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Aviation History
2000
2000-1 - 0258.PDF
grammes, says: "When our costs were met by the state, there was no commercial need for close relations between the designers and die producers. Today that has changed, and although we receive some support from the budget, it is not adequate. Therefore, if we are to continue to monitor and improve our air craft, it makes sense to develop closer ties with die production factories." Pukhov, who is overseeing the unification of the Tupolev design bureau and production facility Aviastar, adds: "We expect to complete die union by die end of die year." Taganrog Aviation (TAVIA) completed its last Tupolev Tu-142 Bear maritime reconnais sance aircraft more tJian five years ago. Since then, it has been preparing to build the new 100- passenger version of die Tu-334 airliner, but progress has been slow. In April, the sole, par tially completed, airframe was removed to Moscow, where RSK will continue die work. At present, TAVIA survives on its modifica tion of Ilyushin 11-76 transports into A-50 air borne warning and control system (AWACS) aircraft. It has contracts witJi India and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAT), which is developing a version for China, but this work is unlikely to continue much longer - die USA has warned Israel that if it delivers die Il-76s to China, it will withdraw $20 billion in defence aid to Israel. TAVIAs assignment of the production of the Beriev Be-32K, a 17-passenger regional airlin er, could attract business, but there has been no progress on that programme. IN DIFFICULTY Other plants are also having difficulties. Smolensk and Orenburg, for example, are like ly to be the first to close, unless the government provides a reason for them to say open. Smolensk is where the Yakovlev Yak-40 and die early Yak-42s were built. It has been manu facturing small numbers of the elderly Yak-18T, a four-seat piston-engined tourer and trainer, and a slightly modernised version called the SM-94, to meet a small CIS market for Yak-18 replacements in the CIS. The last order for more than two Yak-18Ts was from one of the major commercial pilot training colleges three years ago. Smolensk has also built a few Technoavia SM-92 Finist utility aircraft, and produced the small number of Myasishchev M-55 Geofizika high-altitude research aircraft. Orenburg has built a limited number of repli cas of the Second World War Yak-3 fighter, anticipating a market yet to develop. This fac tory may produce the new Kamov Ka-226, a utility helicopter ordered by the Russian Ministry of Emergency Situations for fire- fighting and rescue duties. The outlook for military aviation is more promising. Russia felt its interests were ignored in last year's Kosovo crisis, and has therefore begun to rebuild die WS (military air forces). The first signal of these intentions was die com mencement of payments last summer - for the first time in five years - to factories for aircraft required for delivery over the next three to four years. These include MiG-29s, several versions of the Su-27, and the first orders for the new Antonov An-70 transport. Russia has also completed payment to the Kazan factory for the final production Tupolev I Russia felt its interests were ignored in last year's Kosovo crisis, and has begun to rebuild its military air forces Tu-160 Blackjack and has acquired eight more from the Ukraine, along with three Tu-95 Bear bombers, as part of a debt reduction scheme. Once the ex-Ukrainian aircraft are overhauled, the WS will have 15 Tu-160s. Today, most factories have sizeable stocks of completed or partially completed aircraft in storage on their premises. Usually, components sourced from other factories are not installed until a paying customer arrives with the cash up front. The Kazan factory has two Tupolev Tu-22M Backfires that could be completed quickly if the WS provides the money. The fighter factories also have stock in hand - RSK MiG has a line of MiG-29s at its Lukhovitsi plant, and some two-seat trainers at Nizhnen- ovgorod. Aldiough the aircraft has sold steadi ly, most recendy finding an export market in Malaysia, production continued for some time even after Russia's budgets dried up. Foreign sales have eased die financial strains for RSK compared with die other manufactur ers. The Sokol factory at Nizhnenovgorod continues to build dieMiG-31 Foxhound long- range fighter, although production has slowed. It is also offering upgrades for the many MiG-21 Fishbed operators, installing new avionics, instrumentation and armaments. It is also working with Yakovlev to prepare for the new Yak-130 advanced trainer, and with Myas ishchev, with whom it produces the M-101 Gzhel single-engined turboprop utility aircraft. Three factories are producing various ver sions of the Su-27 - a product enjoying steady sales and, apparendy, prompt payment. The combination of capability and cost has helped Sukhoi to find markets, mainly in Asia, for its family. It also seems to have a competent man agement team and strong marketing. Recent export customers have included die air forces of Ethiopia, China, India, Indonesia and Vietnam. A potential boost to the military aircraft industry could result from negotiations under way with India for 140 Su-30s, to be assembled in India with parts manufactured at Irkutsk. Sukhoi has managed to achieve a measure of commercial unity by bringing together its design bureau and that of helicopter designer Kamov widi a group of manufacturing plants. For a time, the group also included die amphibi ous aircraft specialist Beriev design bureau, but Beriev has left the group, although its aircraft will continue to be manufactured at AVPK Sukhoi factories. The new Be-200, a 64-passen- ger twinjet amphibian in the process of certifi cation, is being made at Irkutsk. The new six-seat Be-103, an amphibian in the Piper Aztec category, is being built at Komsomolsk on the Pacific coast. Sukhoi's ground attack fighter, the Su-25, is made at Ulan Ude. In Russia's recent conflict with Chechnya, the Frogfoot saw extensive ser vice and brought orders to the Bashkortostan capital's factory. Sukhoi, long one of Russia's major military 138 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18 - 24 July 2000
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