Russian Civil Aviation: News #5

The Government of the Russian Federation allocated 15 billion rubles to expand the production of MS-21 aircraft, by Kuzmin Vladimir for Rossiskaya Gazeta. 10.17.2022.

The government has allocated 15 billion rubles to expand the production of MC-21 aircraft, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.

Funds are needed to equip aircraft factories with modern equipment necessary to expand the production of a new Russian airliner. Support is provided on the terms that the first batch of equipment will be contracted this year, and the rest - over the next three years, the head of the cabinet of ministers explained. "We expect that such support will allow the aviation industry to start mass production of at least 36 aircraft per year," Mishustin said.

The prime minister recalled that recently the second prototype MS-21 with Russian PD-14 engines made a long flight - more than five hours. The first board is now participating in the program of additional certification tests.

https://rg.ru/2022/10/17/pravitelstvo-rf-napravilo-15-mlrd-rublej-na-rasshirenie-proizvodstva-samoletov-ms-21.html

The IL-96-300 production seems low.

These things adjust with time and orders so it isn't exactly clear cut.

I hope the Military orders some Tu-214 and Il-96. The old special mission versions of the An-12, Il-18, Tu-16 and Tu-95 are missed dearly.

New generation projects have appeared in civil aircraft construction. Denis Manturov in an interview with RG about Russian aircraft and import substitution in the automotive industry, by Evgeny Gaiva for Rossiskaya Gazeta. 10.18.2022.

The Russian aviation industry will start serial production of Superjets in 2024, in which about 40 imported components have been replaced with domestic ones. This was stated in an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta by Deputy Prime Minister - Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov. Import substitution is also taking place in the automotive industry. Factories receive preferential loans for the production of parts.

Denis Valentinovich, when will mass production of the SSJ-100 New with a Russian engine start?

Denis Manturov The Komsomol branch of the Irkut corporation is now assembling the first five SSJ New fuselages, they are in varying degrees of readiness. The prototype, which will make its first flight in 2023, has already begun to be equipped with Russian-made systems and units. Another airframe was delivered to TsAGI for ground testing.

Serial deliveries of the aircraft will be able to begin immediately after receiving the certificate. Accordingly, by the end of 2023, we plan to transfer the first two vehicles. And from 2024, the project will reach the planned capacity - 20 cars per year. I want to emphasize that this is not just a remotorization for a domestic engine - we are talking about creating a virtually new car, about 40 imported systems and units will be replaced on it. A lot of cooperation is involved in this work - enterprises that are part of the UEC, KRET, Technodinamika and many others. It is very important that it works smoothly and that all suppliers fulfill their tasks.

According to the government's plans, by 2030, a thousand domestic aircraft will be built in Russia. This is real?

Denis Manturov: Production volumes will be increased gradually. For SSJ New, we will start with 20 pieces in 2024-2025 and then we will look at the needs of the market and the ability of enterprises to increase production. For the MS-21 aircraft, we will start with 6 aircraft in 2024 with a gradual increase to 72 aircraft per year.


MS-21 is the second product of a new generation. Realizing that in all respects it is not inferior to its "classmates", it was originally planned that the design capacity would be 72 aircraft per year. Today, these plans are being maintained, and new opportunities are opening up before us. The demand for domestic aircraft will only grow with the gradual withdrawal of foreign aircraft from the fleet of our airlines. Thus, not only a high-end product appeared, but also a market niche for it.

Of course, a thousand aircraft by 2030 is a serious task. To fulfill it, a lot of work has to be done to expand production capacities and increase the volume of components.

Do we have a base for this?


Denis Manturov: The state has already supported the industry, realizing the strategic importance of civil aircraft construction. Therefore, new generation projects have appeared that fully meet all world standards in terms of economy, ecology, ergonomics and operational characteristics.

"The creation of SSJ New is not just a remotorization for a domestic engine. It's about creating a virtually new machine".
Can our experts do it?


Denis Manturov: I would like to note the uniqueness of our aviation industry specialists - engineers, technologists, highly skilled workers. Systematic state support, the implementation of large-scale breakthrough projects and the creation of good working conditions in the industry have formed the necessary personnel base. I can firmly say that we have a new generation of professionals who are able to work in a digital environment, with electronic documentation, on CNC machines, based on the philosophy and advanced standards of lean manufacturing.

Now we need not only to preserve the existing human resources potential, but also to increase it. The industry needs a large number of specialists to fulfill a large-scale task set at the state level, so our young promising guys who dream of taking part in projects that are unique in scale and important for the country can be sure that their knowledge and skills will definitely be in demand in aircraft manufacturing enterprises.

Periodically reported a shortage of parts at AvtoVAZ. Are there any difficulties now? How are these issues resolved?


Denis Manturov: The AvtoVAZ management now controls from 100 to 300 positions of components that are at varying degrees of risk. Their presence is constantly monitored to prevent interruptions in the operation of conveyors. At the same time, active localization work is underway for such positions. The timing of its completion depends on the complexity of a particular node, the investment capacity of the localization project, the market volumes that ensure the economic viability of the project, and other factors.

The state helps Russian automakers, including by introducing new support tools. For example, in 2022, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia, together with the Industrial Development Fund (IDF), launched the Auto Components program. Russian manufacturers can receive preferential loans for 10 years at a rate of 1% per annum for the implementation of projects to create serial production of units and assemblies for wheeled vehicles and specialized equipment.

To date, four loans totaling RUB 15.4 billion have already been approved. For example, the IDF has already provided Avtodizel PJSC with a loan in the amount of 2 billion rubles for the production of engines for commercial vehicles. They are installed on automotive and tractor equipment. After reaching the design capacity, the company plans to produce up to 7,000 engines per year, which will significantly reduce dependence on imports. This is just one example. The program is of great interest to automakers and is gaining momentum. New applications are received every week, now there are more than 30 applications for preferential loans in this area in the work of the IDF.

"By October, the program of preferential car loans provided discounts for 4.1 billion rubles, and in general this year 9.7 billion rubles were allocated for the program".

In July, the Ministry of Industry and Trade resumed the soft lending program for the purchase of Russian cars. How many cars have been purchased under the program?


Denis Manturov: At the beginning of October, about 22,000 cars were sold under the preferential car loan program, the volume of discounts provided amounted to about 4.1 billion rubles. In general, the budget of the preferential car loan program in 2022 is 9.7 billion rubles.

When will preferential car loans be extended to hydrogen transport?


Denis Manturov: Within the framework of state programs of preferential leasing and car loans, support for electric transport has already been implemented. Given the relevance of using hydrogen as a fuel in transport, I think that this issue will also be worked out. But the timing of the implementation of the initiative will depend on the availability of localized products on the market that are ready for mass production.

When is it possible to produce serial transport on hydrogen in Russia?


Denis Manturov: We consider it important to use alternative fuels in transport, including hydrogen, and we provide support to domestic enterprises in the development of this area. Due to a systemic support measure, KAMAZ has created a prototype hydrogen-fuelled electric bus.


This year, it is expected to begin testing a prototype of the KAMAZ hydrogen electric bus on the streets of Moscow in real conditions. Already in 2023, it is planned to transfer the first 5 hydrogen electric buses for operation on the routes of the capital.

Labeling has been delayed for some products. Why? Do you plan to give a delay to some other products?


Denis Manturov: Due to sanctions pressure on businesses, mandatory labeling requirements scheduled to be launched after March 1, 2022 have been postponed. This benefit was offered for the most socially significant product groups: dairy products and packaged water (while the requirements in force as of March 1, 2022 remain). In addition, at the initiative of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, to support business, experiments on beer, dietary supplements and antiseptics were extended for six months, until March 1, 2023.

Delays for other commodity groups are currently not planned. Further decisions will be made on a case-by-case basis, depending on the economic situation.

Let me remind you that the labeling system is consistently integrated with the information systems of other departments, including those that already trace raw materials for the production of finished products, for example, Mercury for dairy products, Rosnedra for water and EGAIS for medicines, perfumery products and subsequently beer. This allows you to receive confirmation that the goods are on the shelves in the stores, for the production of which raw materials that meet the quality and safety requirements were used. Due to such integration from the registers of control departments, all permits for labeled products, that is, certificates, declarations of conformity, certificates of state registration, etc. are “pulled up” into the labeling system.

And what does it give to buyers?


Denis Manturov: Due to the full traceability of goods in the labeling system, their "digital footprint" is created from the moment they appear in circulation until they are discarded at the checkout. This allows consumers, in case of doubt about the quality of the goods, to file a complaint through the mobile application with the authorized control authorities for a specific unit of production, and employees of the control and supervision authorities to see and specifically check which business entity committed a particular violation. Thus, the market is gradually cleared of illegal and low-quality products.

key question

Some regions have already announced the completion of partial mobilization. Is it possible to ensure the stable functioning of industries and key enterprises in conditions of partial mobilization? Are qualified personnel retained in production?


Denis Manturov: Today it is equally important to fulfill the tasks of partial mobilization and to prevent the closure of enterprises. If we talk about organizations of "civilian industries", then here the main work on granting deferrals from conscription is carried out under the leadership of the Interdepartmental Booking Commission. Let me remind you that this commission is not a new one, but a permanent body, whose work, of course, has become much more intensive after the announcement of partial mobilization. A representative of the General Staff takes part in the commission, thus maintaining a balance between ensuring the operation of the economy and fulfilling mobilization tasks.

The work is organized and conducted in accordance with the List of categories of employees of organizations in respect of which a deferment from conscription for military service for mobilization may be granted. Such a list is developed and approved by the International Military Commission, systematically updated and communicated to the sectoral ministries and departments, to the General Staff, as well as to regional and municipal authorities to organize the necessary work on the ground in cooperation with the military commissariats. Its updated version now includes about 7.5 thousand positions and professions.

"Mandatory requirements for the labeling of dairy products and packaged water have been postponed, no delays are planned for other product groups".

Reservation is subject to employees of those organizations that meet one or more of the following criteria: they have a mobilization task, perform work to ensure the life of the population in wartime, or train citizens in military specialties.

In addition to updating the list that I mentioned, the interdepartmental commission is also responsible for "analyzing" exceptional cases of individual reservations of citizens: when the position and profession of an employee are not included in the approved list, but his presence at the workplace is of critical importance, the decision on it is taken collectively.


If we talk about defense industry enterprises, in our work we are guided by the Presidential Decree on partial mobilization and the rules approved by the government for granting a deferment, these documents determine the circle of organizations that are granted a deferment, categories of employees and the procedure for granting a deferment.

Let me emphasize that the postponement applies to managers, specialists and workers who work in defense industry organizations and participate in the implementation of state defense orders. Based on these two conditions, we organized work to refine the consolidated register of defense industry organizations and form, on its basis, a list of organizations whose employees are granted the right to deferment from the call for mobilization.

https://rg.ru/2022/10/19/detalnaia-prorabotka.html

kvs wrote:The IL-96-300 production seems low.

there's no big demand for these 4-engine planes; they'll be built mostly for the VKS VIP missions & IL-80 replacements.
Perhaps a twin engine variant will be developed once a powerful enough engine appears & it's proven to be reliable.

Tsavo Lion wrote:

kvs wrote:The IL-96-300 production seems low.

there's no big demand for these 4-engine planes; they'll be built mostly for the VKS VIP missions & IL-80 replacements.
Perhaps a twin engine variant will be developed once a powerful enough engine appears & it's proven to be reliable.

Exactly. Even the A 380 is going out of line. Perhaps when the IL 96 has a version with 2 engines, it will be feasible to increase production.

lancelot wrote:Here is the detailed production table for transport aircraft in the Russian Federation until 2030.

The table comes from the magazine "Wings of the Motherland" / www.kr-magazine.ru and includes the data from http://government.ru/docs/45834/

The aircraft are the SSJ-New, MS-21-310, Il-114-300, Tu-214, Il-96-300, TVRS-44 Ladoga, L-410 and Baikal (LMS-901).

My only negative observation in this picture is the fact that IL114 has a relatively low production. I hope they correct this because this type has enormous potential, including for export.

The IL-96-300 production seems low.

Hopefully it just shows commercial build aircraft, and military requirements would be on top of these maybe?

Or they are the aircraft they have solid orders for in that announcement regarding what they want to get built by 2030 and more local and foreign orders could add to this table where production is not already being stretched?

My only negative observation in this picture is the fact that IL114 has a relatively low production. I hope they correct this because this type has enormous potential, including for export.

If this is commercial airline production only then maybe Il-96 and Il-114 and Il-112 numbers will be over and above these.
In the chart the Il-114 is the Il-114-300 model which is a specific model, which leads me to hope it is a commercial model for moving people as opposed to specialised versions the military might be using.

I think the chart shows the production for both civil & military/gov. orders.
A while ago there was talk about the IL-96-400M, but apparently that variant isn't ready to be produced yet.

By the way, I was reading some articles and comments in a German website onaviation

https://www.aerotelegraph.com/140-superjets-und-270-irkut-ms-21-bis-2030-eingeplant

Many of the comments are quite stupid and ignore completely about the massive investment that Russia did on new hydraulic system, environmental systems, navigation, avionics etc, at least since 2018.

However the active Sidesticks from Collins aerospace were a first for a large commercial aircraft (and way better than the sidestick currently used on the modern Airbus aircrafts)

https://www.flightglobal.com/mc-21-ushers-active-sidesticks-into-commercial-aircraft-cockpits/116609.article

Is Russia also fully replacing those with a russian equivalent alternative or are they reverting to passive Sidesticks like in the A320/ A350 etc?

From what I understand, while new to commercial aircrafts this kind of active controls should be used in military planes since more than a decade, so there shouldn't be any big issue on it, it would only require recertification (as it is every time the aircraft avionics is modified.

I believe the KRET concern is fully capable of offering a russian equivalent alternative to the Collins active Sidesticks, however I could not find any article or comment being explicit about it.

GarryB wrote:
Hopefully it just shows commercial build aircraft, and military requirements would be on top of these maybe?

First of all, this shows the level of production capacity of the Voronezh aviation plant. I said last year that they are not able to produce more than 3 IL-96 per year. The full-time number of the plant is about 30,000 employees (soviet period, 80s), when I worked there - this number decreased from 14,000 to 9,000, and now about 5,400 people work there. Most of the material base has fallen into disrepair, it is possible that it is already easier to build a new plant from scratch than to try to restore this one.

Scorpius wrote:

GarryB wrote:
Hopefully it just shows commercial build aircraft, and military requirements would be on top of these maybe?

First of all, this shows the level of production capacity of the Voronezh aviation plant. I said last year that they are not able to produce more than 3 IL-96 per year. The full-time number of the plant is about 30,000 employees (soviet period, 80s), when I worked there - this number decreased from 14,000 to 9,000, and now about 5,400 people work there. Most of the material base has fallen into disrepair, it is possible that it is already easier to build a new plant from scratch than to try to restore this one.

From what I read in some articles from a few years ago, they have also a problem in recruiting and maintaining the workforce, because Irkut pays much more.

Anyway, they do not exactly need a much higher production of current il-96, they just need to maintain capabilities and possibly test all the new internal systems until they have the new PD35 engines ready.

Of course they need to start paying people more and recruit and train new workforce, so that by 2027 they can start serial production (at least 1 or 2 aircrafts a month) of a new twin engine widebody.

If this require a new plant then they can just start building one now next to the existing buildings and later dismantle the old buildings. I do not know what was exactly done in Komsomolsk on Amur (SSJ100) and in Irkutsk (MC21), but there they organised new civilian modern production lines in parallel to the existing military ones.
And as far as I remember reading, also Aviastar in Ulyanovsk received new production lines able to increment the production rate of il-76 aircrafts.

It is not something from one day to the next, but they have a few years to prepare for that, especially now that there will not be anymore unfair competition from Airbus and Boeing.

lancelot wrote:I think they need to speed up the introduction of the MC-21-400. That aircraft will be a true replacement for the Tu-214. Once that and its engine become available then they can consider a re-engine of the Il-96 with the PD-14M. I personally think they should just go all in on the C929 afterwards even if it requires new facilities. Making a new wing and new facilities for the Il-96 might not be any cheaper in the end.

CR929 will be assembled in Shanghai. It is very useful for Russia to participate to this program, because just only China is an extremely large market.
However Russia shall not become fully dependent on just China. They need the aircraft also for military purposes (e.g cargo/tanker), much more efficient than the il 76 as a tanker, and it would be quite useful also as a large civilian cargo aircraft (russian alternative to A330, Boeing 767, and 777F). Furthermore there was also a proposed "beluga" version of the il-96 for relatively light but oversized loads (e.g fuselages, aircraft wings, etc) that would need otherwise to reserve a more expensive An-124 for it.

To conclude: Airbus and Boeing just did a modernised version of the A330 and B777 with new engines. Both aircrafts are contemporary of the Il-96. Its upgrade potential with PD35 engines (of course with brand new wings and centre structure that can be shared with the CR929) is quite big.

The TU-214/204SM should be optimized with a 2 man cockpit on medium and long distance. The MS-21 is more mated up to 4500-5000km. The 204SM/214 can fly up to 8300km with ~ 200 passengers.

From 2030, a PD-18 gearbox should increase the range with 200 to 230 passengers to 9000km. There is a lot of potential in the plane.

A TU-224 with PD-18 would also be important, especially with a view of the submarine defense, sea patrol, awacs or other military tasks.

Sergei Chemezov: sanctions will remain for many more years
24.10.2022


General Director of Rostec State Corporation Sergey Chemezov told ininterviewVedomosti about the immediate and medium-term prospects for Russian civil aviation and engine building.


The full text of the interview is available by subscription, here are only the abstracts of the statements of the head of Rostec regarding aviation.


Rostec enterprises are ready to supply drones in the required volumes, if there is an order. Kamikaze drones "Lancet" and "Cube" are already successfully used in the special operation zone.


This year, due to the growth of the state defense order, the ratio in revenue will increase in favor of military products. Civil will be approximately 30-35% (in 2021 it was more than 45%). But already in 2024, with the start of serial production of Russian aircraft, the share of revenue in the civilian direction will again go up.


The United Engine Corporation has practically created a complete line of engines for helicopters of all types. A replacement engine has also been prepared for the lungs, and it is being tested. In a maximum of a year or two, the Ka-226 and Ansat will already have their own power plants.


A lot of work has been done under the import substitution program launched in 2014. Today, power plants of the VK-2500 and TV7-117V family for Mil and Kamov helicopters are made at the UEC-Klimov enterprise in St. Petersburg. A more powerful engine is also being developed, including for the Mi-26 heavy helicopter.


As part of testing the PD-8 and PD-14 engines, aircraft equipped with them will fly more frequently. An additional number of crews will be allocated. At the same time, the MS-21 is already flying with the PD-14, and another aircraft has recently joined the program. There are already prototypes under the PD-8 project, the first flights are scheduled for this year as part of a flying laboratory.


Tu-214 will be produced about ten pieces a year. As the production of MS-21 increases, the production of Tu-214 will decrease. But this aircraft can, for example, replenish the fleet of trucks for cargo transportation. It is also in demand as a business jet.


The production of IL-96 will be a maximum of two cars per year. This aircraft will continue to be delivered in the interests of special customers in the first place.

https://aviation21.ru/sergej-chemezov-sankcii-ostanutsya-eshhyo-na-mnogo-let/


As far as the il-96, that is to be expected. There will be no different development on it until the PD-35 engines are ready.

It also make sense concerning the Tu-214. (Even if they could consider producing a few aircrafts for the north corean Air Koryo, that is in need of new planes). And after that they could switch to producing Tu330 Transport aircraft and keep a low serie production of tu214 for special needs).

It also make sense concerning the Tu-214. (Even if they could consider producing a few aircrafts for the north corean Air Koryo, that is in need of new planes). And after that they could switch to producing Tu330 Transport aircraft and keep a low serie production of tu214 for special needs).

As they get the more exotic and more sophisticated commercial aircraft into production and fill the needs of civil aviation they could perhaps switch to making Tu-214s for the military who appear to have a lot of gaps to fill in terms of older airliner types in use like the Il-38 May and of course the Il-20 and Il-22 types not to mention others in use in various roles.

The potential for sabotage was just too great.

"Ensuring greater security": how is the development of the MS-21 liner going, by Alexey Latyshev and Elizaveta Komarova for RTRUSSIAN. 11.03.2022.

The Russian liner MS-21 will be equipped with a structural condition monitoring system. Nikolai Lvov, General Director of the IRT Research Center, announced this. According to him, the introduction of special sensors will allow real-time monitoring, among other things, of the state of the composite wing of an aircraft made from domestic materials. In addition, Russian PD-14 engines will be installed on the liner. According to analysts, after the start of mass production of the MS-21, it can shape the appearance of domestic civil aviation.

On the Russian passenger liner MS-21, it is planned to introduce a system for monitoring the state of structures. Nikolai Lvov, General Director of the IRT Research Center, announced this.

“We have signed a roadmap and a plan, now the terms of reference for the implementation of the system on MS-21 are being developed,” he said in an interview with TASS.

According to Nikolai Lvov, this real-time monitoring system will monitor, among other things, the condition of the MS-21 composite wing, made entirely of Russian materials.

As noted on the website of the IRT Research Center, the monitoring system includes fiber-optic sensors for measuring various physical quantities, on-board unit recorders (electronic equipment) and special software for processing and analyzing information recorded by sensors.

"Monitoring systems are designed to record real-time loads acting on structures, detect damage, including shock, in controlled structures, assess pre-failure conditions and residual life,” the company says.

According to the developers, the introduction of such systems today is extremely relevant due to the active use of new composite materials in the aviation industry and the need to study them for impact resistance and the occurrence of internal cracks.

“While vast experience has been accumulated with old materials, special theories have been developed for the development of cracks, metal resistance, but for composites this experience was absent. This was not only our problem. This is a problem that the whole world has been working on and is working on,” Vladimir Kargopoltsev, scientific director of the IRT Research Center, told TASS.

As noted in the company, the sensors of the system continuously monitor the condition of significant structural elements of the machine, which allows you to monitor the situation from the onset of defects to the development and appearance of cracks and a possible violation of the integrity of structures.

Thanks to this, technical services get the opportunity not only to check the condition of the machine, but also to understand the history of the problem, as well as to predict the remaining life of the aircraft and the onset of a pre-failure state.

The IRT Research Center reported that a similar system is already being used on the Ka-52M combat helicopter. The information received by aircraft technicians from the Ka-52M includes data on the performance of the main elements of the helicopter's structure, including their residual life.

In addition to the MS-21, the monitoring system can be implemented on other domestic aircraft. In particular, the Ilyushin Design Bureau became interested in the development of the IRT Research Center.

"The company is most interested in integrating the system into the Il-76 aircraft at the first stage,” said Nikolai Lvov, Director General of the IRT Research Center.

Get on the composite wing

Recall that the MS-21 is a medium-haul narrow-body passenger airliner developed by the Irkut Corporation. The share of composites in the MS-21 structure is about 40%, which is a record figure for ships of this class.

It is worth noting that initially, when creating the liner, imported composite materials were also used, but their supply became impossible after the US imposed new sanctions against the Russian Federation in 2018 .

As a result, the production of composites was established in Russia, which affected the timing of the project.

According to Rostec, domestic materials for load-bearing composite structures were developed with the participation of scientists from Moscow State University and Rosatom enterprises, and the wing consoles and the center section of the MS-21-300 aircraft are manufactured at the AeroComposite-Ulyanovsk enterprise.

MS-21 with an all-Russian composite wing made its first flight in December 2021.

But Western sanctions affected not only composites: in 2022 it became known that American power units for the MS-21 would not be supplied to Russia.

Initially, it was assumed that the first serial liners would fly on American Pratt & Whitney (PW140) engines, and in parallel with this, a version of the MS-21 with Russian PD-14 units, which were created specifically for this liner, would be designed. However, due to American restrictions, aircraft with PD-14s had to go into production immediately, which also pushed back the deadlines for completing the work.

The first experimental liner with PD-14 took off in December 2020. In October of this year, the first flight was made by the second model MS-21 with PD-14. Moreover, this aircraft was previously tested with an imported power plant, but then it was remotorized.  

According to Andrey Boginsky, UAC Deputy General Director for Civil Aviation, General Director of the Irkut Corporation, connecting the second aircraft to testing will increase flight density and continue tuning the engine and on-board systems for their most efficient operation in the MS-21.

He also said that certification of the MS-21 with a Russian engine is expected to be completed before the end of 2022.

For the production of MS-21, it is planned to modernize the equipment of the relevant industries. On October 17, Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin announced that the Russian government would allocate about 15 billion rubles for equipment for aircraft factories producing the domestic MS-21 airliner, so that the country would produce at least 36 such aircraft per year.

As Deputy Prime Minister, head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov noted in August, the completion of all work on the creation of a fully import-substituting version of the MS-21 is expected by the end of 2024.

One of the main customers of the MS-21 will be Aeroflot. The general director of the company, Sergei Aleksandrovsky, at a meeting in August with Russian President Vladimir Putin , said that the company intends to purchase 210 MS-21 aircraft. 

"Based on new technological principles"

As the retired Major General Vladimir Popov, Honored Military Pilot of the Russian Federation, noted in an interview with RT, as part of the creation of the MS-21 in Russia, for the first time in our country, mass production of aircraft with the widespread use of composites will be launched. Under these conditions, the system for monitoring the condition of such materials is highly demanded in the industry.

“The wing consists of a center section and two huge consoles that house the engine, fuel tanks, wing control units and other elements. All this forms certain operating conditions for composite materials, which must be observed. And to observe not periodically, as we do with designs that have worked out well, but constantly. The more information we get about the state of this or that material, the more reliably we will design and create new models in the future,” he said.

According to Vladimir Popov, aircraft design checks have been carried out before, but this was not done in such a comprehensive format and not in large numbers.

"The aircraft had engine control devices for the temperature of the exhaust gases, for the degree of gas compression on the compressor, or for the degree of pressure passing through the entire engine tract. In especially loaded places, special sensors were installed for pressure, load and bending. But they were not so massively used, there was no technological possibility to make them compact enough and build them into the design. Now, on new technological principles, this has become possible. This leads to greater flight safety, ”the expert emphasized.

In turn, the editor-in-chief of the portal Avia.ru Roman Gusarov noted the importance of the MS-21 for domestic civil aviation. In his opinion, the MS-21 is the aircraft that will become the main workhorse of our civil aviation for the next 40-50 years.

"MS-21 is in the most demanded segment of civil aviation — medium-haul single-aisle narrow-bodied aircraft. Therefore, it is difficult to exaggerate or downplay its importance for our civil aviation and for the entire aviation industry as a whole, ”the expert said in an interview with RT.

A similar opinion is shared by Vladimir Popov.

“This will be a model that can shape the face of our civil aviation . This is the first swallow. On its basis and technological innovations, the entire system of domestic civil aviation will develop, ”concluded the analyst.

https://russian.rt.com/russia/article/1069650-ms-21-kompozit-datchiki

https://aviation21.ru/aeroflot-sozdast-nacionalnyj-centr-dlya-texpodderzhki-zapadnyx-samolyotov/

Aeroflot will create a national center for technical support of Western aircraft
08.11.2022


The National Competence Center, which will provide design support services for the operation of Boeing and Airbus aircraft, will be created by Aeroflot, Deputy General Director, Technical Director Alexei Mikhalik said in an interview with the My Aeroflot corporate publication. About itinformsRBC.


Now Aeroflot Group's fleet consists of 276 Boeing and Airbus aircraft. After the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions due to a special military operation in Ukraine, Russian carriers lost the opportunity to receive after-sales services from Western aircraft manufacturers.




Michalik called the development of own competencies in the development of design solutions for aircraft in the absence of support from the original manufacturers a serious factor in ensuring further independence in maintaining the airworthiness of the existing fleet. In this regard, the airline has created a new department for the development of design solutions, the top manager explained.


He explained that the company has begun preparations for certification according to FAR-21 - aviation rules governing the certification of aircraft, organizations of developers and manufacturers. “We plan to receive a certificate no later than the first quarter of 2023 and further develop our activities in the field of design development into a separate independent direction,” Mikhalik said.


According to him, it was possible to attract highly qualified specialists to the team of the new department, who have the appropriate competencies in design support for airlines operating Western equipment around the world. To deal with these issues, former employees of the Russian offices of Airbus and Boeing came to the airline, RBC reports.

And this can also support other airlines like S7, pobeda, utair, etc.

Maybe they can actually cooperate with S7 Technics (Engineering Holding)

https://aviation21.ru/v-sibnia-projdut-dinamicheskie-ispytaniya-stoek-shassi-samolyota-ssj-new/

SibNIA to pass dynamic tests of landing gear of SSJ-New aircraft
11.11.2022

In the research department of the dynamic strength of aircraft FAU "SibNIA them. S.A. Chaplygin, the bench base is being prepared for testing the landing gear of the SSJ-New aircraft, the press service of the institute reported.

As part of this work, SibNIA will undergo dynamic reset tests to determine the available work capacity of the landing gear of the imported version of the Superjet and dynamic tests for safety against shimmy-type self-oscillations that can occur while the aircraft is moving on the ground at high speeds

“SibNIA Aircraft Dynamic Strength Research Department is the only laboratory in Russia that can carry out dynamic tests of landing gear supports for aircraft of all classes. To analyze the test results, SibNIA employees use computational and experimental methods that make it possible to identify the parameters of the mathematical model of the aircraft-chassis system, ”commented a representative of the scientific organization.

Based on the test results, at the first stage, a Flight Safety Conclusion will be prepared to start the flight test program, at the second stage, the data necessary for certification of the landing gear as part of the aircraft will be collected.

The use of these methods in the process of testing the landing gear allows you to confirm the compliance of their characteristics with the requirements of the Aviation Regulations in the entire range of expected aircraft operating conditions, which is a guarantee of the safety of transportation of passengers and cargo.

Now in the Komsomolsk branch of the Irkut corporation - the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant named after. Gagarin - the first five SSJ-New fuselages are being assembled, which are in varying degrees of readiness. The prototype, which will make its first flight in 2023, is equipped with Russian-made systems and units. Another glider is being tested at TsAGI.

At the end of 2023, it is planned to transfer the first two production aircraft to the customer, before that the aircraft must complete certification, including those with PD-8 engines. From 2024, the project will reach the planned production capacity of 20 vehicles per year

One by one, all the formerly imported systems for the SSJ100 are being tested and prepared for the aircraft prototype.

According to him, it was possible to attract highly qualified specialists to the team of the new department, who have the appropriate competencies in design support for airlines operating Western equipment around the world. To deal with these issues, former employees of the Russian offices of Airbus and Boeing came to the airline, RBC reports.

This is good and in the short term makes good sense, but over time they should also look to reduce the number of foreign types in use and replace them with Russian types... then they could perhaps revert to something else that might be needed in the future like testing foreign products to determine what new features are useful and what are not with a view to modifying Russian types...