Russian 100-Seater Airliner, SSJ-NEW Getting Prepared for First Flight

The ‘Russified’ variant of the SSJ airliner, the SSJ-NEW, is being prepared for its first flight, albeit Russian-made PD-8 engine.

Irkut Corporation, part of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Rostec, has completed a field session of the Scientific and Technical Council (STC), dedicated to the preparation of the first prototype SSJ-NEW aircraft for flight tests.

The session was attended by representatives of aircraft systems and components suppliers. Members of the Scientific and Technical Council highly appreciated the degree of readiness of the aircraft and the volume of system developments, paying special attention to the issues of ensuring the safety of upcoming flights.

“We have reached the finish line of preparing the SSJ-NEW for its first test flight. Specialists of our enterprises have done a lot of work on import substitution of all foreign aircraft systems for Russian ones. The car received a domestic control system, avionics, chassis, hydraulic system, air conditioning system and much more. The first flight will take place in the near future, after checking the equipment on the ground. Their goal is to ensure the safety of passengers, because in the future, SSJ-NEW, together with the medium-haul MS-21, will become the basis of the fleet of Russian airlines. We understand how important this aircraft is for our country, and therefore we are doing everything possible to put it into serial production as soon as possible,” said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy General Director of Rostec State Corporation.

Based on the results of the NTS, a final list of ground checks was formed, which the aircraft must pass before the start of flight tests. To speed up the test program, the SSJ-NEW will make its first flight on Franco-Russian SaM146 engines. The second prototype will begin a flight test program with domestically produced PD-8 engines, which are expected to arrive in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the coming weeks.

“Within a few weeks, we will begin factory development tests, within which the first flight will take place. At the next stage, the aircraft will be presented to Rosaviatsia specialists for certification tests, following which the imported systems will be approved for use on board the SSJ-NEW. This will allow the start of serial production and commercial operation of the aircraft. At each stage of testing, our unconditional priority will be to ensure the safety and reliability of equipment, because soon this aircraft will have to take passengers on board,” said Andrey Boginsky, Deputy General Director of UAC for Civil Aviation, General Director of Irkut Corporation.

The SSJ-NEW aircraft is being created under the systems and components import substitution program and will become another model in the family of currently operated Superjet aircraft.