Aircraft

By Vladimir Karnozov at Farnborough air show

PowerJet has bench-tested the first engine to test (FETT) SaM146 in its facilities in Rybinsk as work on the Sukhoi-led Superjet 100 programme gathers pace.

Michel Doublier, executive vice-president of Powerjet, a 50:50 joint venture between France's Safran and NPO Saturn of Russia, says there have been four runs since 9 July, each lasting 2.5min. The FETT has been taken off the bench for installation of additional test instrumentation. This will enable 1,700 static and dynamic parameters to be monitored.

First flight on an Ilyushin Il-76 testbed is planned for February 2007, and first flight on the Superjet 100 (previously the Russian Regional Jet) in September 2007. Certification of the SaM146 is targeted for March 2008.

A total of eight engines and one core are required for the test programme, which will include 4,500 fast-acceleration cycles, 10,000 for fan resistance to foreign object damage, 5,000 for turbine testing and 5,000 for the thrust reverser system.

■ CMC Electronics has been selected to supply its CMA-9000 flight management system for the Thales Avionics suite on the Superjet 100.