On 27 October 2011, the airfield of the Kazan Aviation Production Association named after S.P. Gorbunov (KAPO) witnessed the maiden flight of the new Tupolev Tu-204SUS special-purpose aircraft (RA-64522) built on order by the Russian Presidential Property Management Department. The aircraft was piloted by a crew led by KAPO test-pilot Alexey Ryabov. The aircraft carrying a “special communications centre” (SUS in Russian), is the fifth airliner out of the six special Tu-214 derivatives ordered by the Presidential Property Management Department.

Two brand-new Mil Mi-26 heavy-lift helicopters made this year under a contract with the Russian Defence Ministry departed the airfield of Rostvertol JSC on 25 October 2011. These are the first machines of the type fielded with the Russian Air Force recently, with the previous Mi-26 having been shipped to the customer over a decade ago. Having been given side numbers 05 and 06 and RusAF’s new gray paintjob, the machines will be operated in the Eastern Military District.

Another six-ship batch of Mil Mi-28N advanced attack helicopters was delivered to RusAF in an official ceremony at the airfield of the Rostvertol joint stock company, a subsidiary of the Russian Helicopters holding company, on 8 October 2011. The machines were headed for the Army Aviation Combat and Conversion Training Centre in the town of Torzhok. It has been the second RusAF Mi-28N delivery this year. The first batch of four Mi-28Ns has been shipped to Torzhok this summer and given yellow side numbers 09, 10, 11 and 12. The first two machines of the new batch, with yellow side numbers 45 and 46, have the Mi-28N’s traditional camouflage paintjob of various shades of green, with the remaining four (47 through 50) having the new gray paintjob of RusAF.

4 October 2011 saw a new Beriev Be-200ChS amphibian named Pyotr Streletsky (registered as RF-31121, c/n 301) take off from the Taganrog-Yuzhny airfield for its maiden flight. The aircraft is built for the Russian Emergencies Ministry. The crew of Beriev test pilots Yevgeny Yurasov (commander) and Nikolai Kuleshov (co-pilot) flew the amphibian. According to the pilot, all systems operated normally on a three-hour flight, with the crew pronouncing the stability and controllability of the version higher than those of the earlier ones were.

The Aviastar-SP close corporation in Ulyanovsk is to complete and roll out the first flying prototype of the Il-76TD-90A (Project 476) transport aircraft before the end of 2011. The flying prototype’s (c/n 01-02) airframe joining and general assembly was over in August, after which installation of aircraft systems began. At the same time, the plant was making an example for endurance tests (c/n 01-01), and its fuselage central section with the wing centre section and wing panels was sent to Zhukovsky, Moscow Region, in late September for testing by TsAGI.