Roy's Russian Aircraft Resource

Date Posted 15 July 2011

Mongolia Intends to Obtain Russian MiG-29 Fighters

Mongolia intends to obtain 4 – 5 Russian MiG-29 fighters, ARMS-TASS reports referring to the American magazine “Aviation Week and Space Technology.”

((Not further translated because of original English source.))

Source: 14.07.11, Avia.RU

Date Posted 14 July 2011

Ukraine Ready to Lease Crimean NITKA Range to Russia

((Title says it all. Not further translated.))

Source: 14.07.11, ARMS-TASS

State Gambling on Samara’s An-140

A sequence of aircraft catastrophes has led to a ban on the use of a number of obsolescent airplanes as early as the start of next year. A search is now underway for a replacement for these airplanes, and right now the Samara aircraft builders have all the chances to count on a huge order emerging.

The airlines of many regions of Siberia, the Far East and the Caucuses would like to obtain new airplanes. But owing to different reasons, funds for renovating the aircraft fleet have not been allocated – the aircraft have been flying literally right to the ends. It will be prohibited to carry passengers on the obsolete liners from next year. New ones must replace them. And the state is gambling most of all on Samara’s An-140. Despite the fact that the plant has competitors, from Canada and Brazil, they are counting on winning the lead positions on the domestic market.

The Samara plant began to prepare for series production of the new airplane as early as the end of the ‘90s. The absence of orders restrained the project. Today the airlines will be forced to go for a renewal of equipment, but many are counting on, however, the state’s support in the form of subsidies or preferential leasing schemes.

Source: 14.07.11, Vesti.RU

Date Posted 13 July 2011

Klimov JSC to Equip MiG Airplanes with BARK-88 Digital Units

The Klimov Joint Stock Company, one of the leading manufacturers of gas turbine engines, is announcing the successful start of flight tests of the BARK-88 intended for MiG-29 fighters.

The BARK-88 electronic digital unit for automatic adjustment and control will be installed for the control of MiG-29 fighter power plants and allow increasing the service capabilities of the airplanes, and also decrease the time for fulfilling operational types of flight preparations.

On 29 June, at the airfield of the Gromov Flight Research Institute (outside Moscow), the first flight took place on a MiG-29UB equipped with the BARK-88. The flight lasted nearly an hour and was without incident.

The Klimov JSC plans to begin series production of the BARK-88 system in 2012 and the primary customer at the present time is the Russian Federation defense ministry.

“The BARK-88 will replace fully the existing serial components of the control and flight safety check system developed in the mid ‘70s,” says the Klimov JSC executive director, A.I. Vatagin, “MiG airplanes are the primary aircraft of the Russian Federation armed forces and the developments of such a level involve great responsibility for us.”

Source: 13.07.11, Klimov Joint Stock Company

Russia Transfers First Batch of Su-30 Fighters to Uganda

((Based on an article originally in English, Uganda bought six to eight Su-30. Uganda bought six Su-30MK2 in 2010 at the same time Algeria bought 16 Su-30MKA. Not further translated.))

Source: 13.07.11, Avia.RU

Date Posted 11 July 2011

GP Antonov Will Begin An-178 Flight Tests in 2013

The Antonov company has confirmed plans for the start of the flight test program for its new An-178 transport airplane in 2013, which is a potential competitor to Alenia Aeronautica C-27J and Lockheed Martin C-130J airplanes.

This airplane is a production model of the An-158, at the present time it is still in the design stage, and its concept was made public for the first time less than two years ago.

The An-178 has a rear door and ramp; however, in many ways it is similar to the An-158, during the creation of which a high-wing monoplane layout was used and which, for its part, is a lengthened version of the An-148 which has from 70 to 85 seats.

Antonov has disseminated contradictory information regarding the airplane’s useful payload. In his recent interview, a company representative was reporting that the airplane will have a maximum useful payload equal to 18,000 kilograms, whereas in background material being used at the air salon in Le Bourget, this feature was 15,000 kilograms.

The An-178 which is being thought about as a replacement for the An-12, is one of several new lightweight transport airplanes supposed to enter the marketplace in this decade. Its closest competitors are the Embraer KC-390 and a multirole transport airplane from Hindustan Aeronautics/United Aircraft.

Recently Antonov has reported about the beginning of a preliminary design study for a naval aviation patrol airplane based on the An-168.

Source: 08.07.11, Avia.RU

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