The import-substituted Superjet was transformed into a Christmas tree for an impressive photograph toward the end of December 2023. The airport equipment at Zhukovsky was arranged around the airliner on the runway in a manner that resembled a festive tree, with the headlamps of vehicles glowing like holiday lights. The aircraft was to be removed from its busy testing schedule by United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) for this purpose.
So the question is how bright is 2025 for UAC?
The main event—the flights of MC.0012 and MC.0013—has been postponed until 2025, despite the fact that numerous subordinate systems have been certified for MC-21. This is due to the fact that not all systems are ready for certification tests. A flight for the sake of flying is pointless for an aircraft that has already flown. A flight with completely import-substituted systems is eagerly anticipated by all.
According to UAC, the production facility of PJSC Yakovlev in Komsomolsk-on-Amur is currently in the process of building more than 20 SJ-100 aircraft. The Irkutsk Aviation Plant is home to a comparable quantity of medium-haul MC-21 aircraft. The purpose of this stockpiling is to expedite production following the certification of import-substituted variants of these aircraft.
This addresses questions about the current activities of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant and how production goals will be met. It is a significant accomplishment to have forty aircraft in varying phases of readiness. Furthermore, there are approximately ten Tu-214 aircraft and seven Il-114 aircraft in various stages of completion. In summary, the factories are operational; however, not all necessary parts are currently accessible.
Factory tests have been concluded and certification testing has commenced for the first import-substituted Superjet that is equipped with Sam146 engines. It has completed 30 of the 200 scheduled certification flights by the end of the year, which is approximately 15% of the task. The PD-8 engine is currently undergoing routine testing on a laboratory platform. Rostec has pledged to carry out a Superjet flight with the PD-8 engine in early 2025 but has not provided an exact date.
Two SSJ-100s were delivered: one to Lukoil-Avia in a VIP configuration and the other to Red Wings. These were the last Superjets that used imported components. Possibly, this marks the end of the SSJ-100 production and the commencement of all Russian Sj-100 deliveries.
The Tu-204 and Tu-214 were acquired by the Red Wings, and they underwent substantial renovations following extended periods of inactivity. Furthermore, a laboratory was established to certify import-substituted components in accordance with the requirements. A new Tu-214 made its first flight at the end of the year.
Aviation manufacturers put forth considerable effort to achieve significant results. The results of 2024 were evaluated by UAC.
Vadim Badeha, UAC General Director, outlined priorities for the upcoming year and congratulated the corporation’s employees on the approaching holiday season, “Thanks to the hard work of our teams and design bureaus, the most complex tasks of 2024 have been successfully completed. In 2025, we will continue increasing production volumes of tactical, military-transport, and long-range aircraft.”
Projects for the creation of modern civilian aircraft such as the MC-21 and Sukhoi Superjet will enter their decisive final stage. The first aircraft of these models to be serially produced will be debuted next year. The production volume of Tu-214 aircraft will be substantially increased through ongoing efforts. Mass deliveries of new equipment to production lines will commence.
As per Vadim Badeh, “Russians will witness the birth of a new era for the corporation. The main task for UAC is to fill this new phase with meaningful advancements, improve work efficiency, and actively implement modern production and design methods.”
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