The MAKS 2011 air show held in Zhukovsky in August 2011 was where a new light twin-engined turboprop plane dubbed Rysachok (Russian for Little Trotter) made its debut. The aircraft was developed by the Technoavia scientific and design company in Moscow and made by the TsKB-Progress rocket and spacecraft centre in Samara under the contract on an advanced trainer aircraft for civilian flying schools, signed with the Russian Ministry of Transport in June 2007. As many as two flying prototypes of the Rysachok are undergoing tests at the Gromov Flight Test Institute (Gromov LII).

Prototype c/n 00-01 took to the air on its maiden flight from the Bezymyanka airfield in Samara on 3 December last year. The debugging and factory test phase in Samara was completed six months later, after which the plane was handed over to the developer, Technoavia, for certification tests at Gromov LII. The first Rysachok (side number 777) was ferried from Samara to Gromov LII’s airfield in Zhukovsky on 3 June.

Also in June, TsKB-Progress assembled the second flying prototype (c/n 00-03). Following its initial flight tests in Samara and its painting by the Ulyanovsk-based company Spektr-avia, the aircraft with side number 778 came to Gromov LII’s airfield on 23 July. Both prototypes were shown during MAKS 2011, with the first one performing demo flights almost every day and the second one shown as static display.

Following the completion of the certification trials that will involve another flying prototype (c/n 00-05), the decision to launch the Rysachok’s production at TsKB-Progress’s facilities may be taken. A total of five prototypes are to be built under the current contract with the Russian Ministry of Transport. The static tests prototype (c/n 00-02) was the first to be made in 2010. It has been undergoing structural tests in TsAGI, with aircraft c/n 00-04 to be used for endurance tests.

The current contract stipulates the manufacture of at least 30 production aircraft for Russian civilian flying schools, the Ulyanovsk Higher Aviation School of Civil Aviation in the first place. However, that the order will be placed is no longer for sure, because the Federal Air Transport Agency complains of the development slipping behind schedule and of the economic terms of the possible deal and subsequent operation. It is an open secret that the flying school in Ulyanovsk has had Austrian-made Diamond DA42 twin-diesel planes bought, with the Diamond DA42’s fuel consumption being even less than that of the main ‘flying desk’ of Russian airline pilots – the Yak-18T single-piston-engine primary trainer.

In addition to its primary purpose, the Rysachok powered by two M-601F turboprops rated at 750 hp each can carry 10 passengers or 1,570 kg of cargo on commuter lines, or 15 parachutists, or six casualties on stretchers, accompanied by a medic. It also can conduct patrol, search and rescue (SAR) and air surveillance operations, etc. It will be clear pretty soon whether the plane will be needed in any of these capacities or the programme, which is rather attractive, albeit loosing the support of the Ministry of Transport, will have to be discontinued.