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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2363.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT AIRCRAFT DEVELOPMENT VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW First metal cut for Antonov An-148 regional jet prototype Five-abreast 70-seat version to be followed by 40-seater and stretched model Manufacture of Antonov's An-148 regional jet has begun at the Ukrainian design bureau's experi mental aircraft factory in Kiev. The prototype is due to fly next year, with certification set for 2004. First unveiled earlier this year, the 40- to 100-seat twin jet project is a "risk-sharing" joint venture between Antonov, engine maker Motor Sich and production plants in Ulan-Ude and Kharkov. Other Ukrainian and Russian companies are negotiating participation. Developed to meet the latest requirements of CIS airlines, the An-148 is an all-new airframe fea turing a high-wing configuration with underwing-mounted engines. It is the first Antonov to be created using computer-aided design and manufacturing tools. The latest Series 5 version of the ZMKB Progress D-36 turbofan will power the aircraft. Equipped with a five-abreast cabin, the initial version is a 70- seater, to be followed by a 40-seater and a stretched model. "We opted for two-plus-three seating that pro vides more overhead space and is more suitable for the 100-seat ver sion we are considering," says de puty chief designer Victor Kazurov, who heads the project. A freighter could be created if there is demand. According to Kazurov, the air craft will replace passenger versions of Antonov's An-74TK series, offer ing a higher cruise speed of 440kt (810km/h), and improved fuel con sumption and passenger comfort. It will have a higher cruise altitude of 41,000ft (12,500m) compared to 32,100ft for the latest Yakovlev Yak-42, the D90. The An-148 will be "at least 1.5 times more eco nomical than the An-74TK-300 or Yak-42D90", Kazurov says. Metal cutting has begun for the first prototype ahead of the planned first flight next year. Certification to Russia's AP-25 airworthiness require ments, harmonised with US Federal Aviation Administration Part 25 rules, is scheduled for 2004. Two The 40-100 seater twinjet project is a "risk-sharing" joint venture Russian Regional Jet and, probably, a new design from Tupolev. Anto nov recently reached a provisional agreement with Aeroflot to lease the airline 30 An-74TK-300s, which will be replaced later by An-148s thro ugh a deal which includes Russia's Ilyushin Finance and Ukraine's UkrAviaLizing leasing companies. flight test aircraft and one ground test airframe will be built for the certification programme. Antonov is to submit the An-148 in the competition for "a new regional jet" launched by Russia's Rosaviacosmos state agency last month. It will compete for state funding with the Sukhoi-led DELIVERIES Ukrainian airlines buy An-140s The state-owned plant in Kharkov, Ukraine, is to deliver four Antonov An-140 regional turboprops in the next two months to three airlines. Odessa Airlines' first An-140 (below) was displayed at last month's Farnborough air show and, according to Antonov deputy general designer Oleg Bogdanov, the Odessa, Ukraine-based carrier is due to take two more this month. Ukrainian operators Donetsk Aviation Enterprise and Kharkov Airlines will also take one aircraft each. The deals have been made possible through new financial leasing arrangements, says Bogdanov. "The airlines did not seriously con sider taking An-140s until the Ukrainian government approved our deal with the Ukrainian Railways, allowing financial leasing schemes mastered by the railways to be used in aviation," he says. NEW AIRLINE Air China to offload freighter division Air China is planning to spin off its freighter operation through the establishment of a new all- cargo airline jointly owned by Hong Kong-based conglomerate CITIC Pacific and the parent company of Beijing Capital International Airport. Talks are under way and could lead to a deal by the end of this year. The new airline would be based in Beijing and would take over the operation of flag carrier Air China's four Boeing 747-200 freighters. CITIC managing director Henry Fan confirms it is in dis cussions "on the possibility of setting up a cargo airline based on the mainland" with Beijing Airport and China National Aviation (CNAC), which is being merged with Air China. "There is, however, no agree ment yet and it is therefore premature to make any refer ence to terms and conditions of the joint venture, including amount of investment," he says. Air China will not comment, while Hong Kong-listed Beijing Capital International Airport says the talks involve its parent, Beijing Capital Airport Group, which also will not comment. CITIC Pacific is a major Hong Kong-based conglomerate con trolled by mainland Chinese interests. It controls more than a quarter of Hong Kong's aviation industry through stakes in Cathay Pacific Airways, Dragonair and Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals. CNAC is the commercial arm of the regulatory Civil Aviation Administration of China. Its Hong Kong-listed unit of the same name has the biggest sin gle stake in Dragonair, with 43% ownership. Both CNAC and CITIC have sought to expand their involve ment in mainland China's aviation sector, which is undergoing a major consolidation exercise over seen by the government. www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 6-12 AUGUST 2002 11
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