A promising regional aircraft for Russia, export and joint ventures. A promising regional aircraft for Russia, export and joint ventures Aircraft for regional aviation

On May 12, at a meeting on aviation development, Russian President Vladimir Putin noted that our country needs its own regional aircraft for 50-60 passengers.

“I have brought you together to talk about the prospects of creating in Russia its own regional aircraft with a capacity of about 50-60 passengers. We know how difficult it is to deliver passengers in the Far East, Eastern Siberia, and within regions. Often people have to fly to nearby neighboring regions via Moscow or St. Petersburg. This is absolutely unacceptable,” Putin said.

The President also drew attention to the fact that the new aircraft should be able to take off and land on unequipped unpaved airfields, because for Russia with its vast territory this is of great importance, noting that at one time the country had a large fleet of such machines, but they were all outdated. “It makes no sense for us to return to this, we need a new aircraft. We can, of course, purchase equipment from imports, as we have done so far, but for a country like ours we need our own aircraft, although, in my opinion, we need to strive for the fact that if you create such a machine, it should be promising not only for our market, but also competitive in world markets,” the head of state emphasized.

At the same meeting, the head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov presented four possible options for a regional short-haul aircraft.

First of all, it was named for 64 seats, which was previously produced in Tashkent. The first flight of the aircraft took place in 1990. Until 2012, 17 machines were built, most of which are not in use now. According to preliminary calculations by UAC, the total cost of the project is 56 billion rubles. The first Il-114 may take off as early as 2018. This was stated by the executive director of NAZ Sokol PJSC, Alexander Karezin, at the celebration of the 84th anniversary of the founding of the plant. He also noted that the production site for the production of these aircraft at the enterprise is actually ready. According to Manturov, the launch of production of such a model can be done quite quickly, ultimately leading to a full-scale production of 12 vehicles per year in 2022.

The second option is An-140 with a capacity of 50 seats. But the minister called the main obstacle to the development of production “dependence on the Ukrainian developer and manufacturer” Antonov. “We are ready to discuss this civil project with our colleagues, the purchase of a license and, accordingly, complete mechanization at home,” Manturov said. In mid-2015, the Samara Aviakor plant suspended the assembly of An-140 aircraft due to the fact that 34 supplier factories located in Ukraine stopped supplying components. It is not possible to replace them with Russian-made analogues in the near future, since the head design bureau is located in Ukraine. The remaining aircraft were assembled from parts available at the factory.

The third option is the Russian-Chinese project of the MA-700 turboprop aircraft with 83 seats. The Chinese side intends to begin testing the aircraft in 2017 in order to obtain an airworthiness certificate in 2019. Manturov clarified that for this project it is proposed to use the facilities of the Arsenyevsky enterprise, located 250 km from Vladivostok.

The fourth option is the Tu-324 turbojet aircraft, with which you can solve two problems: provide regional and administrative transportation. The cabin capacity of this aircraft is 50 seats. As the minister noted, the aircraft “was already in development, but was not put into further work, since all resources were devoted to the MS-21 aircraft.”

In recent years, there has been an active search for a replacement for the outdated fleet of Soviet regional aircraft An-24 and Yak-40, in particular, the option of assembling Q400 aircraft in Ulyanovsk in partnership with the Canadian Bombardier was considered. But against the background of the sanctions conflict with the United States and the European Union, it was decided to return to consideration of these projects.

Su-80 or S-80 is a project of a Russian multi-purpose aircraft, which was developed at the Design Bureau named after. Sukhoi at the turn of the century. According to the designers, it was supposed to replace such outdated aircraft as the Yak-40, An-24 and An-26 on regional and local airlines. The Su-80 aircraft was planned to be produced at the aviation plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAPPO), but resources and production capacity were needed to implement another project - the Sukhoi Superjet passenger aircraft. Therefore, the Su-80 program was quietly closed in the mid-2000s. A total of three - according to other sources, four - Su-80 aircraft were built.

Specialists from OKB im. Sukhoi worked on two versions of the aircraft: a cargo-passenger version - Su-80GP and a modification for transporting passengers - Su-80P. The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 30 passengers or 3.3 tons of cargo, and its flight range is 1.3 thousand km. Later it was planned to create several more modifications of the vehicle: a patrol vehicle, a medical vehicle, and an aircraft for geologists and fishermen.

The main feature of the Su-80 - and its main advantage according to the designers' plans - was the aircraft's convertibility, that is, the ability to quickly convert a cargo modification into a passenger one.

The Su-80 made its first flight on September 4, 2001. Then factory testing of the car continued for several years, but it did not even reach certification. It is believed that the cost of one Su-80 in 2006 ranged from 230 to 280 million rubles.

True, in 2012, after Prime Minister Medvedev’s call to pay more attention to the development of regional aviation, the management of the Design Bureau named after. Sukhoi stated that it is quite possible to revive the Su-80 project. But this did not have any further continuation...

History of the creation of the Su-80 aircraft

The nineties became a difficult period for the Russian aircraft industry. Funding was sharply reduced, military orders practically ceased, people left factories and research institutes in search of a better life. It was at such a time that the designers of the OKB named after. Sukhoi began developing a new project as part of the defense industry conversion program. The aircraft was supposed to carry out cargo and transport transportation on local airlines and replace a whole galaxy of machines created several decades ago. It received the designation Su-80. Initially, its development was carried out on an initiative basis.

Already in 1993, the aviation association in Komsomolsk-on-Amur joined the project. The work was financed from the internal reserves of the design bureau and the aircraft plant. In 1996, the military became interested in the aircraft; it turned out that such a machine was needed not only by the army, but also by border guards and the Ministry of Emergency Situations. In addition, market research was conducted regarding which aircraft is most needed by domestic and foreign civil aviation companies. During it, the composition of the aircraft fleet of air carriers, the conditions for basing equipment, and typical routes were analyzed. All this made it possible to more accurately determine the concept of the future aircraft, its technical characteristics and requirements for operating conditions.

The developers paid special attention to the autonomy of the aircraft and development of its takeoff and landing characteristics, which made it possible to operate the aircraft from short runways, including unpaved runways. The Su-80 received a passenger cabin with a level of comfort comparable to that generally accepted for long-haul vehicles. But the main “highlight” of the new car was its versatility or convertibility. In other words, an aircraft can be converted from passenger to cargo and back very quickly and at a minimum cost. Preliminary calculations have shown that the use of such a scheme significantly increases the level of profitability of the aircraft.

At first, the car was designed to carry 26 passengers, but after careful analysis of the markets, the cabin capacity was increased to 30 people. Moreover, the aircraft cabin is quite comfortable. It is sealed, has good sound insulation, and in it the passenger can stand up to his full height - on the An-28 or L-410 only a teenager can do this.

The design of the Su-80 includes a number of technical solutions that simplify its operation in Russian conditions. For example, a two-beam design allows a loader or a regular car to drive directly up to the ramp, and the presence of a winch and a roller track automates and facilitates loading and unloading operations. Su-80 engines can function as a power plant, ensuring the operation of all vehicle systems.

The developers paid a lot of attention to the safety of the aircraft. Its propellers and air intakes were equipped with an anti-icing system, which also removed ice from the cockpit windshield, leading edges of the wings, stabilizers and fins. The Su-80 rescue equipment identifies the emergency aircraft and transmits accurate data on its location to the dispatch service. A special system informs pilots about errors in their actions, as well as irregularities in the operation of aircraft systems.

The first test flight of the Su-80 Sukhoi aircraft took place on September 4, 2001 at the LII airfield near Moscow. Gromova. It lasted 26 minutes. It was planned to certify it according to AP-25 airworthiness standards, but this was never completed.

Why was the Su-80 never put into production, since, according to rumors, KnAPPO was already preparing to start its production? According to the most common version, at the same time in Komsomolsk-on-Amur they were preparing to start production of the Sukhoi Superjet 100, and it turned out that there were not enough funds or free space to launch two projects at once. Therefore, in 2006, the Su-80 program was closed. Moreover, both domestic and foreign companies were really interested in the “eighty”. There is even information about 37 Su-80 aircraft, contracts for which have already been practically agreed upon.

Moreover, the developers planned to export 150-200 aircraft by 2006, and sell another 350-500 aircraft in Russia and the CIS countries. The state company Rosvooruzheniya has also expressed interest in the Su-80. And she didn’t just express it, but planned to purchase up to 300 units of a patrol and transport modification of the aircraft (Su-80PT).

At present, the prospects for resuscitating this project look extremely vague. Too much time has passed since 2006. In addition, the Su-80 was left without an engine. Initially, this car was created for ST7-9V engines from the American company General Electric. They have been out of production for a long time.

Description of the Su-80 design

The Su-80 aircraft is designed according to a normal aerodynamic design. This is a two-beam high-wing aircraft with two fins and a stabilizer that closes the power circuit. The aircraft's wing is straight and of high aspect ratio with well-developed mechanization. Composite materials are widely used in the aircraft's design. The Su-80 crew consists of three people.

The fuselage of the aircraft is an all-metal semi-monocoque; it is made in the form of a separate module to which the wing, nose landing gear and support pylon are attached. Also in the fuselage there is a radar compartment, a cockpit, and electronic equipment. The rear part of the fuselage is occupied by a cargo and passenger cabin. The beams house the engines, equipment systems and main landing gear.

The Su-80 cabin can accommodate 30 passengers or 3.3 tons of cargo, and is equipped with a toilet, wardrobe, luggage space and emergency exits. Disembarkation and embarkation of passengers, as well as loading and unloading of cargo, is carried out through a ramp, which is located at the rear of the fuselage. The ramp allows the Su-80 to transport automotive equipment and standard aviation containers.

The wing of the Su-80 is a caisson type with one spar; it includes a center section, two end parts and Whitcomb-type winglets. Its mechanization consists of three-section Fowler flaps and ailerons. There are roll control panels, they are located at the end parts of the wing. Fuel tanks are located in the center section, the total capacity of which is 3660 liters.

The Su-80 has a three-legged retractable landing gear, consisting of one nose and two main struts. All of them have low-pressure pneumatics, which, together with good takeoff and landing characteristics, makes it possible to operate the aircraft on unpaved runways. The Su-80 can land and take off even from short runways covered with snow or ice.

Initially, it was planned to equip the Su-80 with domestic TVD-1500 turboprop engines, but their development was greatly delayed. Therefore, it was decided to install two ST7-9B theater engines from the American company General Electric on the aircraft. The power of each of them is 1750 hp. With. For the production and subsequent maintenance of the ST7-9V, it was even planned to create a joint venture with the participation of GE and Rybinsk Motors JSC. Over time, this engine was to be produced in Russia. Alas, these plans were not realized.

The ST7-9V engine was certified in the CIS countries, it was adapted to domestic oils and fuels, and equipped with automated fuel supply and diagnostic systems. The aircraft's four-bladed propeller was manufactured by Sundstrand. It has an emergency feathering device and a noise reduction system.

The complex of flight and navigation equipment for the aircraft was specially developed by the Russian enterprise JSC Elektroavtomatika. At the time of its creation, it met all the necessary requirements, although, at the request of the customers, it was planned to install foreign-made equipment on the Su-80.

Another thing worth noting is the design of the cockpit, which provides maximum convenience for the pilots. The composition and arrangement of instruments, the design and placement of controls, excellent visibility and overall design - all this is made in such a way that pilots get tired as little as possible during the flight.

Design bureau designers were working on creating several modifications of the aircraft, which they planned to put into production later. For example, they were ready to offer customers a medical and airborne transport aircraft, a vehicle designed for geological exploration, a patrol aircraft and several modifications of the Su-80 training aircraft. The patrol aircraft was to receive a 23 mm caliber cannon in a container on the right side of the fuselage, two Kh-29T missiles, R-73 (“air-to-air”) missiles for self-defense, 16 Whirlwind ATGMs or blocks of unguided 80-mm missiles in pylons under the wings. Unfortunately, all this remained in the projects.

Russian President Vladimir Putin stated the need to create a regional aircraft in Russia that will become competitive in foreign markets. According to him, the need to produce such a vehicle with a capacity of 50-60 people and the ability to take off and land on unpaved strips has been long overdue.
"360" ranked the top 5 most famous regional aircraft in the world, each of which played an important role in the development of civil aviation.

Bombardier CRJ100/200

The CRJ100 and CRJ200 were developed by the Canadian company Bombardier Regional Aircraft based on the CL-600 Challenger, which gained enormous popularity in North America. The length of the aircraft is 26.7 meters, the capacity is 50-52 passengers. The first prototypes took off in May 1991. Experts say the Bombardier is the first modern 50-seater vessel. In terms of speed (up to 860 kilometers per hour), it can compete with larger aircraft.

Since 1992, more than a thousand vehicles have been produced, of which about 850 are still in use, of which 71 are in the territory of the former USSR, including Russia, Belarus, Georgia and Kazakhstan. Passengers usually note the comfort of flying on the CRJ100/200. There is virtually no shaking, which is not always typical for aircraft of such a small size. But the landing gears are released quite loudly.

Embraer ERJ-135/140/145

The Brazilian corporation Embraer introduced the ERJ-135, 140 and 145 models in 1995. They are produced with a capacity of 37, 44 and 50 passengers. Embraer was developing regional jets, hoping to take market share from Bombardier with its CRJ series. Today we can state that the South American aircraft manufacturing conglomerate succeeded in doing this - the ERJ is one of the best modern regional aircraft.

On its basis, a business jet (Legacy 60) and even a military long-range radar detection aircraft (R-99), which is in service with the armies of Brazil, Mexico, Belgium, Greece and India, were created. Since 1996, 890 vehicles have been produced, of which 841 remain in operation and are used, including in Russia and Ukraine. In 2011, the aircraft attracted media attention in connection with an incident at Sheremetyevo Airport. An ERJ belonging to Dnepravia rolled off the runway and lost its landing gear. No one, however, was hurt.

Developed in the USSR in the 1960s of the twentieth century, the airliner was produced by the Saratov Aviation Plant until 1981. For the creation of the aircraft, the Yakovlev Design Bureau received the Lenin Prize. Which is not surprising: the Yak-40 became the first jet aircraft in world history for local airlines. The first cars had only 24 seats; later, however, 32-seat modifications appeared. It is curious that the Yak-40 does not have a luggage compartment: passengers' bags are folded in the aisle.

Over 15 years, 1011 Yak-40s were produced, including various modifications of the aircraft for scientific research. Despite its age and extremely high fuel consumption by today's standards, about 100 Yak-40s continue to be used in the world, mainly in the Russian Federation, Africa and Asia. In Zambia they are part of the Presidential Air Squad. By the way, the Yak-40 is depicted on the coat of arms of the village of Bykovo, Ramensky district, Moscow region.

Fokker 50/70/100

Narrow-body passenger airliners were developed by the Dutch company Fokker in 1986. Their capacity is 58-119 people. Modifications 70 and 100 have Rolls-Royce engines, while the 50th model has a Pratt&Whitney power plant. In the late 1980s of the last century, before the advent of the Bombardier CRJ200 and Embraer ERJ 145, the airliners were considered one of the most popular in their class, which was achieved due to their efficiency and low operating costs.

In total, more than 500 cars have been produced since 1988. About four hundred of them remain in operation, including in many European countries. The Fokker 70/100 is still considered a reliable and stable aircraft. Interestingly, despite the success of the aircraft, the Fokker corporation went bankrupt in 1996. Since then, the production of aircraft has ceased.

Dornier Do 328

The short-haul passenger Dornier 328 was originally, as its name suggests, produced by the German company Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, which was acquired by Fairchild Aircraft in 1996. Various modifications of the Dornier 328 can accommodate from 30 to 33 passengers. Serially produced since 1992, since then about 100 cars have been assembled and sold. It stands out for its fairly low operating costs, as well as excellent takeoff and cruising characteristics. The aircraft speed is up to 620 kilometers per hour.

Various modifications of the Dornier Do 328 are capable of operating in the most extreme conditions, including heat and humidity. Therefore, the German development is now used by rescue services in many countries. In particular, they are used by the Australian Coastal Security Service as search and rescue aircraft, as well as by the US Air Force Special Operations Forces.

On May 12, Russian President V. Putin held a meeting during which the prospects for creating a Russian regional aircraft with a capacity of 50–60 passengers, capable of landing on unpaved runways, were discussed.

The problem of replacing outdated Soviet-built aircraft for regional and local airlines has been brewing for a long time. UAC at one time abandoned the development of small aircraft, focusing on two key projects in the civil aircraft segment (“SSJ 100” and “MS-21”). This short-sighted policy led to the fact that Russian air carriers were left without modern regional aircraft capable, among other things, of landing on unpaved runways.

The current commercial fleet of Russian airlines includes 206 regional passenger aircraft, of which 130 are domestic aircraft (of which only 5 An-148 can be classified as modern aircraft) and 76 are Western. The current needs for regional turboprop aircraft are only partially covered by the products of the Canadian company Bombardier and the French-Italian company ATR. Two years ago, an option was considered to assemble Q400 aircraft in Ulyanovsk in partnership with Bombardier, the mass production of which was supposed to begin in 2015. However, the sanctions imposed against Russia prevented the implementation of this project.

And since, as experts note, the Russian segment of the production of aircraft for regional and local transportation, even with a significant increase in subsidies, continues to stagnate, the question once again arose of how to replace the decommissioned aircraft developed back in Soviet times.

At a meeting on aircraft construction issues, the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation D. Manturov presented 4 possible options for creating the main regional Russian aircraft. According to the minister, the possibilities of resuming production of the Il-114 turboprop aircraft (previously produced in Tashkent) and the 50-seat An-140, as well as licensed production of the Chinese MA700 turboprop, are currently being considered. In addition, Mr. Manturov also recalled the unrealized project of the 50-seat Tu-324 jet, which remained at the preliminary design stage.

Let's take a closer look at these options. At one time, it was assumed that the An-140 would replace the outdated An-24 airliners. However, the commercial operation of the new aircraft due to the unsatisfactory organization of after-sales service and the lack of real support from the state (its production was carried out by the Samara Aviakor plant, which was not included in the UAC) turned out to be unprofitable. Recently, the construction of the An-140 was carried out in the interests of the Ministry of Defense, however, due to the cessation of supplies of a number of components from Ukraine, their assembly in Russia was stopped.

Another project concerns the production in Russia of the regional turboprop aircraft Il-114 (developed in the late 80s, designed to carry 64 passengers). Having officially recognized the unprofitability of producing a civilian version of this aircraft at Aviakor facilities, the Ministry of Industry and Trade for a long time could not decide on what production base the serial production of the aircraft would be organized, the patrol version of which showed interest from the Russian Ministry of Defense.

As a result, information appeared in the media that the Nizhny Novgorod Sokol aircraft plant was selected for the Il-114. According to Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation D. Rogozin, its serial production is planned to begin in 2019, and to implement the launch, financing in the amount of 5-6 billion rubles is required annually, starting in 2017. This year, the need for financing is more than 3 billion rubles On the basis of the passenger aircraft, cargo and Arctic variants, as well as a patrol aircraft, will be created.

As for the project of the Tu-324 jet aircraft (the first domestic airliner designed “digitally”), the Republic of Tatarstan is primarily interested in its implementation, which initiated the development of this machine at the end of the 90s at its own expense. The working documentation was transferred in a short time and in full to the Kazan Aviation Production Association named after. S.P. Gorbunov (currently the Kazan Aviation Plant named after S.P. Gorbunov, KAZ), where in a short time more than 36 thousand technical processes were developed and a large amount of equipment was manufactured. The Research Institute of Aviation Equipment, commissioned by the Republic of Tatarstan, worked on the creation of new domestic avionics for the airliner. But, despite the fact that the Tu-324 project successfully passed the defense before the state commission, it remained at the preliminary design stage.

The short-haul turboprop aircraft MA-700, developed by the Chinese company Xian Aircraft Industry Company Ltd and designed to carry 83 passengers, is a deep modernization of the Russian An-24 model. This is a fairly modern aircraft, but there is practically no production of it (1 aircraft per year) and there are problems with certification. Therefore, it is quite difficult to say how in demand Chinese aircraft will be on the Russian market. Much will depend on the commercial policy of the manufacturer and the terms of aircraft supply.

At the same time, one should also take into account the fact that in 2015, at the Eastern Economic Forum, the Minister for the Development of the Far East A. Galushka signed a framework agreement on cooperation on the project for the production of MA series aircraft (MA-60, MA-70, MA-700) with Chinese partners - Xian Aircraft Industrial Corporation and Jiangsu Baoli International Investment Company. In accordance with the agreement, Baoli International will form an aviation industrial base in Primorye for the production of aircraft, attracting Russian technologies and technical personnel, which will speed up the process of entering these aircraft into the market of the Russian Federation and CIS countries. And in light of the statement by UAC President Yu. Slyusar at the MAKS-2015 air show about changing the corporation’s industrial model towards more active cooperation with other manufacturers, including foreign ones, it is quite possible that the project for the production of Chinese aircraft on the Russian site may turn out to be a priority.

In general, each of the options for creating a regional aircraft (An-140, Il-114, Tu-324, MA-700) has a number of problems. But since the decision on the IL-114 has already been made, it is advisable to focus on this project and begin to implement it.

In addition, it seems that the Ministry of Industry and Trade should not wait for the next meeting with the President of the Russian Federation and should itself pay attention to the problem of creating modern aircraft for small aviation, which are also sorely lacking.

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