INDUSTRY
• Russian An-148 soon to come
• Tu-214 may fly farther now
• First Ulyanovsk-built Il-76 to be completed in 2010
• Russian high-speed helicopter may fly in 2016

Russian helicopter industry
2008 performance and new targets
According to the early-March news release by the Russian Helicopters JSC, the helicopter industry of Russia made 169 machines last year, having a 59% increase over 2007. Upwards of 85% falls on Mi-8 family machines (55 were made in Kazan and 59 in Ulan-Ude), with the remainder falling on the Mi-28N and Mi-35M combat helicopters as well as Ka-32 transport machines. As usual, most of these helicopters were exported, but the number of machines built for Russian customers has grown for the first time in recent years. In particular, 2008 witnessed Rostvertol produce the first seven production Mi-28Ns for the Russian Air Force and the Progress plant in Arsenyev kick-start the Ka-52 production programme, with the Mi-8MTV-5 and Mi-171 utility helicopter production for the Russian Armed Forces and commercial operators picking up as well.

Russian Helicopters to take up UAVs

CIVIL AVIATION
• Customers taking delivery of new Tu-204s
• Two new Il-96s delivered

Sukhoi SuperJet 100
debuts in Le Bourget
A key, most interesting full-scale exhibit of the current air show in Le Bourget, probably, will be the prototype of the advanced Sukhoi SuperJet 100 regional airliner. Displaying the SuperJet in Paris is the international debut of the cutting-edge Russian airliner being developed in cooperation with numerous foreign major manufacturers of aircraft, engines, avionics and other components form Italy, France, the United States, Germany and other countries. SSJ100 prototypes are undergoing a certification tests programme planned to wrap up by the year-end when the early production SuperJets are to be shipped to the launch customers. Overall, the developer has landed 98 firm orders from Russian and foreign air carriers.

SaM146 undergoing certification
The tests of the advanced SaM146 turbofan engine under co-development by Russia’s NPO Saturn and French Snecma to fit the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 are under way. Overall, to complete the certification programme, 17 engines have to be made, of which 10 have been made and undergoing testing, including four on board two SSJ100 prototypes. Take-off’s correspondent visited NPO Saturn and made sure that the SaM146 construction and tests are on schedule and the company remains poised to obtain the type certificate in the fourth quarter of the year.

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES
• MMRCA tender: on the verge of competitive tests
• AL-55I kicks off flight tests on board HJT-36
• India at fourth stage of Su-30MKI licence production
• Russian-Indian fifth generation
• First A-50EI delivered to India
• Vietnam to receive eight more Su-30MK2s
• Antonov offers patrol variant of An-74

Cutting-edge avionics made in Ryazan
Today, the Ryazan Instrument Plant is the Russian leader in production of avionics for up-to-date fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft. A scientific and technological centre and a video computer technology scientific and design centre have been set up by the plant to provide support to operation of its production equipment and development of units and assemblies for use in avionics systems and ground hardware.

MILITARY AVIATION
• MiG-29SMT already in service with RusAF
• Air Force receives Su-34s
• Debut of antitank airborne Hermes-A
• Crash of third Su-35 not to affect plane’s market entry
• First production Yak-130 taking to the skies

Russia’s air power has been shown to president
Such an abundance of advanced aircraft has not been seen at Kubinka air force base in the Moscow Region for a long time. About 20 warplanes and around 10 helicopters – both those in service with the Air Force and those earmarked for service entry – assembled here late in March. The Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Armed Forces – President Dmitry Medvedev – was anticipated at the demonstration facility of the RusAF’s Aircraft Demonstration Centre on 28 March. Virtually all types of advanced and upgraded Russian fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft along with their weapons had been shown to the president at the ramp and in hangars.

Red Square, 9 May 2009
The 64th anniversary of the Victory Day was celebrated this year with a grandiose military parade in Moscow’s Red Square and in the sky over it on 9 May. This time, 69 aircraft took part in the aviation segment of the parade – twice as many as last year. All types of fixed-wing and rotary-wing aircraft in service with the Russian Air Force flew in formation over Moscow, including the newest ones that had started entering service not long before that. Compared with last year’s parade, the number of helicopters participating in the event grew considerably – from three to 17, while the number of warplanes hiked from 29 to 52.