Photo: United Aircraft Corporation
A field session of the Research and Development Board devoted to the flight test preparation of the first test aircraft – SSJ-NEW – was held at the Production Center of the Regional Aircraft Branch of Irkut Corporation, United Aircraft Corporation.
“We are now on the home stretch in the process of the SSJ-NEW preparation for the first test flight. Huge efforts have been made by our personnel to substitute all foreign systems on the airliner with Russian-made systems. The aircraft was equipped with local control system, avionics, landing gear, hydraulic system, air conditioning system and many others. The first flight will be performed soon, after ground checks of the equipment. Their goal is to ensure passenger safety, because the SSJ-NEW together with the medium-range MC-21 will form the basis for the Russian airline fleet in future. We understand the importance of this air plane for our country and, therefore, we do our best to launch commercial production as soon as possible,” said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec.
Following the Research and Development Board session, a final list of ground checks to be underwent by the airliner before the start of flight tests was prepared. To speed up the test program, the SSJ-NEW will perform its first flight using Franco-Russian engines – SaM146. The second prototype will start the flight test program with domestically built PD-8 engines.
The SSJ-NEW is created under the import substitution program and will be another model in the SuperJet family operated currently by airlines.
