The Frosts Are Nothing for Ulan-Ude Helicopters

Minus 40 degrees has had no influence on the program of check and test flights for Ulan-Ude aviation plant Mi-171E and Mi-171 helicopters. All flights are taking place normally and fully in the conditions of even such cold at the plant and delivery acceptance work is carried out without any breaks, the plant's press service reports.

"The Mi-171 family of helicopters has been designed from the beginning for service not only in hot climatic regions, but also in cold areas, including the regions of Russia's Far North," the OAO U-UAZ chief designer, Sergey Migotskiy maintains. - Temperature limitations from minus 50 to plus 50 degrees Celsius are the foundation for Mi-171E and Mi-171Sh helicopters.  Correspondingly, technologies have been realized which allow flying during very low temperatures below freezing. For example, present are flight deck and cargo hold heating systems and insulation and anti-icing systems."

Mi-171E and Mi-171Sh helicopter flights in severe Siberian frost conditions at OAO U-UAZ are continuing. Five new helicopters have been tested successfully during low temperatures and delivered to customers, and in the next few days check flights of several more aircraft will take place.

The ability of the Mi-171 family of helicopters to fly under rugged temperature conditions has a special topicality. Many countries of the world are filled with memories of the anomalous temperature phenomena of 2009.

((EXTRACT of very long interview.  "SNIP" is not indicated below.))

On 23 December 2009, Long-Range Aviation Day, the Tupolev Joint Stock Company president Aleksandr Bobryshev answered journalists' questions.

Combat Strategic Aircraft

"What are the forthcoming OAO Tupolev tasks in the military sector?"

"For well known reasons we cannot talk about all the tasks that have been formulated. The firm's tasks ensue from that situation which has emerged in Long-Range Aviation, where today three types of Tupolev airplanes are operating (Tu-22M3, Tu-95MS and the Tu-160 - editor.), while performing all assigned missions.

"Our main task is to organized the upgrade of these aircraft, in which connection it has been formulated more solidly today. We are proposing an upgrade with the possible unification of integration for the purpose of a convergence, especially in a common direction, of the face of these aircraft and, naturally, at the same time to improve somewhat the serial production capability ((SERIYNOST')) of the integration. However, this task is strictly individual for each aircraft; therefore, it is impossible to transfer the developed variant of the upgrade of one carrier fully to the other. Nonetheless, we are trying to attain the maximum unification."

…"the question of examining the possibility to use the D-27 engine on Tu-95MS and Tu-142 bombers has been introduced.  Is such a variant possible?"

"The power plant for each carrier is a basic link. If speaking about the Tu-95 and Tu-160, then the power plants of these airplanes also need upgraded. …There are problematic questions, and as of today it is impossible to say all of them have been resolved, not for the NK-12, nor the NK-25, nor for the NK-32.  But ways already have been contemplated for resolution of these problems."  

"What work is OAO Tupolev carrying out on the future long-range aircraft aviation complex (the PAK-DA)?"

"As of today scientific research work (NIR) has begun. As a result of a competition, this NIR has been located at OAO Tupolev. We have finished the first stage. Moreover, a government decree has been signed confirming the state defense order, and this line item is there. A contract for carrying out the NIT has been entered into for 3 years."

"What will end the NIR?"

"NIR is supposed to be ended by OKR ((experimental design work)), and OKR by series production."

Specialized Aircraft

"How many Tu-214 airplanes have been ordered in special variants?"

"Today we are fulfilling a special order for the defense ministry and the president's administration.

"Everything will depend on test results of the special airplanes for the defense ministry if we are to talk about numbers."

"Has work stopped on the ramped Tu-330 cargo airplane, which was unified with the Tu-204 in many ways? Will this experience be used in the MTA ((multirole transport aircraft)) program?"

"The Tu-330 project is closed. We intend to participate in the MTA project. There are different ideas about OAK - Special Aircraft participation in this program. We are working through this question with the Il'yushin design bureau."

"Is OAO Tupolev participating in the competition for the medium range unmanned aerial vehicle? How much of the unmanned subject has been preserved at the firm?"

"If you will recall, we had the centralized design bureau in Kazan' involved with unmanned aerial vehicles. I happened to master one of the first unmanned vehicles at the Novosibirsk aviation plant. Many collectives in the country today are involved with unmanned vehicles, and we have chosen the medium range unmanned aerial vehicle niche for ourselves." 

Hypersonic Flight Vehicles

"Is the huge experience accumulated by OAO Tupolev in the area of hypersonic flight vehicles required today?"

"This subject is required and interest in it has never weakened. Everything depends on our capabilities to realize it. We will continue to participate in this work and with the experience gained, participate also in those directions being developed at other collectives."

Cryogenic Technology

"Do you plan to continue work on the cryogenic subject?"

"We have formulated our own proposals for this topic in the new edition of the Federal Targeted Program of the Development of Civil Aviation Equipment to 2020. We are proposing to include it in the work volume and financing and to allocate it for those who are able to do it. At the same time, we understand clearly that in truth time spent on this subject has been concentrated mostly at our firm. We have a group of specialists who are evaluating and processing what we have achieved, including too the results of full-scale tests on a Tu-155 airplane.  We want to continue this subject."

Civil Aviation

"At what stage is realization of the Tu-204SM airplane program?"

"We began work on the heavy upgrade of the Tu-204 airplane at the end of 2008. Compilation of deadlines and determination of volumes. We are working in accordance with a Unified Aircraft Building Corporation ((OAK)) contract. In 2009 we developed and produce the working design documentation and transferred it to Aviastar in accordance with the work timetable. There is a short lag, but the documentation is reaching the plant, in electronic form, and work has been unfolded at Aviastar on preparations for Tu-204SM production.

"The face of this Tu-204SM is partly developed in the 048 aircraft, and on the 010 aircraft certification flight tests have been made with the power plant. Aircraft 48 has made 17 test flights, as a result of which the PS-90A2 engine has received its certificate of type. Documentation is being put together now."

"Is the installation of foreign engines onto the Tu-204SM possible?"

"Foreign engines are not envisioned in the contracts being worked on."

"When is the first aircraft expected?"

"In the first half of 2011. In 2010 we are supposed to start certification tests of the airplane in full conformance with type design."

"What is OAO Tupolev's participation in the MS-21 program?

"…small…  the doors.  We also are working with the Irkut corporation on specifying the amounts of work that will be awarded to the OAO Tupolev design bureau in 2010 and later. This concerns the development of the documentation."

((Next long question is a discussion about Airbus wanting to deliver 500 airplanes and does Tupolev intend to compete with them?  Yes, they do.))

"Will development of the Tu-204-120 line of airplane with Rolls-Royce engines continue? Is there already Tu-204-120 operational experience in China?"

"The modification of the airplane with Rolls-Royce engines has been ordered only by China as of today.

"China took one airplane and now the negotiation process about the qualities and deficiencies of that product we delivered is on-going. Soon after transferring the airplane, we received 164 questions from the Chinese side. Today somewhat more than 20 remain from this lot. We will finally hold negotiations with China about satisfying their requests in January."

First Flight of Il-476 Transport Contemplated for 2011

First flight of the new Il-476 transport airplane, a highly upgraded Il-76, will take place in 2011, the president of the Unified Aircraft Building Corporation, Aleksey Fedorov, announced, ITAR-TASS reports. According to him, work already has begun at the Ul'yanovsk Aviastar-SP plant on the assembly of the first flying example of the airplane.

Fedorov also noted that originally it had been planned to begin production of the Il-76 at the Ul'yanovsk enterprise, which earlier had been intended for the Tashkent Chkalov Aircraft Building Production Association. Nonetheless, the Il-76 itself has turned out to be unwanted by customers and a decision was adopted to produce a modernized variant of the airplane with a "glass cockpit" and an improved flight navigational complex.

Earlier, Russia's military transport aviation commander, General-Lieutenant Viktor Kachalkin, declared that the military will receive several new transport airplanes in 2011 - 2012, including the Il-112 and Il-476. Moreover, Russia's ministry of defense is supposed to obtain 20 An-124 "Ruslan" military transport airplanes before 2020.

The Il-476 will be able to develop a speed up to 850 kilometers per hour and carry up to 50 tonnes of freight to a distance up to 6,000 kilometers. It is not being ruled out that the new airplane's armament will be represented by a paired tail-mounted 23 millimeter cannon installation as its predecessor has.

Source: 29.12.09, Lenta.RU

OAK's Plans

The Unified Airplane Building Corporation may begin deliveries of renovated An-124 "Ruslan" from 2014, the head of the corporation, Aleksey Fedorov, has reported. President Medvedev authorized the inclusion of plans for the purchase of up to 20 "Ruslan" airplanes in the state arms program to 2020, and he also charged agencies with the preparation of a position on the resumption a program for manufacturing the airplanes.  Total program cost, in Fedorov's estimate, is 17 billion rubles.

Myasishchev EhMZ Working on T-50, Il-112V and Il-114

EhMZ Myasishchev also participated in the creation of special equipment for the fifth generation fighter in 2009 for the future tactical aircraft aviation complex (PAK FA) and expects continuation of work on this subject for 2010, too. "The enterprise's basic work volume for the development of ground test benches was done in 2009, and for 2010 it is transitioning relative to a small amount of work for installation work. This work itself still has not been defined concretely," the source specified.

He also recalled that earlier EhMZ Myasishchev was carrying out work on a contract with ZAO Sukhoy Civil Airplanes in the interests of the creation of equipment used during Superjet SuperJet100 tests.

Source: 28.12.09, AviaPort.RU, Correspondent: Dmitriy Kozlov

The Rise and Fall of the An-70. Part 2

The never-ending story of the most famous "post-Soviet" airplane built in Ukraine

((Part 2 of the An-70 story, not translated here.))