ILA 2008

Special status of ILA 2008:
Innovation breakthrough in bilateral relations
In the run-up to the 100th anniversary of the ILA aerospace show, Russia as one of its major foreign regulars opens a large exposition in its national pavilion to professionals and the public. The organisers of the united Russian exposition are the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade and Vneshaviakosmos company. Russia’s large-scale participation as a partner country in the show in Hanover in 2005 and its large informative expositions at the same shows in 2006 and 2007, sponsored by the Russian Ministry of Industry and Energy and Vneshaviakosmos, resulted in a radically new presence of the country at similar international forums hosted by Germany. To expand Russia’s participation in German shows further, a Russian national exposition was established this year in ILA 2008 Pavilion 10 measuring more than 2,500 sq.m, with more than 55 Russian aerospace production and scientific organisations participating in it. Prof. Dr. Alexey Lavrov, President of Vneshaviakosmos, reviews the Russian-German cooperation and peculiarities of Russia’s aerospace industry participation in ILA 2008 airshow

CONTRACTS AND DELIVERIES
• IFC and Aviastar-SP stepping up Tu-204 export
• Another IrAn-140 check-flown in Iran
• Irkut exports first Be-200
• Maiden flight of first production MiG-29KUB
• IAF MiG-29 upgrade deal clinched
• Bulgarian MiG-29s back in service
• MiGs to remain in RMAF
• First Su-30MKA batch shipped to Algeria
• The first A-50EI built
• UUAZ landing lucrative orders

Upgraded MiG-29s in service with Slovak air force
On the last day of this winter, 29 February, Slovak air base Sliac hosted the ceremony of accepting the 12 MiG-29AS/UBS fighters into the Slovak Air Force’s inventory. The fighters had been upgraded by Russian aircraft corporation MiG in Slovakia in cooperation with a local aircraft repair plant and several Western companies. During the ceremony, Slovak Defence Minister Jaroslav Baska gave the chief of the Slovak General Staff, Gen. Lubomir Bulik, a symbolic key to the renovated fighters. Following that, the upgraded MiG-29s accomplished a group demonstration flight to entertain those present, with as many as 10 fighters taking to the skies over Sliac. Our correspondents Michal Stolar and Miroslav Gyurosi attended the ceremony.

MILITARY AVIATION
• All types of Russian combat aircraft in skies over Red Square
• Kuznetsov returns from cruise
• Russian Air Force takes delivery of another Tu-160
• Second air regiment receiving Su-27SM
• Torzhok receives first Mi-28Ns

• Su-24M2 for combat units
• First MiG-31BMs fielded
• Su-34 to complete official trials next year
• Encounters in the Skies

Su-35 has flown!
The advanced Sukhoi Su-35 multirole fighter completed its maiden flight in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, on 19 February 2008, controlled by the Sukhoi design bureau’s test pilot Sergey Bogdan, an Honoured Test Pilot of the Russian Federation. The mission lasted about 55 minutes, crowning the extensive preparations for the advanced aircraft’s flight test programme, which were launched in August 2007. The mission assigned for the first flight was accomplished, and no glitches occurred. “No problem was encountered as far as the engines, systems and avionics are concerned”, the Sukhoi company reported in a press release. Thus, the first Su-35 prototype has kicked off its flight trials, with two more aircraft under construction by KnAAPO to join soon. According to Sukhoi, the full-rate production of the cutting-edge fighter and its deliveries to both domestic and foreign users are slated for 2010–11. “The Su-35 entering service with the Russian Air Force will bolster the national defence capability and enable Sukhoi to remain competitive until its fifth-generation fighter hits the market. KnAAPO launched the manufacture of its early prototypes late last year”, Sukhoi’s press release emphasises. Andrey Fomin tells about Su-35 maiden flight and fighter’s main distinctive features

INDUSTRY
• UAC’s strategy approved
• Irkut reviews the results of the year 2007
• SaM146 – under wing of SuperJet
• Flying a helicopter as fast as a plane
• Establishing United Engine Corporation
• Latest advances of Perm engine makers
• NK-93 tests to continue
• AI-222-25 afterburning version developed in Zaporozhye
• Mini-jets to be built in Ulyanovsk

MiG-27M: ‘heart transplantation’
The experimental MiG-27M fighter-bomber took off for its maiden mission from Gromov LII’s airfield in Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, on 15 January this year. The aircraft was powered by the advanced Salut-made AL-31F Series 30S turbofan engine that had ousted its previous Tumansky/Soyuz R29B-300 turbojet. MiG Corp.’s test pilot Oleg Antonovich, Hero of Russia and Merited Pilot of Russia, was at the controls of the re-engined aircraft on its first test sortie. The flight trials of the fighter-bomber became another key stepping-stone towards the MiG Corp. and Salut-proposed programme on upgrading the MiG-27 fighter-bomber, a venerable member of the famous aircraft family. Around 130 such aircraft are in the Indian Air Force’s inventory, where they are expected to remain for a good long while. Andrey Fomin reviews MiG-27M remotorisation programme

CIVIL AVIATION
• Atlant-Soyuz unveils Il-96-400T
• More Tu-204-300s for Vladivostok Avia
• Flight school in Ulyanovsk getting Yak-18Ts and new simulator
• Aeroflot Cargo launched operation of Boeing 737 freighter
• S7 gets its first brand-new Airbus

COSMONAUTICS
• ISS Turns 10
• Energia’s leaders on advanced spacecraft
• GLONASS for the Masses
• Vostochny launch facility: dream to come true?
• ISS gets first EU cargo craft
• Soyuz Inserts second Galileo

Successful debut of Land Launch
A Zenit-3SLB launch vehicle mounting a DM-SLB booster upper stage and Israeli spacecraft AMOS-3 blasted off from the Baikonur space launch centre on 28 April. The launch was the debut for the Land Launch programme, under which commercial spacecraft are to be inserted into orbit on three-stage Zenit LVs from Baikonur. Previously, only Sea Launch had launched such triple-staged Zenits. Igor Afanasyev and Dmitry Vorontsov review the Land Launch programme

Buran gets new owner in Germany
On 12 April, the Cosmonautics Day, the analogue of Soviet space shuttle Buran – BTS-002 – was brought by a towed pontoon to German town Speyer by the River Rhine. This put an end to the long wandering of the unique aerospace plane that used to be the pride and joy of the Soviet aerospace industry. Soon, the Buran will find a new – and, hopefully, last – haven as an exhibit of the Europe- largest private technology museum in Speyer and Sinsheim. A special pavilion 22 m high is being erected to house it there. According to the new owner, the acquisition of the Buran, its delivery and hangar construction cost the museum almost 10 million euros. The exposition is planned for opening in autumn this year when the 20th anniversary of the first and, ala, the only space flight of the Buran on 15 November 1988 will be celebrated. Alina Chernoivanova tells about Buran long way to Speyer and Sinsheim

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