Superjet 100 / Russian Regional Jet - RRJ - Development
In June 2007, Sukhoi Company, the Italian Finmeccanica Group, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company and Alenia Aeronautica signed a General Agreement to establish a Strategic Partnership. It outlined the scope of cooperation within the Sukhoi Superjet 100 Project and foundation of a joint venture. This Agreement stipulates that Alenia Aeronautica is entitled to acquire 25% + 1 share in the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (subject to the governmental approval). Furthermore, the Agreement outlines the terms of the Italian participation in program financing of no less than 25%.
As a further development of the Strategic Partnership, an Italy-headquartered joint venture was founded in July 2007 to focus upon aftersales support. This enterprise is expected to produce the synergy effect and to efficiently promote Sukhoi Superjet 100 family in mature markets. In addition, it will offer aircraft customization for western customers and a full package of aftersales support throughout the world.
The development and production of the SaM146 engine applicable for the entire aircraft family is provided by PowerJet. It is an equally joint venture of Snecma, a globally recognized engine manufacturer, NPO Saturn, a Russian aircraft engine producer. In May 2007 NPO Saturn's test bench launched a series of tests destined to appraise the performance of the third SaM146 engine. Owing to the state-of-the-art technologies of the engine, all aircraft of the family go beyond the ICAO current and perspective noise and emission requirements.
Throughout the history of Russian commercial aviation, Sukhoi Superjet 100 appears to be the first aircraft ever designed with due consideration of requirements and demands of potential worldwide operators. Under the long-term cooperation Agreement signed on December 19, 2002, Boeing consults the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company in the field of marketing, design and manufacturing, certification and quality system, supplier management, and after-sales support. Contributed by Boeing, the idea of step-by-step project management was fully explored and translated into business reality by SCAC. Specifically, Sukhoi sustained the project flow when any succeeding stage depends on successful accomplishment of the previous milestone goals. The Technical Board comprised of SCAC and Boeing's representatives as well as of the PowerJet consultants monitors the Program and makes final decisions on stage execution.
The Superjet-100 airliner made its second test flight 24 May 2008. Prior to certification, the plane is to undergo a series of flight tests at the aircraft manufacturing plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in Russia's Far East. A total of four planes will be used in the certification program. Another three planes are being assembled at the plant. Sukhoi said previously it planned to conclude the certification of Superjet in the first half of 2009 and roll out the new aircraft at the International Paris Air Show in Le Bourget next year. As of October 2007 the stock of orders for SSJ was 73 items. The manufacturer said this number will have become a hundred by the end of 2007. It was planned to produce 13 aircraft in 2008 with the further increase of production up to 70 aircraft per year.
In September 2008 NPO Saturn, a leading Russian engine-maker, started a second round of in-flight tests of the SaM-146 engine for the new SuperJet-100 regional airliner. "The second testing stage on board a flying laboratory will start in November this year," Saturn's press service said in a statement. The company had already conducted 60 hours of in-flight testing for the engine; including ground tests the total is 1,617 hours. NPO Saturn manufactures the engine in cooperation with France's SAFRAN Group, an international high-technology group with four core businesses - aerospace propulsion, aircraft equipment, defense security, and communications. The SaM-146 engine would be certified to Russian, EU and U.S. standards in early 2009, which would allow it to be used all over the world.
On September 5, 2025, the import-substituting SJ-100 aircraft, serial number 97004, built using serial technologies at the Production Center of the Regional Aircraft Branch of PJSC Yakovlev (part of the UAC of Rostec State Corporation), took off from the factory airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. The aircraft is equipped with Russian-made systems and components, including PD-8 engines manufactured by UEC. The maiden flight lasted approximately an hour. The aircraft was piloted by a crew from the Federal Research Service Flight Test Complex, consisting of test pilots Dmitry Savonin and Leonid Chikunov, and lead flight test engineer and flight operator Vladislav Tyurin. "The first aircraft built using serial technologies has taken to the skies. The certification process is still ongoing, but the aircraft has been created in serial production, in the target configuration planned for delivery. As a reminder, the aircraft has received an updated, improved fuselage and dozens of new systems and components to replace imported ones. Currently, 24 serial aircraft are in production at various stages of readiness. This confirms that Russia has been and remains an aircraft manufacturing powerhouse, capable of creating modern aircraft both through international cooperation and independently," Rostec commented. Previously, the aircraft's developer, the Regional Aircraft Branch of PJSC Yakovlev, worked with the Aviation Authorities and the Federal Air Transport Agency to certify the modified airframe of the import-substituting SJ-100 and its manufacturing technologies. "Obtaining approval for the Main Amendment to the Type Certificate regarding the updated design allowed for production of the SJ-100 airframe using the serial design documentation. Modification of the airframe was necessary to accommodate Russian-made systems and components, as well as to simplify the production process and aircraft maintenance," said SJ-100 Chief Designer Kirill Kuznetsov. "For us, the import substitution program isn't just about adding a new aircraft modification to the production line, but also about significantly upgrading to Russian equipment. For example, we're mating new aircraft with Russian-made components on a new, entirely domestically produced mating stand," noted Andrey Soynov, Director of the Production Center at the Regional Aircraft Branch of PJSC Yakovlev. The SJ-100 production facility laid the groundwork for the production of serial aircraft, which will be available for delivery after certification testing is completed and the results are approved by the Federal Air Transport Agency. "The SJ-100 import substitution program is entering the serial production phase. The program team, which includes over 140 Tier-1 suppliers, has worked tirelessly to ensure the first aircraft built using serial technologies takes to the skies," noted Alexander Dolotovsky, Director of the Regional Aircraft Branch of PJSC Yakovlev. The SJ-100 is a short-haul, narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of 100 passengers. As part of import substitution efforts, the aircraft is equipped with Russian-made engines, avionics, landing gear, auxiliary power unit, control systems, electrical power supply, air conditioning, fire protection, and passenger cabin interior.
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