Air International 2020-08
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P.Butowski - Russian aviation in the time of COVID-19 /Russian Review/
The Su-30SM multi-role fighter is still willingly bought by Russia's defence ministry and other former Soviet countries; pictured is an example operated by Kazakhstan. The modernised Su-30SMD version with more powerful AL-41F1S engines taken from the Su-35 is now under test.
Disinfection of the final assembly hall for Su-35 fighters in the Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant last April. The plant is currently operating normally.
This is '89140', the 200th Superjet, which took off on its maiden flight on May 21, 2020, at its roll-out at the Komsomolsk-on-Amur assembly facility. Production of Superjets continues, but the demand is needing to be artificially stimulated,
According to Industry Minister Denis Manturov, COVID-19 has hit the MC-21's international certification hard because it requires the presence of European Union Aviation Safety Agency specialists in Russia, which is currently difficult to ensure.
The first MC-21-300 test aircraft, 73051 (c/n 21001), which currently uses Pratt & Whitney engines, is set to fly with PD-14 powerplants in 2021
Russia's most promising civilian aircraft, the Irkut MC-21, is undergoing flight tests with Pratt & Whitney PW1400G-JM turbofan engines and a composite wing made using Western materials. Industry Minister Denis Manturov announced that static tests of the Russian-made wing will start in July 2020 and, at the end of the year, aircraft '007' will join the tests with Russian Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines. To accelerate testing next year, PD-14 engines will also be installed on aircraft '001'.
The Su-57's shadow fuselage form is clearly shown in this shot of aircraft T-50-1.
On June 27 last year, the Russian defence ministry placed a contract for 76 new-generation Su-57 fighters. The first serial-production fighter crashed on December 24, 2019, just before planned delivery.
The Su-57 holds great potential for the future of Russian military aviation.