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1st May 1996
RUSSIA
MILITARY
Yak-130 makes first flight
The Yakovlev Yak-130 successfully completed a 45-minute test flight on 25th April. The aircraft is competing with the MiG-AT to become the Russian Air Force's main jet trainer. Test pilot Aleksandr Sinitsyn pronounced humself satisfied with the first flight at the Gromov Flight Research Institute at Zhukovsky. "All systems operated according to planned parameters," he said.
Rosvooruzhenie recommends production of S-80PT patrol aircraft
Russia's Rosvooruzheniye state arms exporter is recommending production of the S-80PT patrol and transport variant of Sukhoi's S-80 twin-turboprop multi-purpose aircraft. According to Sukhoi Chief Designer Gennady Litvinov, Rosvooruzheniye has orders for the aircraft from Brazil and "several African countries", with possible total deliveries of 300 aircraft at a unit cost of US$6-6.5 million. The S-80PT is to be powered by General Electric CT-7 engines, and the Komsomolsk-na-Amure aviation plant is currently making four aircraft of this type. Exports could begin in 1998, Litvinov said.
Mil shows Mi-17 to Argentina
Mil Helicopters have been staging demonstration flights of the Mi-17 multi-role helicopter for the police and armed forces in Argentina. A separate demonstration was held at the country residence of President Carlos Menem. Mil helicopters are already in use in Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Colombia, Peru and Cuba.
Mil to provide Mi-24 gunship upgrade
The Mikhail Mil helicopter design bureau is to provide an upgrade for its successful Mi-24 (HIND) gunship, to be designated Mi-24M, as well as a Mi-35M export model with Western avionics and weapons systems. Mil puts the unit cost of a new combat helicopter at 40-60 billion roubles, as opposed to a figure of 2-2.5 billion roubles for an upgrade. The Mi-24M would have new equipment largely borrowed from the Mi-28A.
Russian helicopter maintenance plant refitting ex-military aircraft
The Novosibirsk Aircraft Repair Plant (NARZ) has branched out into refitting ex-military helicopters, and hopes to sell them abroad. Until 1992 NARZ only dealt with Aeroflot helicopters, but at present its throughput is about half civil and half military. The plant has now begun to specialise in converting decommissioned military helicopters to customer order. Kazakhstan, which was left without a helicopter repair base by the break-up of the Union, has been sending its combat helicopters to Novosibirsk for overhaul, and paying in kind with decommissioned aircraft: these are then converted at the plant and sold in Africa or Latin America.
An-124 makes night landing on Arctic strip
An experimental flight by an Antonov An-124 Ruslan to take supplies to an outpost in the Russian Arctic was a success, according to the Russian Air Force press office. The aircraft landed at night on an unsurfaced strip just 3,000 m. long. Following this proving flight, An-124s are expected to be used regularly to reach Arctic outposts which could previously only be supplied by sea.
CIVIL
First civil flight turned back from Russian Far Eastern military airfield
The first civil flight scheduled to land at the Zolotaya Dolina military airbase near Nakhodka in the Russian Far East was refused permission to land after the local military command ruled the runway unsuitable for civil use. Zolotaya Dolina is to be converted for dual civil and military use to serve the Nakhodka free economic zone. The first flight should have been by a Vladivostokavia Tupolev Tu-134 carrying 120 passengers from Japan on 30th April. The decision by the Far Eastern Military District command meant the plane would fly instead to Vladivostok and the passengers would be taken on to Nakhodka by other means of transport. Negotiations with the military are continuing.
Production of Volga-2 wing-in-ground-effect craft begins
Series production of the Volga-2 wing-in-ground-effect craft (WIGEC) has begun at the Limendskiy shipbuilding plant in the south of Arkhangelsk oblast. The Volga-2 was designed by the Krylo Science and Technology Enterprise in Nizhniy Novgorod. Claimed performance is as follows:
Speed - 120 kph Range - 400 km Average ground clearance - 70 cm
Russian deputy prime minister promises new air traffic control centre
Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets has promised an upgrade of the Moscow area air traffic control (ATC) system, using domestically-produced equipment. Soskovets was visiting the current Moscow ATC region control centre at Vnukovo, southwest of Moscow, ITAR-TASS news agency said. The centre covers an area of 720,000 sq.km. with over 40,000 km of airways, and manages more than two million air movements each year.
New amphibian built by new design bureau on Caspian
A new light, multi-purpose six-seater amphibian designated the R-50 has been developed in Taganrog. The aircraft is being designed and manufactured by the newly-established SAU (Samolet-Amfibiya Universalnyy - All-purpose amphibian aircraft) scientific and production corporation. The R-50 is a twin-engined low-wing monoplane with the lower part of its fuselage in the form of a twin-step boat. Its floatless design, with semi-submerged wings, helps to increase stability and simplify handling during take-off and landing. In hydroplaning spray-jets from the nose section playing on the lower surface of the wing section induce lift, and the aircraft planes on three points of contact. The R-50 is fitted with two Czech-manufactured piston engines, each with a capacity of 210 hp. SAU gave the following specifications:
Length: 11.5 m Wingspan: 15 m Max speed: 260 kph at 3,500 m Payload: 430 kg Take-off distances: Water: 480 m Land: 270 m Minimum draught: 1.5 m.
Volga car makers to produce light aircraft
Russian car manufacturer VAZ, based in Tolyatti, is preparing to start the production of light aircraft designed by the Samara-based company Aeroprakt, according to Aeroprakt director Yuriy Velichko. VAZ are famous for their Volga saloon cars, which were the standard form of transport for ranking Soviet bureaucrats. One of the models to be made by VAZ is the A-21 single-engine sports single-seater, with a take-off weight of 280 kg, a cruising speed of 150 kph and a range of 360 km. It is expected to cost between US$12,500 and US$17,000 depending on the engine and equipment to be fitted, Velichko said, adding that the aircraft was currently undergoing certification in Britain. Another model soon to go into series production at VAZ is the A-23 single-engine two-seater. This aircraft has a take-off weight of 450 kg, a cruising speed of 130 kph and a range of 500 km, and will cost US$32,000. VAZ is also looking into the possible future production of the A-25 amphibian, which will cost US$120,000. A prototype of yet another Aeroprakt model, the A-29 light single-engine aircraft, is being built by the Samara-based Start company, a major Russian producer of airfield equipment, Velichko said. This multi-purpose four-seater, which will cost US$70,000, is expected to make its maiden flight in late 1996 or early 1997.
Ilyushin Il-103 gets airworthiness certificate
The Ilyushin Il-103 has been granted its airworthiness certificate. The certificate was presented to Ilyushin chief designer Genrikh Novozhilov. The Il-103, which will be suitable for use as an air ambulance or for patrols, is already under production at Lukhovitsy in Moscow oblast. Production of 100 aircraft annually is planned.
No orders for new civil aircraft placed in Russia this year
Russian airlines have not placed any orders for Russian aircraft or helicopters in 1996, according to a senior official at the Air Transport Department of the Transport Ministry, Viktor Samokhin. Samokhin said Russian airlines currently had 8,500 civil aircraft and helicopters on their books. They ordered 292 new aircraft in 1992, 180 in 1993, 47 in 1994, and 26 last year. Russia's Finance Ministry and Ministry of Economics have now drawn up draft resolutions on low-interest credit from the Vneshtorgbank foreign trade bank to finance aircraft construction. The programme is to cover one Ilyushin Il-76, three Tupolev Tu-204 and three Tu-254 aircraft.
Airport near St Petersburg to go under the hammer
Rzhevka, a state-run airport outside St Petersburg handling domestic flights, is to be sold at auction on the instructions of the Russian Federal Property Fund. The airport is virtually bankrupt, according to an official at the local insolvency authority. Although it has repaid all its loans, it owes two billion roubles in wage arrears to its workforce. It has been valued at 21 billion roubles, which will be the starting price for bids. Under the terms of the auction, the buyer will have to invest 120 billion roubles in renovating the airport within three years, with 40% of that sum to be spent within one year on refurbishing premises and repairing the 1,800-metre runway. Potential bidders include Finnish airlines, Transaero and the Sheremetyevo airport company.
ARIA opens new international route
Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines (ARIA) has opened a new service between St Petersburg and Madrid. The service, which started on 2nd April, will operate once a week. The airline also hopes to begin flights between St Petersburg and Barcelona in the near future.
ARIA to boost flights to Americas in response to popular demand
Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines (ARIA) has announced a number of new flights to destinations in North, Central and South America from the start of the tourist season, according to the airline's deputy commercial director, Nikolai Lebedev. From April, extra aircraft will fly the Moscow-Buenos Aires and the Moscow-Sao Paolo-Rio de Janeiro routes, and the the number of flights to the United States on Ilyushin Il-62, Boeing-767 and Airbus A-310 aircraft will be increased. Direct flights to the Havana will resume in July. Flights to the Americas provided 14 per cent of ARIA's total revenue of 1.8bn dollars in 1995, Lebedev said. In terms of the passengers carried, the Americas were the fourth most popular destination, after Japan, Southeast Asia and Europe. That is set to change this year, however, with the number of reservations already twice as high as last year. Mexico is becoming a favourite destination, he said.
Russian airline passenger numbers fall
Passenger numbers on Russian airlines fell by 8 per cent in the first quarter of 1996, while ticket prices rose by 20 per cent. According to figures from the Air Transport Department, of 400 registered air companies, only about 20 are actually engaged in air transport operations.
INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
General Electric commissions gearbox research from Kuznetsov
General Electric has commissioned research into the design of gearboxes for aircraft engines from the Kuznetsov engine design bureau. Kuznetsov is to cooperate ion the project with the Baranov Central Aviation Engineering Institute, which has already successfully completed a program of research for combustion chambers for GE. William Hurlebaus, managing director of GE's Moscow office, said Kuznetsov had been chosen because of the bureau's technical expertise and long experience of designing and building gearboxes for aeroengines.
Deutsche Aerospace proposes Russia fund aerospace projects to write off debts
Deutsche Aerospace AG (DASA) has called on the Russian government to finance joint aerospace projects as a means of servicing debt to the German government and German firms that has reached US$50-60 billion. DASA says it plans to work more in Russia to both sell and develop new products for the world market for high-tech aircraft, rockets and satellites, which are becoming too expensive for even larger European companies to make alone. DASA is to buy tungsten spars for Airbus engine mounts from Russia, and plans to cooperate with Russia in developing aircraft powered by cryogenic engines and building the Mil Mi-38 helicopter, DASA marketing director for Eastern Europe and the CIS Kirill Kovalev said.
Iran-Russia scheduled cargo flights begin
Russian cargo airline Jupiter has begun a scheduled cargo service to Moscow from Tabriz, capital of Iran's northwestern province of East Azarbayjan. The flights are intended to bring Iranian products including fruit and vegetables to Moscow markets.
Joint venture to produce Tu-34 and Tu-54 in Kyrgyzstan
Russia and Kyrgyzstan are to set up a joint aircraft construction company to build the new Tupolev Tu-34 and Tu-54 light aircraft, according to a Russian government statement. The aircraft are to be built at a former defence plant in the capital, Bishkek. The go-ahead for the project was given by Kyrgyz president Askar Akayev during his recent visit to Russia, and the project is to be financed by Russian credits extended to Kyrgyzstan under Kyrgyz government guarantees. Tupolev's Kyrgyz partner in the project is the Dastan corporation, which currently manufactures road vehicles. Setting up production of the two aircraft has been costed at US$32 million for the Tu-34 and US$8 million for the Tu-54, according to Tupolev deputy chief desinger Aleksandr Pravdivy.
UKRAINE
Ukrainian naval aircraft repair workers on hunger strike
Two hundred and fifty-four employees of an aircraft repair plant at a naval aviation base in Nikolayev, southern Ukraine, have gone on hunger strike demanding payment of wages for the last five months. Plant manager Volodymyr Kapitanets says the Ukrainian Defence ministry owes more than UKR200 billion in back wages. The Ukrainian Air Force's chief engineer, Volodymyr Voloshanovskyy, is reported to have travelled to the base in an attempt to resolve the dispute. The plant earlier stopped work from 12th April because of energy debts, and all employees have been offered a month's unpaid leave.
BALTICS
Poland hands over five helicopters to Lithuanian army
Polish Defence Minister Stanislaw Dobrzanski has presented five Mi-2 helicopters to the Lithuanian army as a sign of goodwill. The helicopters will be used by an airborne assault battalion based in Panevezys, where a handover ceremony took place on 18th April. They will initally be used to boost border patrols. Dobrzanski said at the handover that this would be "not the last donation for the Lithuanian army which is being formed at present." The Lithuanian armed forces now number about 9,000, plus another 10,000 reservists in the paramilitary SKAT organisation. Current plans are to boost numbers to 30,000 regulars. Poland has been by far the biggest contributor of Lithuanian military equipment. In August 1995 Poland gave the Lithuanian army grenade launchers, mortars, lorries and field kitchens worth about 760,000 dollars, and an air defence radar system is due to be handed over once a protocol on the protection of confidential military information has been signed.
Estonian Air's management faces charges on eve of privatization
Estonia's economic police have brought charges of misuse of official position against the management of the state-owned airline Estonian Air, which is shortly to be privatized. Veljo Aleksandrov, head of the economic police, was quoted as saying the management had "incurred unjustified expenses and caused a loss to the enterprise", undervalued the company's assets and "artificially inflated" its budget. The Estonian Air management is one of the bidders in the privatization contest, alongside Scandinavia's SAS, Latvian airlines Air Baltic and Baltic International USA and a group of Estonian companies. Toomas Peterson, Estonian Air's managing director, said all the charges against the management were groundless and were meant to influence the outcome of the contest. Preliminary figures put Estonian Air's turnover in 1995 at EEK309 million, while its losses for the year amounted to nearly EEK25 million.
Lithuanian Airlines puts presidential jet up for sale
Lithuania's national airline, Lietuvos Avialinijos, has put up the presidential Jetstar-731 aircraft for sale, `Lietuvos Rytas' newspaper reported. The airline originally asked US$3 million for the aircraft, but only offers in the region of US$2.3-2.5 million were made. An official from Lietuvos Avialinijos was quoted as saying the asking price could be reduced to US$2.8 million. The jet, intended primarily for governmental use as well as for commercial flights, was purchased by the airline in 1992 for US$2.28 million, and a further US$170,000 were spent on training pilots. Shortly after the purchase it emerged that the 19-year-old aircraft manufactured by Lockheed was "outdated, uneconomical and overpriced", the newspaper said. Irregularities were also revealed in the purchase tender and an official inquiry was launched.
KAZAKHSTAN
Government ends Kazakh airline's monopoly
The Kazakh government decided on 23rd April to break up Kazakhstan Airlines' monopoly on civil aviation in the republic, a government statement said. A cabinet meeting chaired by Prime Minister Akezhan Kazhegeldin decided to place the State Civil Aviation Academy, Alma-Ata airport and the republic's air traffic control system outside the jurisdiction of the national airline.
CIS
China to have direct air links with four more ex-Soviet republics.
Chinese airlines are to begin regular flights to four republics of the former Soviet Union, Kyrgyzstan, Armenia, Georgia and Lithuania, by the end of 1996. Agreements on direct air links between Beijing and Bishkek, Yerevan, Tbilisi and Vilnius were signed in Beijing on 10th April. Volga-Dnepr recently set up a direct route between Tianjin and Samara in southern Russia.
ROMANIA
Romania to open new international airport Romania's northern Satu Mare airport will become an international airport in May, an official said on Friday. "Our plan is to operate flights from and to Germany, Austria, Italy, Greece and Turkey," airport deputy manager George Teletin said from Satu Mare, 620 km northwest of Bucharest. Teletin said he was confident the project would help develop businesses in the Satu Marea area, which is located near the borders with Ukraine and Hungary. Romania has now four international airports.