SUKHOI TRAINS ADDITIONAL CREWS FOR SUKHOI SUPERJET-100 TESTS
Itar-Tass
16.07.2008, 20.45
The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company has started training additional
crews for certification tests of the Sukhoi SuperJet-100 regional
plane, the company press service said.
"Since four planes will gradually be brought into the programme of
certification tests, the company’s flight service puts additional
crews into operation. Nikolai Pushenko made the first flight on the
plane on June 29," the press service said, adding that the flight
lasted over 30 hours.
The installation of systems on the second plane has been completed. The
third and the fourth planes are being assembled.
The plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur has launched serial production of
the new plane in parallel to its test flying.
SuperJet-100 will in the future provide the basis for a whole family
of planes, including transport and special purpose planes. However now
the main goal is the certification of the plane and serial production
of 60-70 planes annually.
The Sukhoi SuperJet-100 plane went on its maiden flight in May 2008.
Sukhoi considers the production of Sukhoi SuperJet to be priority and
its specialists are working hard to make sure that the plane takes
off the ground for flight-testing.
"The whole testing cycle will take less than a year," First Deputy
Prime Minister Sergei Ivanov sa id earlier.
The aircraft plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur had already started serial
production of the plane for Aeroflot.
The delivery of the first Sukhoi SuperJet-100 planes initially
scheduled for the end of 2008 will be delayed due to changes in the
schedule of test flights.
According to the initial plan, the first plane was to be supplied to
Aeroflot at the end of this year.
The project is implemented by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company created
in 2000.
Experts say that the SuperJet-100 project will secure Russia’s
leadership on the market of regional planes. Sukhoi Civil Aircraft is
a subsidiary of the famous Sukhoi combat aircraft manufacturer. It
was created to implement the latter’s civilian projects. The chief
task of the company is to develop a regional Superjet-100 plane that
will replace Tu-134 liners that are now in use.
The Sukhoi Superjet-100 family consists of two types of aircraft of
basic and increased flying ranges with the carrying capacity of 75
and 95 passengers respectively.
The company is trying to make the tow types of plane as universal as
possible in order to increase the number of potential buyers.
The design of the plane meets the requirements applicable in Russia,
the Commonwealth of Independent States and the West.
As of the beginning of 2008, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft had confirmed
contracts for 73 SuperJet-100 planes and 31 options, including first
contracts with Aeroflot (3 0 planes), the Financial Leasing Company
(10 planes), AirUnion (15 planes), DalAvia (6 planes), Italian airline
ItAli (10planes), and the Armenian company Armavia (2 planes).