UAC postponed maiden flight of Russian-powered Superjet to 2024

:: UAC

The first flight of the import-substituted version of the SJ-100 regional jet, formerly referred to as Superjet-NEW, powered by domestically-built PD-8 engines has been postponed to 2024, United Aircraft Corporation head Yury Slyusar told Russian state-owned TV news channel Rossiya 24.

The new model will feature PD-8 powerplants instead of original SaM146.

The new engines have already been installed on a prototype, but the aircraft manufacturer is waiting for authorization from the engine maker, United Engine Corporation.

As recently as November, the head of Rostec’s parent state corporation, Sergei Chemezov, promised in an interview with the same TV channel that the first flight of PD-8-powered jet would take place in December.

According to the government program, the SJ-100 was to be certified by the end of 2023 and started to be delivered to Rossiya Airlines of Aeroflot Group.

Development of the import-substituted SJ-100 accelerated in 2022, when it became clear that production of the basic version of the Superjet 100 was impossible due to international sanctions imposed on Russia over the Ukrainian conflict.

Expecting delays in the creation of a new engine, UAC went down the path of step-by-step testing of the Superjet 100 successor. A prototype, where Western subsystems, except for the engines, were replaced with Russian components, made its first flight at the end of August.

To perform flight tests of the PD-8, on the contrary, the original Superjet 100 will be used, on which only the engines will be replaced.