Page 10 - World Airnews Magazine May 2021 Edition Intro

RUSSIA

AEROFLOT NEARS END

OF 777 DELIVERIES

By Mark Finlay

ussian national flag carrier Aeroflot

Ris nearing the end of its Boeing
777-300ER deliveries and the 21st plane
will arrive in Moscow next month.
In a statement afterwards Aeroflot said

that it had decided to name the aircraft
after lead Soviet rocket engineer and

spacecraft designer Sergei Korolev. After
this delivery, Aeroflot will only have one

more Boeing 777-300ER on order.
Speaking about the decision to name
the plane after Korolev, a name that had

previously been used on a former Aeroflot

aircraft that was retired in 2018, CEO of

Aeroflot Mikhail Poluboyarinov said, “Our The Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER has 427 AEROFLOT HAD TO SEND ITS 777S

airline has a long tradition of naming planes seats and is configured in three classes; TO CHINA

after great compatriots. This allows us to business, comfort and economy. Before bringing widebody aircraft

preserve the memory of outstanding per- The range of the new widebody jet is maintenance, in-house Aeroflot was forced

sonalities and pay tribute to their merits.” 14,594 kilometres (7880.12 nautical miles). to send its Boeing 777-300ERs to China,

Boeing Russia and CIS President Sergei In other Aeroflot Boeing 777-300ER relat- where Boeing Shanghai Aviation Services

Kravchenko said, “The new Boeing 777- ed news, Aeroflot opened a new 15,000 m² serviced them. Aeroflot Group’s MRO

300ER aircraft of Aeroflot will be named (161,458 square feet) maintenance hangar subsidiary A-Technics will operate the new

after the founder of practical cosmonautics at Moscow Sheremetyevo International maintenance facility. A-Technics’ general

Sergei Korolev, it’s meaningful to us. Since Airport (SVO). director Mikhail Korobovich said that the
1992, Boeing has been a strategic partner of Built using the latest technological advanc- hangar is dedicated to covering the needs

‘Energia’, named after Korolev in a number es and state-of-the-art equipment, workers of the Aeroflot fleet but can also be used by
of aerospace programmes. Together we par- at the facility will be able to accommodate a Rossiya to service its Boeing 747-400s. Q

ticipate in significant projects in the field of widebody jet like a Boeing 777 or an Airbus

space exploration, including the International A330 plus two Russian-built Sukhoi SuperJet Article courtesy: https://simpleflying.com/

Space Station.” 100s simultaneously. aeroflot-777-may/
UNITED AIRCRAFT RESTARTS
FLIGHT-TESTING
and work has been conducted to reduce Vsevolod Eliseev, and added that seven
its weight - enabling it to progress to bench-test engines and three pairs for

ussia’s United Aircraft has re- joint testing with the Russian ministry of aircraft testing have been built. United

R sumed fl ight-testi ng of the Ilyushin defence. Yarkovoy said that preparations Aircraft has developed the Il-112V for

Il-112V military light twin-engine trans- are being made for serial production airborne assault transport roles, to carry
of up to 12 aircraft per year, ensuring a

port. The aircraft flew on 30 March, with ‘steady’ stream of work for the company. military equipment, including vehicles the
a crew of three including two pilots and State technology corporation Rostec size of a light van, as well as personnel and

weapons up to a weight of 5t. The type

an engineer, from the airfield of Vorone- said the Klimov TV7-117ST engines for the will replace Soviet-era Antonov An-26s.
zh-based airframer VASO. United Aircraft type “worked routinely” during the flight. “[It] will be able to operate in the

said the stability and controllability of The powerplant, with take-off thrust most difficult climate conditions,” said

the turboprop, as well as the powerplant of 3,100hp, is assembled entirely from United Aircraft and added that it will

operating modes and main systems, were Russian components and underwent be able to serve unpaved runways. The

checked during the 30-min sortie. flight trials on an Ilyushin Il-76 testbed. second prototype Il-112V is undergoing

Ilyushin managing director Sergei “At the moment we are completing life-cycle testing at the Central Aerohy-

Yarkovoy said that, since the first flight, initial tests to confirm engine overhaul drodynamic Institute, and production

the aircraft’s systems have been ‘refined’ life of 600h,” said Klimov general designer has started on two others. Q

World Airnews | May 2021
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