Fully import-substituted Russian Superjet makes first test flight (VIDEO)
The latest prototype of Russia's new SJ-100 Superjet airliner, built entirely from domestically produced components, has successfully completed its first test flight, state-owned defense conglomerate Rostec has announced.
The program to replace all Western-made parts on the regional passenger aircraft was launched in response to the sweeping sanctions imposed Russia's aviation industry by the US and EU after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
The third prototype of the Superjet took to the skies in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia's Far East, Rostec said in a statement on Wednesday.
During the test, the fully import-substituted plane demonstrated good controllability and stability in the air, the statement read. All Russian-made systems on the aircraft operated consistently, it added.
According to Rostec, the 40-minute flight took place at an altitude of up to 3,000 meters. The plane, equipped with Russian PD-8 engines developed by the United Engine Corporation, reached a speed of up to 500kph.
'The program of import substitution in relation to the Superjet aircraft has entered the home stretch. The Rostec conglomerate has done a massive job. About 40 foreign systems and units have been replaced on the airliner, including the most important component – the engines,' Vladimir Artyakov, Rostec's first deputy general director, said.
The first prototype of the SJ-100, mostly built with domestically produced components and equipped with Russian-French SaM146 engines, began testing in 2024. This March, a version of the plane with Russian PD-8 engines got off the ground.
United Engine Corporation CEO Vadim Badekha called the Superjet test flight 'a historical event… that will become an important step towards strengthening the technological independence of our country and make a significant contribution to the development of the domestic aircraft manufacturing industry.'
According to Badekha, certification tests of the Superjet are expected to be completed by the end of the year, meaning deliveries of the aircraft to Russian carriers could begin in 2026.
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