Latest news with #Chemezov
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Russia said it's rebuilt its Superjet airliner 'from scratch' with local parts after being cut off from Western supplies
Rostec says it's successfully flown its regional jet after replacing the engine with a Russian one. It's been trying to remake its Superjet-100, which relied on Western parts, with Russian components. The state-owned firm hopes to certify the modified jet this year as it deals with wartime sanctions. A Russian state-owned conglomerate said it's rebuilt its regional jet using locally sourced parts — and successfully flew a prototype for 40 minutes. Rostec said on Monday that the test flight showed the Yakovlev Superjet-100 can fly with the Russian PD-8 engine, which replaces a previous engine reliant on a French manufacturer. The project is part of Rostec's effort to "Russify" its aircraft as international sanctions cut off the flow and maintenance of the Superjet's parts, many of which were previously Western. The French company Thales, for example, supplied the Superjet's avionics, while US firms provided flight controls and auxiliary power units. Thus, the sanctions posed a critical problem for Russia's commercial fleet, making it difficult for them to receive the servicing needed to fly safely. Rostec's solution is ambitious. It seeks to replace all foreign parts of the Superjet with Russian components and have the airliner certified to enter service by 2025. By 2030, it hopes to fill an order for 89 of the "Russified" jets. The replacement plan was already floated in 2021 as Moscow's tensions with the West soured, but the need for it was exacerbated by the Western sanctions that followed Russia's invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. "After 2022, the Superjet will have to be essentially reassembled from scratch," said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Rostec, in the company's statement. Chemezov acknowledged that completing the project by the deadline could be difficult, saying it was "being implemented in a very tight timeframe by the standards of the global aircraft industry." The Superjet was Russia's 2011 answer to regional aircraft like the Embraer E-jets and the Bombardier CRJ, with about 100 seats. These are typically designed for shorter trips, with distances similar to flights from New York to Miami. Rostec and the United Aircraft Corporation, its subsidiary company responsible for the Superjet, said they've been adjusting the Superjet by gradually replacing its Western parts and conducting tests. A prototype of the Superjet successfully flew for 54 minutes in August 2023, but that was with its old French-Russian engine — the PowerJet SaM146. The company said that after the recent test flight with the replacement engine, the PD-8, it expects to get certification for the Russian component by the fall of this year. With Russia largely sanctioned from the international market, Rostec will likely be unable to sell its modified Superjet, which it now calls the Superjet-New, to most countries and airlines. Rostec also hopes to similarly replace the foreign parts on its flagship airliner, the MC-21. Local airline Aeroflot has ordered 339 "Russified" planes, including the Superjet-New and the MC-21. The US Treasury Department and the European Commission did not respond to requests for comment on the Superjet tests sent outside regular business hours by Business Insider. Read the original article on Business Insider
Russia Today
17-03-2025
- Automotive
- Russia Today
Russian Superjet makes milestone test flight (VIDEO)
A prototype of Russia's new SJ-100 superjet, equipped with domestically produced engines, has successfully completed its first test flight, the state-owned Rostec corporation announced on Monday. Russia's aviation industry has faced increasing pressure to replace Western-made components due to sanctions imposed after the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022. In response, the SJ-100 program was developed to eliminate foreign reliance, replacing around 40 imported systems with Russian alternatives, including avionics, landing gear, auxiliary power units, and control systems. The PD-8 engine, domestically developed by the United Engine Corporation, is a crucial element of this effort. According to Rostec, the SuperJet remained airborne for approximately 40 minutes during the test flight, reaching a speed of 500kph and an altitude of 3,000 meters. Engineers assessed the gas-dynamic stability of the PD-8 engines under various conditions. The engines performed steadily and the flight objectives were met in full, according to Rostec. The company's CEO, Sergey Chemezov, emphasized the significance of the milestone for Russian aviation, noting that 'today's flight confirms the accuracy of our engineering calculations and the high readiness of the aircraft.' 'This project has been implemented within an extremely tight timeframe by global aviation standards. After 2022, we essentially had to reassemble the Superjet from scratch. The engine is one of the key components of this import substitution program – it is the 'heart' of the aircraft,' Chemezov added. The head of the Federal Air Transport Agency Rosaviatsiya, Dmitry Yadrov, also underlined the importance of the SJ-100 with PD-8 engines for certification purposes, noting that domestically produced aircraft are vital for ensuring Russian airlines' independence from foreign equipment and parts. According to Yadrov, the nation's air traffic is projected to increase by 1.5 times by 2030, making the SJ-100 a key element in expanding domestic air travel. The Superjet SJ-100 is a Russian regional passenger aircraft that was initially developed with several foreign components. Following the 2022 sanctions, Sukhoi announced the development of a fully domestically built version of the aircraft, marking a major step toward achieving technological self-sufficiency in Russia's aviation industry.
