So, on February 29, Sergey Chemezov, head of Rostec State Corporation, announced a shift in the start of deliveries of new domestic serial long-range aircraft: deliveries of the MC-21 have been postponed to 2025, Superjet 100 - to 2026. "Cooperation companies face objective constraints - completely new systems, recreating competencies from scratch, the need for full-fledged testing and launch of serial production under time constraints," RBC explained the shift in the United Aircraft Corporation" (UAC).
The publication also cited a comment from the Ministry of Industry and Trade: "Import substitution programs in civil aviation are being implemented within unprecedented timeframes by world standards. There is no similar Russian example of comprehensive import substitution of all systems and units, including avionics, engines, aviation materials, in modern world aviation. All global aircraft manufacturers rely on a wide international cooperation, suppliers from several dozen countries. Russia will have to cope on its own.
It is hard to disagree with these arguments. First of all, the initial dates for the start of aircraft deliveries in 2024 were extremely optimistic. I would even say: given the scope of work, they are not realistic. If we look at the market leaders - Boeing and Airbus - they employ manufacturers of components and systems from all over the world, and even for them it would be impossible to solve such a large-scale volume of tasks in such a short period of time. And for Russia alone, they are all the more complicated many times over.
The fact is that Western aircraft manufacturers work in a developed industry. We will not only have to develop airplane systems and components, but also create enterprises that will produce them. And, in some cases, from scratch. It is necessary to create a component, test it, certify it, build a production facility and also certify it, test the component as part of the airplane and certify the airplane itself in its updated appearance. And all this takes time and considerable investment. And, paradoxically, there is no problem with investment, there is a shortage of time. Airlines need airplanes in the next few years.
Following the announced postponement, the Russian government also adjusted the Comprehensive Program for the Development of the Aviation Industry until 2030. What is noteworthy is that there was a slight reduction in plans to supply regional class aircraft, while the mainline segment, despite the postponement, remained in the same volume. How can this be? The fact is that serial airplanes are already being built, but they remain at the factories waiting for the completion of development and testing of new domestic components. And their testing is in full swing.
It is for this reason that UAC expects to complete certification of the MS-21 in its new guise in 2025 and immediately hand over to airlines the airplanes scheduled for delivery in 2024 and 2025. Thus, the delay in the start of deliveries should not affect the total number of airplanes produced according to the plan until 2030. The situation with the Superjet 100 is similar. According to Rostec, 30 new airplanes are planned to be handed over to companies at once in 2026.
However, the timing of the Superjet, in my opinion, is a question with many unknowns. The problem is that a new PD-8 engine is being created for this airplane, and this is the main and most difficult task. The usual timeframe for the world aviation for creating engines for such aircraft is 12-15 years. Yes, this work has not started today, and engine builders have new modern tools at their disposal to speed up this process: computer modeling, additive technologies, digital twins. Moreover, Russia has all of this at a good world level.
But the engine has not yet passed the testing and certification program. Not to mention its certification as part of an airplane. And this is also a very large flight program. Will the developers be able to meet the two-year deadline? In my opinion, this is the main question. And two years is the minimum term if everything goes off without a hitch the first time.
In the meantime, the updated SJ-100 has started flight tests on Russian-French SaM146 engines. At the end of April, the first prototype of the import-substituted Superjet-100, but still with SaM146, completed the program of factory finalization tests and arrived at the Gromov LII airfield in Zhukovsky for the implementation of the next stage - flight certification tests. This was done to accelerate flight tests. Moreover, the key systems of the aircraft, including avionics, landing gear, auxiliary power plant, integrated control system, as well as power supply system, are already Russian on this SJ-100. As soon as the PD-8 engine passes the planned additional tests, two more prototype aircraft will join the flights already with the Russian propulsion system.
"Completion of factory finalization tests is an important stage of the program, which precedes the start of certification tests... In total, we will have to perform more than 200 test flights to be 200% sure of the aircraft's safety for future passengers," said Andrei Boginsky, UAC Deputy General Director for Civil Aviation - General Director of PJSC Yakovlev (part of Rostec's United Aircraft Corporation).
It was also reported at the time that certification static tests of the SJ-100 New will be completed at the test stand of the S.A. Chaplygin Siberian Aviation Research Institute (SibNIA) in the first half of 2025. At the moment, the strength of the engine pylon and wing is being tested.
Specialists from the Yakovlev test base in Zhukovsky conducted ground testing of the landing gear, made sure that the doors and hatches of the aircraft functioned correctly, as well as the cockpit display and the mobility of the aircraft's control surfaces, and in early June the aircraft began certification flight tests. The duration of the first flight was 2.5 hours, and it went smoothly, 15 test modes were performed, no equipment failures were recorded. All this gives hope that the airplane builders are ready to meet the announced deadlines. The word is with the engine builders.
Also in early April, news came from the Irkutsk aircraft factory, where they started docking the fuselage of the tenth serial MC-21 airplane. This is a confirmation that the postponement of the start of deliveries should not affect the plans to deliver the airplane by 2030. At the same time, the certification test program is also in full swing.
Thus, at the end of May, the MC-21 performed an automatic landing under ICAO Category IIIA using Russian PD-14 engines. Category IIIA means that landing is allowed when the range of visibility on the runway is not less than 200 meters and the height of decision making is less than 30 meters. An airplane applying for the IIIA category must provide automatic control until touching the runway.
At the same time, the success of the project largely depends on the diligence of allied companies. Thus, the Obninsk-based A.G. Romashin Research and Production Enterprise "Technologiya" of Rostec State Corporation has started serial production of import-substituted glazing for the cockpit of MS-21 aircraft. In 2024, the enterprise will deliver 12 sets of products to the customer, which, in part, confirms the pace of serial production of the airplane.
"As for obtaining a supplement to the current type certificate - this is about 200 flights, which should start in September 2024. Our task is to fly 200 flights on three machines in a year and start supplying MS-21 to Aeroflot from September 2025," Interfax quoted Yuri Slyusar, CEO of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of Rostec), as saying.
photo from AVIA.RU archive
The news that Irkut Corporation in cooperation with the Platov South Russian State Polytechnic University created and installed the first domestic composite fiber laying robot at the Ulyanovsk enterprise Aerocomposite. N.I. Platov South Russian State Polytechnic University created and installed at the Ulyanovsk enterprise "Aerocomposite" the first domestic composite fiber laying robot. It will replace foreign equipment and will be used in the serial production of the "black" wing of the MS-21 airplane. At the same time, all key elements, including software and process control systems, are made in Russia.
Believe me, this is not a simple robot like in car factories, stacking or shifting something. It is a very complex high-precision and high-tech complex, layer by layer laying out the wing of the future airplane from composite fiber with the width of a few millimeters and welding each strip by laser. The quality and accuracy of his work largely determines the reliability of the future airplane. In other words, aircraft manufacturers now have to not only develop new airplanes, but also invest in the latest technologies, including the development of robotics.
This is my review of the current situation with the promotion of two key projects of the domestic aviation industry. Whether I was able to answer your questions, I don't know. In any case, it is up to you to decide whether the glass is half empty or half full.
photo by UAC
