretty tight meeting schedule for Zhuhai. I
think, our counterparts have set themselves
a similar task.
Overall, all aircraft market players are
concerned these days. In the first place,
they are air carriers trying to understand
whether they will get new planes or not.
It looks like there should be no problems
for old, long-approved deals. At the same
time, one can see this is not the fact. The
decisions announced as far back as several
months back are being changed before our
very eyes. One cannot be certain that the EU,
United States and Canada will stick to the
agreements made, because their policies are
evolving continuously alas, to the worse.
The situation is unstable so far. For this
reason, our focus on China will dominate.
You have mentioned finances and borrowed
capital, but are there negotiations underway
on supply of advanced Russian aircraft to
China?
The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company
(SCAC) is known to be in talks with several
Chinese airlines on delivery of Sukhoi
Superjet 100 airliners. We are ready to
consider the feasibility of our participation in
the funding of possible deals, including doing
so in accordance with our SSJ100 supply
quota under our contracts with SCAC. This
is a reason for IFC to take part in the air
show: to sound the local players interest
in the SSJ100. Therefore, we are following
the SCAC and SuperJet Internationals
marketing policy in this case. If there are
customers for the SSJ100 in China, we
are prepared to arrange the funding of its
deliveries. At the same time, we are also
seeking for customers for the aircraft we
have ordered from SCAC. We have planned
meetings with Southeast Asian customers
coming to Zhuhai. There will be discussion
of the feasibility of leasing the aircraft from
our orderbook the eight SSJ100s we signed
up for this summer.
IFC is a major customer for another cuttingedge Russian airliner, the short/medium-haul
MC-21. Will you offer it here?
Certainly, we are keeping an eye on the
Chinese market as well in the light of MC-21
promotion. However, it is too soon to mention
specific actions, because we will launch
proactive marketing of the MC-21 after it has
taken to the skies. Its actual performance will
be clear then. Even now, however, I consider
the MC-21 to be a good, promising plane,
given the characteristics announced. I do
not doubt its future. Still, to make its future
a reality, a lot has to be done to complete
the programme. The MC-21 development
programme is on schedule. Irkut has begun
www.take-off.ru
To get a foothold on the market, all of us

need to prove our competence Chinas
COMAC with the use of its ARJ21 and
C919 programmes and us with the MC-21.
However, Russia is in a somewhat better
position, since it has proven with its SSJ100
that it is capable of developing an advanced
passenger airliner and having it certificated
by Europe. Our Chinese partners have yet to
clear this hurdle.
With whom else are you going to negotiate
at Airshow China 2014 in addition to Chinese
bankers and airline managers?
In addition to Chinese representatives, IFC
plans to meet representatives of Malaysia,
Indonesia, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore and
a number of other neighbouring states.
Overall, the region is evolving dynamically.

Numerous airlines operate there, of which
many have signed up for advanced aircraft
types, including those we have in our
orderbook. We would like to talk to them.
Various banks and leasing companies operate
in the region and could partner with us in
financing the deals being devised by IFC.
We see the need of discussing the feasibility
of joint businesses under the programmes
announced by IFC. The programmes pertain
to both Russian- and foreign-made aircraft.
We anticipate meeting both consumers
and banks financing aviation-related
programmes, and industrialists displaying
their achievements. There is a lot to do
during the air show!
IFC
to manufacture the components of the flying

prototypes, metal has been cut and parts are
being made. The MC-21s maiden flight is
slated for late next year.
Has your company pondered the feasibility
of buying Chinese-made planes and then
leasing them to Russian carriers?
There was the time when we considered
Chinese regional turboprop airliner MA60
and a smaller aircraft, one for 1219 seats.
We visited Chinese aircraft plants. However,
the delays of the certification of the Chinese
aircraft have put their acquisition on the back
burner for an indefinite time. The Chinesebuilt ARJ21 looks good, but it will hardly
interest us much owing to the availability
of the domestic-made SSJ100 of the same
dimensions. In addition, IFCs orderbook
includes the An-148 and An-158. That is
why IFC is not mulling over the ARJ21
at present. As for the future Chinese-built
C919 medium-range airliner, it is a mystery
to us. It is hard to say what kind of aircraft
it will be. Even a hazier future is facing the
big widebody now: what kind of plane will
it be and what configuration will its design
go for? We have a widebody airliner vision
of our own. IFC has conducted a rather
extensive research into the market prospects
of and formalisation of the requirements to
the aircraft. We have something to suggest
to its developer, and we are ready to work
with them on hashing out the design of the
future plane. The designing of the advanced
widebody airliner is to take seven or eight
years, or even longer. Thankfully, Russia and
China have agreed to co-develop such an
aircraft. No doubt, this is a very interesting
programme.
IFC
commercial aviation | interview
www.take-off.ru
25
industry | news
ises allow the production of up to

70 MC-21s a year further down the
road. The installation of the assembly line is in full swing now.
Last year, Irkut completed the
devising of the MC-21 airframe
design documentation and started
the construction of the first four
aircraft examples three for flight
tests and one for static trials. In
addition, numerous structural elements (panels, joints, bays, etc.)
were manufactured for static
and endurance tests. The company assembled an airframe barrel
section prototype and shipped it
to TsAGI for endurance tests in
February.
The airliners baseline model is the

180-seat MC-21-300 that can seat
160 to 212 passengers depending on
a layout of the cabin. Concurrently,
the shorter 130165-seat MC-21-200
version is in development, with the
MC-21-400 stretch being a possibility.
The maiden flight of the
MC-21-300 prototype is slated for
later 2015, and the completion
of its certification tests and the
beginning of its deliveries for 2017.
The MC-21s firm order book had
included 175 aircraft by early 2014.
50 of them had been ordered by the
Aviacapital-Service leasing company (a Rostec government-owned
corporation subsidiary) for Aeroflot

and 35, powered by PD-14 engines,
for governmental agencies. 50 aircraft had been ordered by the
Ilyushin Finance leasing company,
of which at least six can start flying with Transaero and 10 with
Red Wings under current agreements. 30 airliners more are due
to VEB-Leasing, of which 10 can
go to UTair and six to Transaero.
In addition, Irkut has had a direct
contract with the IrAero airline for
10 aircraft. An agreement with
Sberbank-Leasing for 20 aircraft
can be thrown in for good measure.
During 2013, the MC-21 firm order
book swelled by 62 aircraft.
Andrey Fomin
The key advanced mid-term airliner programme being pursued

by Russias aircraft industry is
the development of the MC-21
new-generation
narrow-body
short/medium-range airliner family designed to compete the best
Western airliners in the class,
the Airbus A320neo and Boeing
737MAX. Under the Russian
Presidents directive dated 6 June
2010, Irkut Corp. became the
prime contractor for the development and production of the MC-21.
Prototypes and production-standard aircraft of the MC-21 family
will be built by the Irkutsk Aviation
Plant, a subsidiary of the Irkut
Corp.
The plant has been tasked with
the manufacture of the fuselage
and final assembly of the aircraft.
The fuselage metal panels, tail
section and composite empennage
will be supplied by the Ulyanovskbased Aviastar-SP close corporation, composite fuselage midsection panels, spars and integral
wing panels by the AeroCompositUlyanovsk close corporation, composite leading and trailing edges,
wing high-lift devices and elevators by the KAPO-Composit close
corporation, the latter two companies being the AeroComposit
close corporations Ulyanovsk- and
Kazan-based production facilities
respectively.
In August 2011, Irkut and
Germanys Durr made a contract
for a complete set of the MC-21
aircraft automated assembly line
using up-to-date digital technologies. The latest equipment and
the Irkutsk Aviation Plants prem-
Andrey Fomin
MC-21: prototypes manufacturing begins
26
www.take-off.ru
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PD-14
Prospective engine
for short/medium-haul airliners
United Engine Corporation

16, Budyonnogo avenue, Moscow, 105118, Russia
www.uecrus.com
industry | news
The mainstay of the United Engine

Corporations (UEC) commercial aircraft engine development programme
is the development of the 12,500
15,600-kgf PD-14 new-generation
turbofan engine the first one in the
advanced 918 tonne engine family
being developed by a large team of
UECs subsidiaries led by Aviadvigatel
JSC. The PD-14 is a two-shaft separate-flow engine with the gearless
fan drive. All engines of the family
have a common core with the eightstage high-pressure compressor,
low-emission annular combustor and
two-stage high-pressure compressor.
The baseline PD-14 will be equipped
with a 1,900-mm single-stage fan
retaining the diameter of the fan used
in the PS-90A engine, a three-stage
low-pressure compressor and a sixstage low-pressure turbine.
The baseline 14,000-kgf PD-14
is designed to power the Irkut
MC-21-300 short/medium-haul airliner. The shortened variant of the
airliner, the MC-21-200, is supposed to be fitted with 12,500-kgf
PD-14A engines, while the stretch is
to be furnished with the enhancedthrust PD-14M version capable of
15,600 kgf. According to the design
data, the PD-14 is on a par with its
foreign rivals (PW1400G, LEAP-X)
in terms of specific fuel consumption, while having a somewhat lower
bypass ratio.
The zest of the MFD 2014 international engine industry forum held in
Moscow in April 2014 was the second
PD-14 prototype engine (c/n 100-03)
displayed by UEC. The engine has
28
been in trials in the city of Perm since

early this year. For its display during
the forum, it was taken off the test
bench and brought to Moscow and
returned to Perm for continued tests
right after MFD 2014 had been over.
Aviadvigatel Designer General
Alexander Inozemtsev delivered a
detailed report on the status of the
PD-14 programme at the plenary session of the forum. He gave a recap,
inter alia, on the milestones of the
designing and testing prototype cores
and engine demonstrators.
The trials of the first engine core
demonstrator (100GG-01) under the
PD-14 programme were launched
in Perm in November 2010. A year
later, in December 2011, the second core (100GG-02) entered the
trials and was used for testing an
alternative combustor from IvchenkoProgress in June 2013. According

to Mr. Inozemtsev, the combustor
has demonstrated somewhat higher
performance than the one developed
by Aviadvigatel itself probably,
owing to Ivchenko-Progresss wealth
of experience in the development
of annular combustors for gas turbine engines. The Aviadvigatel head
remarked, however, that a choice
has not been made, for everything
depends on the outcome of the tests
and, which is more, a political decision against the backdrop of the current turmoil in the Russian-Ukrainian
relations.
In October 2013, the third PD-14
core (100GG-03) joined the tests. It is
intended for enhancing the effectiveness of the high-pressure compressor. As of April 2014, the PD-14 core
prototypes logged a total of about
120 operating hours.
Aviadvigatel started the rig tests
of the first full-scale PD-14 engine
demonstrator (c/n 100-01) in June
2012. By August of the same year,
the first stage of the indoor test rig
trials, during which the engine was
tested in the basic operating modes,
had been complete. A month later, in
September 2012, the demonstrator
passed the outdoor rig test stage,
when its acoustic characteristics were
gauged.
In February 2013, the 100-01
engine demonstrator tests of its ther-
modynamic parameters were completed, and in July, the third test stage
took place, which included, among
other things, the engines first burn in
the takeoff mode.
By early this year, the second
engine demonstrator (c/n 100-03)
had been prepared for trials. Its rig
test kicked off in January 2014.
By the MFD 2014 forum, the third
engine (c/n 100-04) had been in the
final stages of assembly and preparations for tests, with the two engine
demonstrators having logged a total
of around 100 hours.
Later this year, Aviadvigatel will
assemble and furnish for testing at
least two more PD-14 prototypes
100-05 (the first one with the fixed
design) and 100-06. Both will be
used as part of the certification tests.
Overall, 22 prototypes, including four
flying ones for MC-21 planes, are
planned for manufacture.
The PD-14 is slated to begin its
flight tests on the Il-76LL flying testbed in February 2015. The aircraft will
carry the engine c/n 100-07.
The engines certification under
the Russian standards is supposed
to be complete by April 2017, when
Aviadvigatel expects the IAC Aircraft
Register to issue the type certificate.
The flight tests of two PD-14s as part
of the powerplant of the MC-21-300
prototype are slated for July 2017,
while EASA is expected to issue its
type certificate in April 2018.
Andrey Fomin
Alexey Mikheyev
PD-14: testing goes on
www.take-off.ru
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industry | news
The first flight of the fourth flying prototype of the advanced Mil
Mi-38 medium transport helicopter
took place in Kazan, at the airfield
of Kazan Helicopters, a subsidiary
of the Russian Helicopters holding company, on 16 October 2014.
The fourth prototype (OP-4) with
side number 38014 was made in the
Mi-38-2 variant powered by advanced
Russian-developed Klimov TV7-117V
turboshafts. Unlike the previous Mi-38
prototypes, OP-4 features enlarged
windows and an advanced shockprotected fuel system. The machine
is being considered as the standard
for future production Mi-38s. OP-4s
first hover was performed in Kazan
by the crew consisting of Honoured
Test Pilot Vladimir Kutanin (pilot),
Maxim Shezhin (co-pilot) and Sergei
Panin (test engineer). The aircraft will
undergo further tests at the flight test
facility of the Mil Helicopter Plant in
Tomilino, Moscow Region.
Earlier this year, the trials of the
first Mi-38 prototype (OP-1) converted to the Mi-38-2 variant commenced in Tomilino. As is known,
during the first phase of the flight test
programme, which had been under
way since 2003 in Kazan and then in
Russian Helicopters
Fourth Mi-38 commences tests
the Moscow Region, the OP-1 prototype was powered by Pratt & Whitney
Canada XPW127/5 experimental
engines. The prototypes conversion
to the domestic powerplant consisting two TV7-117V turboshafts and
upgraded powertrain and their debugging on board the helicopter kicked
off in 2011. At the same time, Kazan
Helicopters manufactured the third
Mi-38 prototype, the Mi-38-2 (OP-3),
powered by a pair of TV7-117Vs
too. Its flight tests in Tomilino commenced in November 2013, and the
upgraded Mi-38-2 (OP-1) flew there
in April this year. Mention should be
made that the second Mi-38 prototype, the XPW127/5-powered OP-2,

is airworthy now too.
The TV7-117V-powered Mi-38-2
and PW127TS-powered Mi-38-1
have a maximum takeoff weight of
15,600 kg (16,200 kg with underslung cargo) and haul 6 t of cargo in
the cabin or 7 t slung under belly at a
cruising speed of 285 km/h. The cabin
can seat 30 passengers. The helicopter also is offered in the searchand-rescue, medevac, offshore and
VIP versions, while surpassing other
machines in the class in terms of the
carrying and seating capacities.
The Mi-38-2s factory certification

tests are to be completed in June 2015
and its second stage certification tests
in November 2015. The certification is
being performed in compliance with
the AP-29 air rules harmonised with
the European CS-29 and US FAR-29
regulations. The cargo version of the
Mi-38-2 is to be issued its type certificate by the IACs Aircraft Register
in December 2015. By then, Kazan
Helicopters should launch the helicopters series production and deliveries may start. Kazan Helicopters is
assembling the airframe of the first
production-standard Mi-38 now.
The first Taganrog-built Be-200 to be ready in 2014
30
ing and four Be-200PS search-andrescue amphibians).

The plan, adjusted in line with
the Defence Ministrys order,
stipulates the construction of two
Be-200ChS aircraft this year one
for the Emergencies Ministrys
air branch (c/n 303) and the first
Be-200ChS for the Russian Navys

air arm (c/n 309). Next year, Beriev
plans to deliver one more aircraft to the Emergencies Ministry
and two more (including the first
Be-200PS) to the military.
The company is hopeful of
export contracts as well. For
instance, Beriev is promoting the

EASA-certificated Be-200ES-E
amphibian on foreign markets,
the European and Southeast Asian
ones in the first place, concurrently
with fulfilling the orders placed by
the Emergencies Ministry and the
military.
Beriev company
The Beriev company is productionising the Be-200 amphibian aircraft that used to be in production
by the Irkut corporations aircraft
plant in Irkutsk. Previously, two
prototype and seven productionstandard amphibians of the type
have been manufactured in Irkutsk,
of which six are in service with the
air arm of the Russian Emergencies
Ministry (the two latest were fitted with relevant gear and delivered in November 2011 by Beriev)
and one was delivered to the Azeri
Emergencies Ministrys air branch
in 2008.
In May 2011, the Russian government ordered six Be-200ChS
amphibians from Beriev for the
Emergencies Ministry and in May
2013 six more for the Defence
Ministry (two Be-200ChS fire-fight-
www.take-off.ru
industry | news
www.take-off.ru
ics suite. The Mi-171A2 will be

equipped with the up-to-date KBO-17
avionics suite co-developed by the
Ulyanovsk Instrument Manufacturing
Design Bureau (UIMDB) and other
subsidiaries of the Radio-Electronic
Technologies Concern (Rostec
company). This will expand the
helicopters operating envelope on
scheduled long-distance and commuter passenger operations, with the
machine complying with the airport
arrival and departure standing operating procedures and present-day and
future reduced vertical and lateral
separation minimum requirements. In
addition, this will enable the helicopter to perform aerial work, including
hovering and flying on special flight
paths, and will ensure a fuel consumption reduction by means of the
optimal navigation calculations and
adherence to the flight plan.
The KBO-17 will allow a reduction
in the flying cost per hour through
reducing the crew from three to two,
slashing the weight of the airborne
equipment, simplifying the pre-flight
and post-flight checks and enhancing the diagnostic equipment effectiveness owing to the KBO-17 itself
including the SUOVO-V1 general aircraft equipment control system and
KSEIS-V1 integrated electronic display and warning system.
Finally, the helicopter operation
system will be changed much too.
The assigned life and time between
overhauls of both the helicopter and
its key systems are to be extended
by far, with on-condition operation
further down the road being an
objective.
The Mi-171A2s maximum takeoff
and landing weight is 13,000 kg and
that with under-slung cargo stands at
13,500 kg. The weight of cabin cargo
Russian Helicopters
Late August 2014 saw the beginning of the flight tests of the first
prototype of the heavily upgraded
Mi-171A2 (OP-1) helicopter at the
flight test facility in Tomilino, Moscow
Region, operated by the Mil Helicopter
Plant, a subsidiary of the Russian
Helicopters holding company.
The Russian Helicopters management approved the Mi-8/17 heavy
upgrade programme, initially dubbed
Mi-171M, in March 2011. The new
machine was derived from the UlanUde Aviation Plant-made Mi-171A1
multipurpose medium transport/passenger helicopter certificated by the
Aviation Registry of the Interstate
Aviation Committee (IAC) and the
Brazilian aviation authorities. Hence,
the upgrade was designated as
Mi-171A2. The upgrade programmes
key objectives are a sharp improvement in operating characteristics and
a reduction in its maintenance and
flying cost per hour. The Mi-171A2
is expected to become the baseline production-standard commercial
model of the most popular helicopter
family further down the line.
Several components of the helicopter were upgraded at the same time.
Firstly, the machine was given an
advanced powerplant, rotor system
and powertrain. The Mi-171A2 will
be fitted with latest VK-2500PS-03
turboshaft engines from Klimov JSC
in St. Petersburg (a subsidiary of the
United Engine Corporation, itself a
subsidiary of Oboronprom JSC that
is part of the Rostec corporation).
The VK-2500PS-03 features an emergency power rating of 2,400 hp for
30 min and 2,700 hp for 2.5 min, as
well as an extended service life.
The advanced rotor system of the
Mi-171A2 includes an upgraded composite-blade main rotor, rotor hub
and swash plate. The helicopter is furnished with a beefed-up powertrain
and an X-shaped tail rotor. The novelties have increased the machines
cruising and maximum flight speed,
improved its operability and extended
the service lives of its units. In addition, provision has been made for
the introduction of the up-to-date
auxiliary power unit.
Another key line of the upgrade
is a drastic reshuffle of the avion-
Russian Helicopters
Mi-171A2 starting its flight trials
accounts for 4,000 kg and that of

under-slung one equals 5,000 kg. The
passenger version of the Mi-171A2 is
equipped with 26 standard-issue or
18 shock-absorbing seats.
The maximal speed will increase
from 250 km/h to 280 km/h,
the cruising speed from 230 km/h
to 260 km/h and the range on internal fuel from 715 km to 850 km.
The directional control will improve
much, and the permissible hover
crosswind velocity will increase. The
helicopter will be able to operate
within the -50/+50C temperature
bracket in all climes.
Under the Mi-171A2 upgrade programme, prototype work involves
three aircraft the flying testbed
derived from Mi-171 side number
987 and the OP-1 and OP-2 prototypes. The flight tests of the flying
testbed fitted with the new rotor system including the upgraded composite-blade main rotor, upgraded hub,
beefed-up powertrain and X-shaped
tail rotor kicked off at the flight test
facility of the National Helicopter
Industry Centre in Tomilino (Moscow
Region) in autumn 2012. The tests
demonstrated a main rotor vibration
reduction and a 700-kgf increase in
the main rotor thrust with a simultaneous directional control stability increase owing to the advanced
X-shaped tail rotor. During the trials,
the flying testbed produced a maximum speed of 300 km/h (the max
speed of the production-standard
Mi-171 is 250 km/h).
Early in 2012, the prototype-making facility of the National Helicopter
Industry Centre in Tomilino started
manufacturing the first Mi-171A2
prototype (OP-1), using the airframe
shipped by the Ulan-Ude Aviation
Plant. The OP-1 made its debut in
public in late August 2013 during the
MAKS 2013 air show in Zhukovsky.
This year it was used in the tests of
the KBO-17 avionics suite.
The assembly of the second
Mi-171A2 prototype, the OP-2, with
the use of another UUAP-supplied airframe is nearing its end in Tomilino.
The Mi-171A2 certification test
programme completion and IAC
Aviation Registry type certificate
release are slated for 2015. Then,
UUAP is to launch Mi-171A2 full-rate
production and delivery. Even now,
major helicopter operators both
domestic and foreign have displayed interest in the Mi-171A2.
31
industry | news
Alexey Mikheyev
32
Helicopters holding company

announced its snagging a new order
for the fourth Mi-26TC for China.
The machine was ordered by Lectern
Aviation Supplies. It will be delivered
in 2015 and operated in support of
the forestry service of Shandong
Province.
According to Rostvertols 2013
annual report, the companys
upgraded Mi-26T2 foreign-market
promotion efforts came to fruition when the first export deal was
clinched on 26 June 2013 for six
machines for Algeria. The construction of the first two productionstandard Mi-26T2s is in full swing in
Rostov-on-Don.
The key difference setting the
Mi-26T2 from the productionstandard Mi-26 and Mi-26T/TC is
its advanced digital avionics suite
Li Hutao
The Russian Helicopters holding

companys subsidiary Rostvertol,
which marked its 75th anniversary
on 1 July this year, continues fullrate production of the worlds most
capable heavy-lift helicopters the
Mi-26 and Mi-26T/TC and has
launched manufacturing of the
upgraded Mi-26T2.
A strong impetus to ramping up
the output of Mi-26 family helicopters was given by the governmental order for 22 machines for the
Russian Defence Ministry, which
was awarded in 2010. The first two
aircraft under the contract were
delivered in October 2011 and two
more followed suit late in the same
year. During 2012, as many as six
Mi-26s were made under the governmental defence acquisition programme. Four more were fielded
with the combat units last year.
Another three have been manufactured and already delivered this year.
Early last year, a new Mi-26T
was delivered to a Russian commercial operator. The machine
(RA-06255) was made in late 2012
and delivered to the RostvertolAvia airline that had operated three
aircraft of the type.
In recent years, Rostov-on-Donbuilt heavylifters have been exported
as well. For instance, three Mi-26Ts
entered service with the Venezuelan
Army Aviation in 20072008, while
three Mi-26TC helicopters were
shipped to China in 20072010. Two
Mi-26TC machines are in the aircraft fleet of Chinese air company
Qingdao Helicopter, with one more
being used by the Flying Dragon
operator. Early this year, the Russian
Imprezakidd / carnoc.com
Mi-26T2 production kicks off
that has allowed slashing the flying

crew from four to two (from five to
three, if the external cargo sling is
used) and simultaneously improved
reliability, flight safety, helicopters
stability, controllability and hover
precision, which is especially important when using the external sling.
The BREO-26 avionics suite of the
upgraded Mi-26T2 is based on the
NPK-90-2 flight navigation system
comprising the digital display system, control panels, airborne computer, satellite navigation system
and digital flight system. In addition,
the Mi-26T2s avionics incorporates
an up-to-date communications system and an airborne flight recorder
system.
Just like its baseline model, the
Mi-26T2 can haul outsize cargo and
vehicle weighing a total of 20 t
in the cargo hold or at the external sling. Its military version carries
82 troops and casevac variant airlifts
60 casualties. The machine can perform installation and construction
work of varying degrees of complexity, fire-fighting missions, quick fuel
delivery, self-contained refuelling of
vehicles on the ground, etc.
A Mi-26T2 prototype (tail number
901) was made by Rostvertol and
submitted for its flight trials early in
2011. To date, it has passed all of the
key phases of the trials and Mi-26T2
entered full-rate production.
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industry | news
Antonov starts first An-178 assembly
Vasily Koba
The Kiev-based Antonov state

company has launched the final
assembly of the first prototype
of the advanced An-178 rampequipped medium-class freighter
with a lifting capability of 18 t.
The jig assembly of the fuselage
was complete this summer, and
on 29 July 2014 it was taken
out of the jig and brought to the
final assembly hall, where the
basic airframe components (wing,
empennage, nacelle struts, engine
nacelles, etc.) will be mated, aircraft systems will be installed
and the equipment will be tested.
According to an official Antonov
news release, the assembly of the
An-178 prototype is planned for
completion by early 2015, when its
flight trials are to commence.
The aircraft is being derived
from the 99-seat An-158 regional
airliner and is to be fitted with the
commonised F1 fuselage nose section with the identical flight deck,
wing panels, empennage and most
of the onboard systems. At the
same time, the fuselage diameter
has grown from 3.35 m to 3.9 m,
which has resulted in the cargo
cabin cross section increase to
2.75x2.75 m.
The future production-standard
aircraft will have a longer wing
span while retaining the organic
wing panels of the An-158. Its
maximal takeoff weight is estimated at 56 t. The aircraft needs
turbofan engines with a thrust
of about 9,500 kgf to have the
characteristics required. The said
34
engine may be the new-generation

in-development Ivchenko-Progress
AI-28 turbofan. Ivchenko-Progress
General Designer Igor Kravchenko
told Take-off that the engine was
expected to be ready for mounting
on the wing by around 2020; therefore, the decision was taken so far
to fit the An-178 prototype with less
powerful D-436-148FM engines.
The D-436-148FM is a derivative of the production-standard
D-436-148 with an upgraded fan,
which boosted the takeoff thrust to
7,800 kgf and at emergency power
rating to 8,580 kgf. A D-436-148FM
mock-up was unveiled at the MFD
2014 International Engine Industry
Forum in Moscow in April this year.
According to Igor Kravchenko, the
final D-436-148FM variant is to
be ready by May 2015 and fit for
certification in 2016.
According to Antonov, the range
of the D-436-148FM-powered
An-178 with the 18-tonne maximum payload will account for
1,000 km, with the 15-tonne payload for 2,000 km and with 10 t
for 4,000 km. Its maximum cruising speed and service ceiling are
set at 825 km/h and 12,200 m
respectively. The maximum takeoff
weight of the aircraft powered by
the Phase I powerplant is estimated at 5051 t. The plane will be
able to haul various kinds of cargo,
including standard-issue containers and up to 99 infantrymen in full
battle rattle, up to 80 paratroopers
or up to 40 casualties on litters and
30 sitting casualties.
Antonov has been paying for

the An-178s development out
of pocket since 2009, with no
firm orders landed yet. Antonov
President / General Designer
Dmitry Kiva said at the An-178
fuselage roll-out ceremony:
The An-178 is our future. We are
developing the aircraft, investing
in it a wealth of experience of
the elder generation of Antonov
personnel, coupled with the latest
technologies that are being successfully learnt and introduced
by our young personnel. The programme is being funded with the
money earned by the company.
We are certain the An-178 will be
on a par with the transport aircraft of the world and replace the
famous An-12 airlifter, of which
1,400 have been made, and the
C-160 (over 200).
The near future will show
whether Antonov will manage to
bring the An-178 programme to
the flight test stage or not, given
the difficult situation Ukraine is
now. The situation is aggravated
by continuous attempts by the dejure illegitimate executive branch
at ousting the companys leader.
For instance, Sergei Merenkov, the
former An-140 programme manager, tried to assume control of the
company on 1 August 2014, citing
an order of the deputy minister of
the Ministry of Industrial Policy
that had been disbanded several
months before that. Nevertheless,
Dmitry Kiva remains the de-facto
leader of Antonov.
Antonov is sticking it out despite

the mess it is in and the political
crisis in the country. For instance,
this summer, it completed, tested
and delivered another productionstandard An-158 (c/n 201-05, reg.
CU-T1715) the second one made
this year and the fifth one in total.
The aircraft was delivered to Cubana
de Aviacion. It had first flown in Kiev
on 14 July 2014 and headed for
Cuba as soon as 8 August. Antonov
intends to deliver another An-158 to
Cuba before year-end.
By the way, Antonov is launching
the development of some new and
upgraded airlifters. One of them is
an advanced An-132 light transport
aircraft with the 9.2-tonne carrying
capacity, designed to succeed to
the An-32 that is still in full-rate
production. The An-132 will be
powered by the Canadian-made
PW150 turboprops and furnished
with an up-to-date avionics suite
from leading Western manufacturers. Plans provide for fitting the
An-132 with a modified wing and
a larger-diameter fuselage further
down the line, which will turn it
into an utterly new aircraft. While
hauling the same cargo the An-32
hauls, the An-132 will feature the
range twice as longer as that of its
predecessor.
In addition, Dmitry Kiva
announced early in October 2014
the development of an An-70 derivative the An-188 upgraded medium short takeoff and landing airlifter with a lifting capacity of 40 t
feauturing Ukrainian and Western
avionics and aircraft systems.
According to the Antonov president, the An-188 is expected to fill
in the niche between the US-made
C-130J-30 medium airlifter and
C-17A heavylifter and will feature
a number of important advantages
over its rival, the European Airbus
Military A400M. For instance, hauling 20-tonne cargo and operating from 915-m-long airfields, the
An-188 will surpass the A400M in
range by 40% and be able to carry
the A400Ms maximum payload
(37 t) at a distance measuring
11% more than that the A400M is
capable of.
www.take-off.ru
SATELLITE ELECTRONIC
COUNTERMEASURES EQUIPMENT
JSC 558 ARP is a leading
Belarusian enterprise, being one of
the few CIS enterprises rendering
such a wide range of services in
overhaul and upgrade of different
types of aircraft. By now, the plant has
overhauled more than 500 modern
combat aircraft and helicopters.
Employing highly qualified
specialists and using production
facilities of the plant, modern methods
of work organisation and labour
management, today the enterprise
performs overhaul and upgrade of
Su-22, Su-25, Su-27, Su-30, MiG-29
combat aircraft, An-2 biplane as well
as i-8 (i-17) and i-24 (i-35)
helicopters.
In addition, the enterprise is
engaged in developing its own military
machinery and equipment. Presently,
one of the advanced products of
JSC 558 ARP which successfully
passed tests at the plant and on the
customers territory is SATELLITE
ECM equipment.
SATELLITE is an airborne
equipment of individual electronic
protection of the aircraft against high
precision radar guided weapons.
The principle of equipment
operation is based on creation of
interference to angular channels of
radar weapon control means (similar
Western systems are known as
Cross-Eye). The main advantages
of SATELLITE equipment are
the following: it eliminates with
www.take-off.ru
high expectancy the thread for the

protected aircraft to be killed by
missiles with radar guided homing
heads, the interference is made
automatically to all enemy's attacking
radars; the jamming impact is
created by the equipment at all stages
of combat mission.
SATELLITE is a low-weight and
small-size equipment; it requires
only slight modification of the object
during installation without occupying
a separate hardpoint on the aircraft.
It is much more reliable than the
existing systems of electronic
countermeasures, besides, it doesnt
demand any special ground support
equipment, being exceptionally easy
to operate.
When the enemy radar weapon

control means operate in the scanning
(target search) mode, the system
creates masking interference in the
channels of range and angular data.
As a result, numerous false target
marks appear on the enemy displays
making it difficult to identify the true
target amidst the false ones.
In the tracking mode, the
equipment destroys the front of the
incident electromagnetic wave and
compels the tracking systems to
change into the mode of tracking
the manoeuvring decoy target,
providing hidden driven withdrawal
of angular tracking systems which
leads to appearance of considerable
sign-alternating errors in the
targeting circuit of the missile.
However, no signs of the jamming
impact can be observed on the
weapon control radar displays, so
guided missiles can be launched to
manoeuvring decoy target without
any hindrance. The missile follows
considerable false angular control
commands, thus quickly loses its
speed which leads to decrease of
flight range, growth of current miss
and, as a consequence, non-killing
the target.
commercial
Besides, the equipment has a mode

of compulsory loss of automatic
tracking by the enemys weapon
control radars at any stage of attack.
The reliable radio electronic
protection is achieved by creation
of jamming efficiently affecting the
angular channels of radar weapon
control means air-to-air missile
systems and surface-to-air antiaircraft missile systems.
SATELLITE equipment, being a
unique product with no analogues
worldwide, allows performing a
combat mission without distracting
the pilots attention for initiation of
jamming to irradiating radar stations.
The equipment is continuously active,
it does not interfere the operation of
the own radar weapon control means.
SATELLITE equipment may be
installed both on military and civil
aircraft.
JSC 558 ARP is always in
progress, it does not stop developing.
558 Aircraft Repair Plant JSC
Bldg. 7, 50 let VLKSM, Baranovichi,
Brest region, 225320, Republic of Belarus
Tel.: +375 (163) 42-99-54
Fax: +375 (163) 42-91-64
E-mail: box@558arp.by
www.558arp.by
35
Aviastar-SP / UAC
industry | event
IL-76MD-90A
Andrey FOMIN
FIRST PRODUCTION-STANDARD AIRLIFTER GOT AIRBORNE

3 October 2014 saw the maiden flight of the first production-standard
Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A (c/n 01-03) that took off from the factory airfield of the
Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP close corporation, a subsidiary of the United
Aircraft Corporation. An Ilyushin JSC crew led by Honoured Test Pilot Vladimir
Irinarkhov flew the airlifter. The first flight, which lasted 4 h 20 min, was
dedicated to testing the aircraft, its powerplant and the onboard systems in
most of their operating modes. After the factory trials have been completed, the
Il-76MD-90A c/n 01-03 will have been delivered to Beriev company in Taganrog
before year-end, where it will become the platform for the development of an
advanced airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The Russian government released a directive
on the development and productionising of
the upgraded Il-76 in Ulyanovsk (Programme
476) on 20 December 2006. The first
two Il-76MD-90As the endurance test
example (c/n 01-01) and the flying prototype
(c/n 01-02) were laid down by Aviastar in
2009. A set of assemblies of the endurance
test prototype was brought to Zhukovsky,
Moscow Region, in autumn 2011 for static
tests in TsAGI, and a flying prototype (reg.
number 78650) commenced its trials a year later.
It conducted its maiden flight in Ulyanovsk
on 22 September 2012, launched its tests in
Zhukovsky in late January 2013, completed
there the first phase of its official test programme
that kicked off in July 2013 (38 flights) and was
36
returned to the manufacturer on 4 December

2013 for debugging based on the tests and
the customers requirements specified more
accurately. The new requirements called for
advanced communications gear and a defence
aids suite in the first place.
In the course of the development tests and the
first phase of the official tests, the Il-76MD-90A
(c/n 01-02) logged around 60 flights, with the
Kupol-III-76M(A) flight navigation suite
and its subsystems tested alongside with the
fuel and automatic control systems and radio
communications equipment. The maximum
speed structural endurance modes and limit
g-load were tested, flights with the 210-tonne
maximum takeoff weight and 170-tonne
maximum landing weight were performed and
the missed approach procedure with simulated

failure of one engine and two engines was tested.
Based on the results produced by the first stage
of the official trials, a preliminary report was
released, giving the nod to the manufacture of
the Il-76MD-90A low-rate initial production
(batch by Aviastar plant).
In the near future, the Il-76MD-90A
(c/n 01-02) shall commence the second
phase of its official tests, during which its
sophisticated communications and defence
aids suites are to be tested, as are airdrops of
combat gear and cargo.
The Russian Defence Ministry is the launch
customer for the Il-76MD-90A. On 4 October
2012, it awarded a contract for 39 aircraft
with the delivery from 2014 throughout 2020.
According to the 201325 Aircraft Industry
Development Federal Programme at the
website of the Russian government, Aviastar-SP
is to make a total of 90 aircraft of the type
prior to 2020, including 31 Il-78M-90A air
tankers and 18 aircraft designed for subsequent
conversion to various dedicated applications
by Beriev company, with about 45 more
to be built in the subsequent five years. In
addition, about 15 aircraft in the Il-76TD-90A
commercial freighter version are supposed to
www.take-off.ru
industry | event
Aviastar-SP / UAC
The first production-standard

Il-76MD-90A in its maiden flight,
Ulyanovsk, 3 October 2014
Il-76MD-90A c/n 01-03 is to be

delivered to its customer by the year end
be manufactured for domestic commercial

users and about 40 for foreign ones before
2025. Thus, the Industry and Trade Ministry
estimates the overall output under Programme
476 prior to 2025 at 190 aircraft.
The first three LRIP planes were laid
down by Aviastar-SP under a contract with
UAC Transport Aircraft in 2010. The first
of them, c/n 01-03, was rolled out from the
assembly shop on 17 June 2014 and taken
to the Spektr-Avia company in Ulyanovsk
for painting, during which it was given the
proper name Ulyanovsk and reg. number 78651
and then submitted for ground tests and
preparations for its first flight. The aircraft made
its public debut in mid-August during MATF
2014 International Aviation Transport Forum
in Ulyanovsk. A contract on the delivery of
www.take-off.ru
the aircraft for its subsequent conversion to a

special aircraft was signed by Beriev company
at the forum on 15 August 2014. According to
the officially published 2013 annual reports by
Ilyushin JSC and UAC Transport Aircraft, the
Il-76MD-90A c/n 01-03 will serve a platform
for the first example of the advanced A-100
AEW&C aircraft being developed in Taganrog.
According to Ilyushin, after the 3 October
maiden flight, the first production-standard
Il-76MD-90A will perform five more test
sorties in Ulyanovsk, controlled by Ilyushin and
Aviastar-SP aircrews, and then another flight
with a military crew at the controls. With these
missions flown, the aircraft will be delivered to
the customer and ferried to Taganrog.
The
second
production-standard
Il-76MD-90A, c/n 01-04, is to follow the first
one out of the assembly shop before year-end.

The final assembly and systems installation
of the third production-standard aircraft
(c/n 01-05) are in full swing. Production of
parts and units for the ten subsequent aircraft
and first Il-78M-90A tanker plane is under way.
Nikolai Talikov, chief of the design bureau
and deputy Director General / deputy
Designer General, Ilyushin JSC, told
Take-off that the Il-78M-90A tanker plane is
heavily commonised with the Il-76MD-90A,
particularly in terms of the wing design.
However, its takeoff weight grew up from 210 t
to 220 t, which enables it to haul more fuel and
refuel more aircraft in flight compared with the
Il-78 and Il-78M air tankers used to be built in
Tashkent. In addition, while the Il-78M was a
pure tanker aircraft, the advanced Il-78M-90A
is being developed as a convertible variant
capable of operating as an ordinary transport
once it has been stripped of its fuselage
fuel cells, if need be, for it will retain the
cargo ramp, says Nikolai Talikov. The first
Il-78M-90A is set to kick off its tests in late
2015. A contract with the Defence Ministry
for 31 tanker aircraft is being in the pipeline.
This autumn, news came about an upcoming
order for Ulyanovsk-built Il-76s to be awarded
by the Russian Emergencies Ministry.
On 8 September 2014, the Emergencies
Ministry and UAC made an agreement on
devising the tactical and economic feasibility
study of supplying the ministrys air units
during 20162025 with six Il-76TD-90A
aircraft, being a commercial derivative of the
Il-76MD-90A airlifter. The air branches of the
Federal Security Service and Ministry of the
Interior may well become next customers for
the advanced Il-76MD-90A aircraft made in
Ulyanovsk. The two have displayed interest in
such planes fitted with up-to-date powerplants
and the avionics suite.
As is known, UACs strategic objective is to
turn Aviastar-SP into its main transport aircraft
production facility. The first step towards the
objective has been the productionising of the
Il-76MD-90A upgraded airlifter, on which
Aviastars efforts are focused now.
On 7 October 2014 chairing a conference at
Aviastar-SP, dedicated to the upgrade of the
plants production facilities and the status of
the Il-76MD-90A programme, UAC President
Mikhail Pogosyan said: The transport aircraft
construction programme is on schedule, in
general. The first production-standard aircraft
is to be delivered in 2014. Today, Aviastar-SPs
orderbook is sufficient for ramping up the
aircraft production steadily. We are to achieve
an Il-76MD-90A output rate of 18 units per
annum within several years. This will call for
drastic consolidation of resources and a hefty
increase in the number of basic production
workers.
37
industry | interview
The Phazotron-NIIR corporation is
known throughout the world for its fire
control radars designed for MiG fighters.
The MiGs in service with the air forces
of more than 30 countries are fitted
with its radars. Zhuk-ME radar variants,
which fit the advanced MiG-29SMT,
MiG-29K/KUB, MiG-29M/M2 and IAFs
upgraded MiG-29UPG fighters, are in
full-rate production. Development and
tests of the AESA radar designed for the
MiG-35 and for upgrade of in-service
MiG-29 versions are underway.
Recently, Phazotron-NIIR has placed
heavier emphasis on heliborne radars
as part of its production programme.
Corporation has completed the trials
and launched full-scale production of
the FH01 radar systems designed to
equip the RusAFs Kamov Ka-52 combat
helicopters and launched its deliveries
of late. In addition, the FHA radar
intended for upgrade of the Navys Ka-27
helicopters is in trials. In the run-up to
the Zhuhai air show, Take-off met with
Phazotron-NIIR General Designer Yuri
Guskov and asked him to describe the
companys cooperation with the PRC
and its new programmes that could be
offered to Chinese partners.
YURI GUSKOV:
Mr. Guskov, we are speaking in the run-up
to the Air Show China 2014. Your company
is known to have maintained long-time
cooperation with the PRC. Could you tell us
about its results and prospects?
Indeed,
Phazotron-NIIRs
close
cooperation with major Chinese research
institutes specialising in radar technology has
been under way for as many as 20 years. It dates
back to 1992, when the PRC decided to buy
several Zhuk-8-II radars from us to use them
on upgraded Chinese-made Shenyang F-8-II
fighters. In 1993, we made and delivered
several sets of the more advanced Zhemchug
(Pearl) slotted-array radar to the National
Research Institute of Electronic Technology
(NRIET) in Nanjing. The radar had been
heavily test-flown both in Russia on board a
MiG-29 testbed and then in the PRC. Later,
our Nanjing partners developed their own
radars with the use of the experience gained
and indigenous electronic componentry and
employed them on board Chinese fighters
(Chengdu J-10, Shenyang J-11B, etc.) being
in production now.
38
Piotr Butowski
Phazotron-NIIR ready to offer active phased-array

radar cooperation to Chinese partners
Zhuk-AE (FGA-29) AESA radar

onboard MiG-35D technology demonstrator
at Aero India 07, Bangalore, February 2007
www.take-off.ru
industry | interview
We pursued similar cooperation with
another Chinese radar research institute,
the China Leihua Electronic Technology
Research Institute (LETRI) in Wuxi. Its
staff essentially learnt from us development
of small slotted-array radars similar to our
Kopyo (Spear) radar. Later, indigenous
radar was developed in Wuxi, which fits
the Chengdu FC-1 (JF-17) fighters being
supplied to the Pakistani Air Force now.
The development of the Zhuk radar

version fitted with the AESA was launched by
Phazotron-NIIR in the mid-2000s. A demo
variant of the radar the FGA-29 with a
500-mm AESA was made and put through
some of the bench tests in 2006. Early in 2007,
it was mounted on the MiG-35 demonstrator
(side number 154) and displayed at the Aero
India 2007 air show in Bangalore. In April
2010, the radar as part of the MiG-35D (side
Yevgeny Yerokhin
Phasotron-NIIR Corp.
Phasotrons advanced AESA radar
company). We unveiled a demo example of

the radar with such an active phased array
based on T-R modules reliant on a 3D
technology at the MAKS 2013 air show in
Zhukovsky a bit more than a year ago.
What are the peculiarities of this AESA radar?
Phazotron-NIIR and the Semiconductor
Instrument Research Institute have
co-developed cutting-edge two-channel
T-R modules for use as part of the future
active phased-array radar. The modules are
in the bench trials now. The modules feature
emitters dual-hatted as their top cover. To
produce the radio-frequency characteristics
required, the emitter is based on a 3D
technology and made of 12 layers of LTCC
ceramic allowing not only manufacture of
the layered printed board with T-R module
radio elements on it, but also manufacture
of a ceramic casing around it, which part
the printed boards becomes.
We have run preliminary tests of such T-R
modules, which proved the required X-band
characteristics and produced an output
I would like to emphasise that China

did not copy the radars we had developed.
Radars are not something that can be
copied easily. We use our own electronic
componentry and the Chinese use theirs,
and they are different. However, our
cooperation gave a considerable impetus to
the Chinese radar development, no doubt,
and NRIET has turned into the major
aircraft radar developer in China.
Now, our Chinese partners propose
cooperation in AESA radar development.
We are ready to consider their proposals
and are ready to cooperate with them in this
field as well, if their proposals are mutually
beneficial.
What results have been produced by
Phazotron-NIIR in active phased-array
radar development?
www.take-off.ru
number 967) was involved in the flight trials

ials
conducted by both RusAF and IAF pilots,
ots,
including live firing tests at missile ranges, and
was praised high enough.
We have developed a Zhuk-AE version
ion
featuring an increased-diameter 688-mm
mm
AESA the FGA-35 for use on
production-standard fighters. The number
of the AESAs T-R modules has grown by
almost 50% to more than a thousand. The
radars performance improved considerably
with an insignificant weight increase.
Last year, we launched the designing of
an advanced active phased array featuring
more effective transmit-receive (T-R)
modules being developed by the NIIPP
Semiconductor Instrument Research
Institute in the city of Tomsk (previously, we
cooperated with the Tomsk-based Mikran
dules
3D-technology T-R mo
ar
for advanced AESA rad
signal with a pulse output power of over

5W. The two-channel 3D T-R modules
dimensions are within 15x34x10 mm, with
its weight accounting for only 16 g.
I hope we will soon be able to make the
first experimental AESA radar based on
modules like that and start its trials first in
our labs and then onboard an aircraft.
I am certain that the future belongs to
radars with active phased arrays like that
as far as both fighter aircraft and other
platforms are concerned.
39
industry | company
Vyacheslav BOGUSLAYEV,
President, MOTOR SICH JSC
MOTOR SICH JSC is a company

specialized in development, manufacture and after sales maintenance
of the gas turbine engines for civil
and military aviation, as well as
gas turbine power generating sets
and gas pumping units with these
drives. In recent times, we are also
working extensively on development of the helicopter manufacturing industry in Ukraine.
Quality and reliability of the aero
engines manufactured by our company is substantiated by many years
of their operation on the aircraft and
helicopters in more than 100 countries all over the world.
The history of cooperation of
MOTOR SICH JSC and People's
Republic of China accounts for
60 years and is continued now. Our
company is a constant participant
of international exhibition Airshow
China.
Nowadays, the list of our engines
that are in serial production and at
various stages of development for
the passenger, transport and military
transport aircraft involves turboprop
and unducted propfan engines having power of 400 to 14,000 hp,
as well as turbofan engines having
thrust of 1,500 to 23,400 kgf.
Among these engines, it is necessary to outline the D-436-148 turbofan for the passenger airplanes of
the n-148 family. This engine is the
next version of the D-4361 engine.
It meets the up-to-date emission
requirements of ICAO and ensures
noise level of the An-148 airplane
lower than prescribed allowances.
By its performance, this engine is as
good as its foreign competitors.
40
CHINESE
VECTOR
OF MOTOR SICH
The I-450-S two-shaft auxiliary
power unit (APU) was developed by
Motor Sich JSC for various versions
of the An-148 airliner and other passenger and transport aircraft powered by D-436 family turbofans. This
APU ensures starting of the main
engines and supply of compressed
aircraft powered by the I-222-25

engines took place on 10 May 2008.
On 26 June 2007 the I-222-25F
engine was started on the test bench
for the first time. This engine is the
first engine with afterburner designed
and manufactured in Ukraine.
An-148
air and electric energy to the airplane

systems when the main engines are
not running.
Nowadays, the designers
of Antonov company are developing An-168 business jet and
n-178 medium transport plane.
The n-168 will be powered by
the D-436-148 engines, while
n-178 medium transport aircraft
of 18 tons lifting capacity will
have the D-436-148F engines
now under development.
The I-222-25 non-afterburner and I-222-25F afterburner
engines are designed for the twinengine supersonic combat trainer
developed by Chinese company
Hongdu Aviation Industrial (Group)
Corporation (HAIC), designated as
L-15. The maiden flight of the L-15
flight testing of the L-15 LIFT aircraft

with our engines are continued successfully, and the L-15 AJT aircraft
began to enter the PLAAF.
In order to improve performance
of the helicopters when operating
in the high mountain areas with
hot climate, in September 2007
MOTOR SICH JSC completed its
work aimed at development of the
V3-117V-SB1V turboshaft
engine. By its performance, this
engine meets the up-to-date technical requirements and has Type
Certificates of the Aviation Register
of Ukraine and State Aviation
Authority of Ukraine issued in 2007.
Its version, V3-117V-SB1V
series
system,
se
es 1,, with FADEC
C sys
e , iss
D-436-148
The maiden flight of the L-15 LIFT

aircraft designed for training pilots
for fighters such as Russian Su-30,
Chinese J-10, J-11 and J-15, as well
as other up-to-date fighters of other
countries took place on 20 October
2010. This aircraft was took to the
air by the I-222-25F engines manufactured in Zaporozhye. At present,
commercial
under development. Another one,

V3-117V-SB1V series 2, with
the new electronic governor, is already
developed and certified. The use of
the new FADEC system will result in
further improvement of performance
of the engines and helicopters.
The V3-117V-SB1V series 4
and 4E engines (with the air and
www.take-off.ru
industry | company
electrical stating systems) are the
versions of the V3-117V-SB1V
engine designed for re-engining the
earlier manufactured helicopters of
the Mi-8T type aimed at improvement of their performance especially
when operating under conditions of
hot climate and high-elevation fields.
The engines maintain the power at
higher ambient air temperatures, airfield and flight altitudes as compared
with the TV2-117 engines that are
powering the Mi-8T helicopters now.
We are working also on development of the I-450 and I-4501
turboshaft engines having takeoff power of 400 hp and 465 hp
respectively. They are designed for
re-engining of the Mi-2 helicopters
manufactured earlier, where they
will replace the GTD-350 engines.
In parallel we are developing turboprop versions named I-450S and
I-450S-2 having takeoff power of
400 and 750 hp respectively. They
are designed to power the general
aviation and training airplanes. At
present, the I-450SV engine is
under the bench testing.
In April 2013, at the AERO
Friedrichshafen international airshow in Germany a mockup of the
I-450S engine was demonstrated
as a part of the DA50 TURBINE
five-seat single-engine airplane of
the well-known Austrian company
DIAMOND AI. The I-450S-2 engine
is designed to power the EV-55
Czech twin-engine multipurpose
airplane.
Considering change in the world
helicopter market, our company is
working on development of family of the MS-500V new generation turboshaft engines in class
of 600 to 1,050 hp takeoff power
designed for installation on the helicopters of various purposes having
take off weight of 3.5 to 6 tons.
The S-500V was successfully
tested in the CIAMs environmental chamber and on 19 May 2014
obtained the Type Certificate issued
by the IAC Aviation Register.
The largest helicopter engine manufactured by MOTOR SICH JSC is the
D-136 turboshaft engine developed
on the basis of gas generator of the
D-36 turbofan. It provides for maximum takeoff power of 11,400 hp
(at 15) and has no competitors
in the world by this parameter and
its efficiency. The D-136 engine is
www.take-off.ru
installed on the worlds heaviest helicopter, Mil Mi-26 and its versions.
Several helicopters of this type are
operated successfully in PRC.
The designers of IvchenkoProgress SE developed a project
for upgrading of the D-136 engine,
which will be implemented jointly with MOTOR SICH JSC. New
engine designated as D-136-2 provides maximum takeoff power of
11,500 hp, which is maintained at
a temperature of 40. In addition,
life of the engines, which decreases

expenditures for their maintenance;
simplicity in maintenance, high
reparability and reliability;
increased flying range due to
reduction in fuel consumption;
increase in airfield altitude up
to 4,200 m which facilitates starting
under conditions of high temperatures and high-mountain.
The i-8SB upgraded helicopter may be represented in several
versions: transport, passenger,
4 July 2014 at the MOTOR SICH JSC

flight test station.
Our next helicopter project is the
SB-2 being derived from i-2 and
ensuring better performance and ergonomic characteristics. Development
procedure consists of two stages.
The first stage includes installation of the AI-450M up-to-date
engines with better fuel efficiency
and higher power as well as transmission upgrading, installation of
new composite nose section and the
up-to-date
flight navigation system.
u
The second stage includes the
improvement
in design of the main
im
rotor
blades and hub, installation
ro
of
o a new fuel system and the fuel
tanks
of increased capacity outta
side
the cabin, fuselage structure
s
enforcement
for increasing cabin
e
effective
volume, installation of the
e
rear
cargo and passenger doors,
r
iinstallation of a new compartment.
Mi-2MSB
contingency power of 12,200 hp is

introduced. The D-136-2 engine is
designed to be used in the i-262
62
upgraded helicopter.
New S-14S turboprop enginee is
designed for re-engining the An-2
n-2
veteran airplane. It may also be
installed on another airplanes of simmilar class. In August 2013, MOTOR
SICH JSC obtained Type Certificate
for the MC-14 main engine issued by
the IAC Aviation Register.
Nowadays, MOTOR SICH JSC is
working intensively on the helicopter subject. Our company founded
design bureau, which is developing
and upgrading helicopters. In order
to implement helicopters manufacture and to promote them on
the market, Motor Sich Helicopters
Company was founded.
Upgrading of the Mi-8T type
helicopters into the i-8SB version includes installation of new
V3-117V-SB1V series 4E
engines of in-house development.
As a result, the helicopter possesses
the following advantages:
maintaining the stable power of
the engines within the whole operational range of the altitudes and
temperatures;
higher service ceiling;
larger TBO and total service
AI-450
rescue, ambulance, fire-fighting

and military. In August 2013,
the i-8SB helicopter powered
by the V3-117V-SB1V series
4E engines established a series of
world records including unlimitedclass record of the horizontal flight
altitude in -1 class 9,150 m.
The i-2 is another helicopter
upgraded at MOTOR SICH JSC now.
It is upgraded into the i-2SB version by installing the new generation
AI-450M engines. The upgrading is
carried out during overhaul ensuring
the margin of the calendar life, service
life of the helicopter and its units at
prices reasonable for the Operators.
Advantages of the i-2SB helicopter as compared with the i-2
helicopter include reduction in fuel
consumption by 30%, increase in
service ceiling by 15% and in maximum takeoff weight by 10%.
The maiden flight of the i-2SB
upgraded helicopter took place on
commercial
Nowadays, MOTOR SICH JSC

activities meets to the full extent
the criteria of the world economy.
The strategy of our company is
aimed at increase in manufacturing
and sales, development and implementation of serial production of
new promising products, expansion
of the sales markets, attainment of
the maximum profit from all types
of activities.
MOTOR SICH JSC

15, Motorostroiteley av.,
Zaporozhye, 69068, Ukraine.
Phone: +38 (061) 720-48-14
Fax: +38 (061) 720-50-00
E-mail: eo.vtf@motorsich.com
www.motorsich.com
41
Andrey Morgunov
cosmonautics | event
Igor AFANASYEV,
Dmitry VORONTSOV
ANGARAS
FIRST BLASTOFF
At 16.04 hrs Moscow time on 9 July 2014, the Plesetsk space launch centre saw
the first launch of the Angara-1.2PP launch vehicle of the advanced space rocket
family being developed by the Khrunichev state space research and production
centre. The maiden blastoff conducted as part of the Angara flight test programme
was aimed at testing the solutions embodied in the design of the URM-1 and URM-2
versatile rocket modules and the Angaras launch and technical facilities as well.
In this connection, orbiting an actual spacecraft had not been considered, with
an inseparable full-scale mock-up used as payload. The flight was suborbital to
prevent cluttering near-Earth orbit with space junk.
To say the Angaras first launch had been
anticipated for a long time would be an
understatement: it was slated for 2005 under
an executive order issued by the Russian
President in January 1995. However, the
development hit numerous snags, including
inadequate funding, design revision due to
political and technological factors, the market
situation, launching facility reconstruction
problems and notorious financial and
economic crises.
42
In spite of the hurdles, the developer,

nevertheless, got in the stretch with the Angara
programme. The first flying example the
first launch rocket, the Angara-1.2PP was
made and shipped to Plesetsk in May 2013. In
November 2013, it was taken to the launching
facility for match mate tests. Concurrently,
the space launch facility hosted the trials
of and training with its electro-pneumohydraulic analogue, the Angara-1.2NZh
rig test prototype. The latter was taken to
the launching facility in February 2014 to

practice its fuelling and the nose fairing was
fitted on the rocket in March. The successful
ground tests were followed by the prelaunch
preparations.
The date of the launch was put off for
27 June 2014 due to extra checks required.
On 9 June, Khrunichev hosted a session of
the Chief Designers Council, dedicated to
the preparation of the Angara to its flight
tests. The session pronounced the rocket fit
for the trials.
The LV had been taken out of the assembly
and test hangar and placed into the launcher
two days before the launch date. The launch
preparations and fuelling were under way
smoothly on 27 June. However, the launch
sequence had been interrupted automatically
79 seconds prior to blastoff due to a first-stage
tank propellant head drop.
The start was postponed by an hour
and then by 24 hours. The scrutiny of the
www.take-off.ru
www.take-off.ru
Igor Marinin
telemetry indicated the glitch could not be

ironed out quickly. The fuel had to be drained
and the rocket was moved to the assembly and
test hangar for repair.
The fault had been fixed within a week,
and the flight test governmental committee
resolved to have the launch on 9 July. The
Angara-1.2PP had been carried to the launch
pad again two days before the launch in line
with the standing operating procedure.
All systems were go this time around, and
the rocket blasted off with success. While
the first stage caused no special concern (its
analogue had passed its flight tests thrice as
part of South Korean booster KSLV-1 in
20092013), the in-flight kick-in and burn of
the second stage were to be performed for the
first time. However, that phase of the flight
went smoothly: the URM-1 and nose fairing
separated and fell into the Pechora Sea, while
the URM-2 kicked in and drove the payload
mock-up to ballistic trajectory. After a short
suborbital flight, the second stage and mockup landed very accurately at the Kura proving
ground in Kamchatka. According to official
sources, the Angara proved its characteristics
and basic solutions.
Mention should be made of the uniqueness
of the rocket featuring a launch weight
of 171 t, since the results produced by its
maiden flight can be applied to all LVs
of the family from the light one to the
heavy one. Actually, the Angara-1.2PP was
not the direct prototype of the lightweight
Angara-1.2, for it comprised the components
characteristic of both the light and heavy LVs.
The approach to the flight test programme
afforded the opportunity to test the technical
and launching facilities as part of handling
the whole family on the very first launch and
to test the basic elements rocket modules
of both types. In the outcome, the rocket
turned into a flying testbed equipped with the
URM-1 and URM-2 and the nose fairing as
well, the latter believed to become the organic
one for the production-standard light LV.
Given the success of the maiden flight and
the completion of the ground tests, the fact is
the flight segment of the Angara space rocket
complex has been developed. The ground
infrastructure in Plesetsk is almost complete
too. A technical area has been built, as well as
present-day Russias unique versatile launch
complex fit for all LVs of the family from the
light Angara-1.2 to medium Angara-A3 to the
heavy Angara-A5. Under the versatile launch
complex construction programme, 180 items
of ground infrastructure have been built,
utility networks have been assembled and
commissioned and 36 special technological
systems have been made by the Federal
Special Construction Agency on the premises
of the unfinished Zenith carrier rocket launch
43
Angara LVs family
Dmitry Vorontsov
10 m
Angara
1.2PP
Angara
1.2
Angara-3
with Breeze-M
upper stage
Angara-5
with KVTK
upper stage
Angara-5.2
with PTK NP
spaceship
Angara-7
with KVTK upper
stage-7
Basic characteristics of Angara family LVs when launched from Plesetsk space launch centre
Characteristics
Launching weight, t
First stage
Second stage
Third stage
Payload weight, t:
- in parking orbit (H=200 km, i=63)
- in geostationary transfer orbit
(H=5,500 km, i=25)
- in geostationary orbit
*
URM-2 with a propellant tank diameter of 2.9 m

**
URM-1 with a propellant tank diameter of 4.1 m
Angara-1.2
171
1xURM-1
1xURM-2m*
Angara-A3
481
2xURM-1
1xURM-1
1xURM-2
Angara-A5
773
4xURM-1
1xURM-1
1xURM-2
Angara-A7
1,133
6xURM-2
1xURM-1m**
3.8
14.6
24.5
35
3.61
2.42
7.53
5.42
12.54
2.01
1.02
4.63
3.02
7.64
with KVSK upper stage

2
with Breeze-M upper stage
pad at the Plesetsk space launch centre. The

assembly and test hangar at the technical
area has undergone heavy reconstruction,
with many structures having been built from
scratch.
To date, a pool of contractors have been
established for Angara full-rate production.
The URM-1 and URM-2 modules will
be made by the Polyot company in Omsk
and Khrunichevs space rocket plant. The
production of the 196t RD-191 engine
designed for the launch vehicles lower stages
will be handled by the Voronezh Mechanical
44
with KVTK upper stage

4
with KVTK-A7 upper stage
Plant, Proton-PM in Perm, Metallist-Samara

in Samara and Glushko Energomash in
Khimki. The 30t RD-124A intended to power
the upper stages will be co-manufactured
by the Chemical Automatics Design Bureau
(KBKhA) and Voronezh Mechanical Plant.
What other work is planned under the
programme? The closest key event is the flight
tests of the Angaras heavy version, the A5. Its
launch is slated for late this year. Two trains
carrying the rocket components arrived at
Plesetsk on 25 July 2014. The checks of the
systems are being run at the space launch facility.
The purpose of the Angara space rocket

system is to afford Russia unimpeded access
to outer space from its own territory. At
present, the rocket family comprises launch
vehicles in three classes light, medium
and heavy. In addition, two variants more
are being designed, namely the Angara-A5.2
two-stage medium LV with enhanced carrying
capacity and the Angara-A7 heavylifter.
The Angara-1.2 is supposed to replace the
Rockot and Dnepr LVs the derivatives
of decommissioned intercontinental ballistic
missiles. The latters warranty shelf life are
nearing the expiry, which urgently necessitates
prompt introduction of a new light payload
carrier rocket.
The Angara-3 is a medium launch vehicle.
Today, the highest demand is for the
Angara-A5 heavylifter capable of inserting
advanced payloads into low-Earth and
geostationary transfer orbits. Once the flight
test programme has been complete, the LV will
be used under the federal space exploration
programme, with commercial launches a
possibility in due time. In particular, when it
is equipped with the KVTK oxygen-hydrogen
upper stage, it will be able to orbit heavy
communication satellites even from the
Plesetsk space launch centre that is not ideally
suited for such operations in geographic
location terms.
The Angara-A5s chances for commercial
operations will improve even more after it has
started blasting off from the Vostochny space
launch centre sitting much farther south than
Plesetsk. In accordance with the plan voiced
in 2011, two launch pads for the Angara are to
be constructed at Vostochny by 20182020.
Considering all of the factors, commercial
launches of the Angara-A5 are estimated to
kick off in 20222025.
The design low-orbit lifting capacity of the
Angara-A5.2 (the designation Angara-A5P
has been used until recently) is 1420 t. The
rocket offered by Khrunichev as the carrier
of the New-Generation Manned Transport
Spacecraft has been developed through
removal of the URM-2 from the design of the
Angara-A5 heavylifter.
The Angara-A7, which variants can insert
3550-tonne payloads into LEO, is offered for
use under the future Moon manned exploration
programme. Unlike the rest of the members of
the family, the diameter of the Angara-A7s
centre body is 4.1 m, thus necessitating a
different launch site for the rocket.
To date, the Angara is the first Russian launch
vehicle designed from scratch, manufactured
and launched in Russia with minimal use of the
Soviet groundwork. The Angara space rocket
system shall both preserve and develop the
Russian school of space rocket engineering in
certain ways.
www.take-off.ru
advertisement
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OBORONPROM Corporation,
a Russian Technologies (Rostec)
ed industrial-investment
technologies sectors.
The Corporation integrates
and engine manufacturing companies
UNITED INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION OBORONPROM
Russian Helicopters Company,

wing aircraft equipment
United Engine Corporation,
industrial group producing engines
for aircraft, aerospace industry, gas
compression stations and power plants
29/141 Verejskaya st. Moscow 121357 Russia oboronprom@oboronprom.ru
www.oboronprom.ru

Take Off Iss. 30

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Take Off Iss. 30

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november 2014 Special edition for Airshow China 2014

Sukhoi Superjet 100: a year in Mexican skies [p.22]

november 2014 Special edition for Airshow China 2014

Sukhoi Superjet 100: a year in Mexican skies [p.22]

UNITED INDUSTRIAL CORPORATION OBORONPROM

Russian Helicopters Company,

29/141 Verejskaya st. Moscow 121357 Russia oboronprom@oboronprom.ru

Editor, air transport section

Editor, avionics and weapons sections

Design and pre-press

Deputy Director General

Business Development Director

Special Projects Director

News items are prepared by editorial staff based on reports of our

P.O. Box 7, Moscow, 125475, Russia

Russian Air Force fielding Su-35 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES

The fourth Il-96 for Cuba. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Mi-28NE: export kicking off . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

SSJ100: a year in Mexican skies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22

MC-21: prototypes manufacturing begins. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

SATELLITE electronic countermeasures equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35

Yuri Guskov: Phazotron-NIIR ready to offer active phased-array radar

take-off november 2014

Angaras first blastoff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

military aviation | news

On 19 July 2014, the Irkut corporation delivered three Sukhoi Su-30SM

Su-30SM for Russian naval aviation

to oust the obsolete Su-24 tactical

Fleet naval aviators are anticipating the

second air squadron converted to the

The previous batch of four

the same units had accepted four

take-off november 2014

V.Tikhomirov Scientific-Research Institute of Instrument Design, JSC

military aviation | news

Su-34: half-hundred advanced tactical bombers already in service

take-off november 2014

the Defence Ministry in February

dated back to 1989, completed at

Six Su-34 multirole tactical

military aviation | news

On 14 April 2014, the Russian

New MiGs for Russian armed forces

Kursk-based fighter air regiment,

beefing the in-service R-27 and R-73

Defence Ministry taking delivery of second Tu-214ON

take-off november 2014

certification by the IAC Aircraft

on 18 December 2013. In January

the monitoring of arms control agreements. The signatories to the treaty

This summer, the Russian Air

Phazotron-NIIR Corporation JSC

1, Elektricheskiy Pereulok, 123557, Moscow, Russia

military aviation | news

over, the planes conducted landing

ings and takeoffs of a pair of

motorway landing in August 2007.

with 24 machines having been delivered to Syzran. The Ansat-Us have

representatives in the wake of the

A Russian Air Force Su-25 attack

Cadets learning to fly Ansat-U