Sukhoi Superjet 100

Sukhoi's Superjet 100 is easing closer to certification following the completion of high-intensity radiation field exposure in Italy and flight-management system tests.
One of the flying prototypes, number 95004, has been undergoing radiation field tests at Turin, to ensure that the twinjet is not susceptible to external electromagnetic interference.
"Our airliner is the first Russian aircraft that has compliance with international standards in this domain," says Sukhoi Civil Aircraft's certification chief Igor Vinogradov.
Sukhoi has been demonstrating the aircraft to its latest prospective customer, Russia's UTAir, which is looking to acquire 24 of the type to replace its Tupolev Tu-134 fleet.
Its fully furnished prototype, 95005, has arrived in Khanty-Mansiysk as the two sides seek to finalise an agreement to deliver Superjets to UTAir from 2013.
"The Superjet fully meets the airline's technical and economic requirements," says UTAir general director Andrei Martirosov.
Sukhoi is striving to complete the certification of the aircraft by the end of this year, in preparation for initial deliveries to Armavia and Aeroflot.
Russian and Canadian pilots have undertaken joint flight-testing of the type's flight-management system, as well as a series of ground tests, to evaluate capabilities including vertical navigation.
"These verifications are required to ensure safety and aircraft performance in dense air traffic operations," says Sukhoi.
Superjets have collectively carried out 950 flights accumulating more than 2,200h as part of the certification campaign.
Prototype aircraft 95003 finished crosswind testing in Iceland at the end of October, while the first serial production airframe, 95007 for Armavia, made its maiden flight on 4 November.

Last week, the SSJ 100 began route proving tests, entering the final stage of it's certification campaign. After having received its experimental airworthiness certificate from AR IAC, the aircraft has successfully conducted 14 flights on the Moscow-Ufa-Moscow route, on the Moscow-Orenburg-Moscow, Moscow-Yekaterinburg- Moscow and Moscow-Chelyabinsk-Moscow routes. All are domestic Aeroflot routes. The experimental airworthiness certificate also allows pilots to begin training on the aircraft. In December 2010 the SSJ 100 will complete the AR IAC certification campaign with the deliveries to follow right after. The EASA certification is scheduled for Q2 2011.

Sukhoi has set the timeframe for handing over three serially-built examples of its Superjet 100 to launch customers in the first quarter of 2011.

The company says it will deliver the first twinjet, serial number 95007, to Armenian flag-carrier Armavia in February and the other two, 95008 and 95010, to Aeroflot in March.

A spokesman for Sukhoi indicates that the type is to receive certification from the CIS airworthiness authority ARMAK in 2010, which would allow both airlines to put all three aircraft into commercial service without delay.

Over the next year the manufacturer intends to supply 17 Superjet 100s. It expects to achieve break-even on the project costs in 2018 after having sold 369 aircraft.

The spokesman says the Superjet programme envisages producing 893 aircraft and yielding $5.5 billion in profits on sales revenue of $31.5 billion.

Sukhoi will miss its goal of beginning customer deliveries of the Superjet 100 regional jet this year.

After several rounds of delay, Sukhoi was pressing hard to meet the 2010 in-service goal, but now is having to satisfy itself with obtaining a partial Russian certification, which is still planned by year-end. Approval of some technical issues also is being deferred, with Basic Area Navigation performance and Category III landing capabilities not due to be finalized until next year, Sukhoi officials acknowledge.

Armavia will receive its Superjet (SN95007) first. The aircraft is currently involved in certification work and due to be handed over in February.

Aeroflot’s first aircraft, SN95008, is currently in the paint shop and then due to undergo final delivery preparations. The aircraft is due to be handed over in March, around when a second one is due to be ready for Aeroflot, too. The airline has already included the Superjet 100 in its summer flight schedule.

Prior to the formal delivery, each airline will use its first aircraft to train pilots on the Superjet 100. That work is to start as soon as Russian authorities grant the type certificate. The work is important since a fully capable simulator is not, yet, ready.

The European Aviation Safety Agency is slated to grant its type certificate by July, although that remains contingent on the willingness of authorities to issue the document with only CAT II landing capabilities for later expansion.

Sukhoi has carried out a rejected take-off test with its Superjet 100 aircraft, as well as an evacuation trial, as part of its certification effort for the type.

It used one of the flying prototypes, number 95003, for the rejected take-off, performed in co-operation with the Russian certification authorities.

Sukhoi says the test, an aborted take-off run under maximum braking, is the "most difficult" of the certification requirements.

"The braking speed parameters are set for the conditions of a hot-and-high airport, with maximum tailwind," it states, adding that the test aircraft weighed 45.9t and was travelling at over 160kt.

"The brakes at the beginning are worn down to minimum thickness [and] the tests are performed without thrust reversers."

Sukhoi says the aircraft travelled about 700m (2,300ft) after braking commenced.

Goodrich and Michelin supply the wheels, brakes and tyres for the twin-engined aircraft. Sukhoi says the undercarriage did not catch fire during the test.

Sukhoi used its first serial production airframe, number 95007, for the evacuation test, conducted in a hangar at the Moscow Zhukovsky flight centre.

It says that 98 volunteer passengers and five crew members escaped in 73s, easily meeting the 90s criteria. The test was carried out under the observation of European Aviation Safety Agency personnel.

"The results were evaluated through synchronised video recording from the passenger cabin and outside each of the two emergency slides," says Sukhoi. While the aircraft has four doors, only half are permitted to be used during the certification test.

Sukhoi says the two tests showed that the aircraft fully complied with European and Russian certification criteria.

Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet has placed an order for 15 Superjet aircraft, plus 5 options, choosing the long-range version of the aircraft.

Deliveries are expected to begin in second-half of 2012.

Interjet has also signed a 10-year Supercare agreement for after-sales support on the aircraft.

It will operate them in a 98 seat configuration.

SuperJet International has secured another key export order for the SSJ100 airliner, while acknowledging that certification of the type has stalled once again. Sukhoi now expects Russian approval for the 100-seater at the end of January–a month past the most recent slipped deadline of December 28.

At a press conference today in Venice, Italy, Mexican airline Interjet signed a $650 million contract covering firm orders for 15 SSJ100s and options for five more. Interjet currently operates 22 Airbus A320s and holds an order for a dozen more. According to Miguel Aleman Magnani, the operator’s executive president, Interjet chose the SSJ100 because it offers the performance to cope with high-altitude locations, such as Mexico City (8,057 feet msl) and Toluca (9,186 feet msl).

“We will receive our aircraft in a low-density configuration, with 93 seats and a 34-inch pitch, the same adopted on our A320s, to maintain our brand image as a comfortable low-cost airline,” Aleman Magnani told AIN. Interjet expects to receive its first SSJ100 in July 2012, following cabin outfitting by SuperJet International’s Venice, Italy factory in the spring of that year.

Mikhail Pogosyan, general director of SuperJet’s main shareholder, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, said that the company has finished all SSJ100 flight testing. He predicted that authorities would issue certification by the end of January, followed by first deliveries to Russian carrier Aeroflot and Armavia of Armenia in March.

Superjet Western launch customer ItAli dropped from order book
By Kerry Reals

Italian carrier ItAli Airlines, which became the first Western customer for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 in 2007, has been dropped from Superjet International's firm order book.

The carrier placed a firm order for 10 Superjet 100s plus 10 options during the 2007 Farnborough air show, becoming the Western launch customer for the Russian-built regional jet.

However, the order does not appear in Superjet International's latest list of firm orders.

A Superjet International spokeswoman says the order is "on hold" because "ItAli Airlines, like many others in the mature market, faced some difficulties and is now in the process of establishing itself with new management".

ItAli Airlines could not immediately be reached for comment.

Hungarian flag carrier Malev's letter of intent for 30 Superjet 100s is also on hold due to a change in management at the airline.

Superjet International's order book now lists a total of 71 firm orders, while Sukhoi Civil Aircraft's firm order book lists 99 firm customers.

A decision on whether to produce a larger or smaller version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 will be made by the time of the Paris air show in June, but the Russian manufacturer is leaning towards a stretched version.

Superjet International chief executive Carlo Logli says Sukhoi is "passing through a review of the product family", but is "more interested in a stretched version than a shrunk version". The stretched version would have between 100 and 130 seats.

"We would prefer to go up rather than down [in size] but the market will tell us," says Logli. "By Paris we will make it clear to everyone."

Sukhoi has 10 aircraft in production and plans to produce 14 Superjets in 2011. Sukhoi Holdings general director Mikhail Pogosyan says that in the coming two to three years the production rate will increase to between 40 and 50 aircraft a year, rising to between 60 and 70 once other members of the family are launched.

Russian industry minister Viktor Khristenko, during a recent visit to the Perm engine plant, suggested that the Aviadvigatel PD-14 engine would be applicable to an aircraft he identified as the "Superjet 130".

Mexican low-cost carrier Interjet plans to deploy the fleet of Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jets it has just ordered on thinner domestic routes and some cross-border services.

Most of the aircraft will be used to operate "less dense" domestic routes, but some will be designated for international services such as Cancun to Miami and Cuba.

Interjet chief executive José Luis Garza says the Superjet 100 was selected because it scored highly on a number of criteria that the carrier had set out in its regional jet wishlist. These criteria included a strong operational performance in high altitude locations because, as Garza explains, Mexico City is at an altitude of 7,900ft (2,400m).

Garza highly rates the quality of the aircraft: "On a typical regional jet you have to degrade the quality, but with this [Superjet 100] we believe the quality standard is very close to an Airbus A320."

Interjet will start taking delivery of its Superjets in the second half of 2012 and deliveries are scheduled to run until 2014. The carrier has signed a firm agreement for 15 of the jets plus five options.