Yak-48 possibility emerges out of Galaxy visit

Published: 6/29/2000

The marketing visit by a Galaxy business jet to Vnukovo-3 business terminal in Moscow on 26th June attracted considerable interest from state officials and potential buyers. The attendees at the associated presentation included a veritable who"s who of the Russian aerospace and air transport scene including Tatyana Anodina, Chairwoman of MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee), Aleksandr Dondukov, the recently appointed Minister responsible for the aerospace industry, General Anatoly Kornukov, commander of Russian Air Force (RusAF), General Yuri Klishin, the RusAF"s deputy commander with responsibility for weaponry, Vladimir Dmitriev, General Director of aerodynamics institute TsAGI and Kotyelkin, the former head of arms export agency Rosvooruzhenie The high level of interest in the Galaxy is due, according to local reports, largely to Yakovlev design bureau"s (until recently headed by Dondukov) involvement in the development of the aircraft"s fuselage and tail between 1993 and 1995. The Galaxy"s producer IAI employed Yakovlev under contract to produce the drawing for the aircraft and there was even a plan to produce the aircraft at Yak"s associated Saratov plant under the designation Yak-48. The plan however, did not materialise and the aircraft went into production in Israel. Reports claim that Dondukov would like to see the Yak-48 revived, with the prospect of work for the embattled Yak bureau and the struggling Saratov facility. According to Arkady Gurtovoi, deputy chairman of Yakovlev, the Galaxy is basically a westernised version of the Yak-48 developed in the early nineties. The Yak-48 differs from the Galaxy in that it has Ukrainian engines (ZMKB Progress AL-22), although this engine was not available in the mid-nineties and is still undergoing bench testing. It also features a Russian avionics suite and a wing being developed by Yak in cooperation with TsAGI from the work done in 1996, while the Galaxy uses enlarged wing from the IAI Astra. Gurtovoi claims that the Yak-48 would be at least 30% cheaper than the Galaxy should it go into production at Saratov plant. He also claimed that the agreement between Yakovlev and IAI allows Russia to use the fuselage and systems that it designed for the Galaxy in a commercial version of the Yak-48, which it is permitted to sell to CIS customers and six Middle East countries, with potential sales estimated at 200-250 units. Saratov plant had reportedly done some preparation of Yak-48 assembly line before the project was cancelled in 1998. According to sources within IAI, they are surprised by the Russian renewed enthusiasm for the Yak-48 programme, given that it appeared to be a significantly adrift from the building of a prototype when it was cancelled in 1998 and was without a wing at that point. The IAI wing is proprietary and, according to IAI, a critical part of the Galaxy"s performance. Given the lack of the IAI wing and other elements, they also implied that the proposed aircraft was in operational terms significantly less attractive than the Galaxy and vehemently disputed Gurtovoi view that the Galaxy was simply a westernised version of the Yak-48. The sources did confirm the regional sales rights of Saratov, but they felt that the projected sales of 200-250 in the region and in the specified Middle Eastern markets seemed very optimistic for what is currently an executive aircraft. The Russian Air Force commander Kornukov, obviously keen to improve his fleet, said that ‘It would be nice to have such a plane in our inventory, as using the Tu-134 or even 160-seat Tu-154 to deliver a group of 10-15 people somewhere, wastes lots of fuel". He added that such an airplane could also be used as a trainer and a platform for carrying specialist equipment. Whether this is a real level of interest is difficult to tell given that the Minister responsible for the air force"s equipment and Yak"s former Director General was present. Bryan Edwards, Senior Sales Manager for Europe with Galaxy Aerospace Corporation, the Dallas-based JV with IAI, responsible for marketing and finishing the green aircraft produced by IAI in Israel, said that the purpose of the Galaxy visit to Moscow was to demonstrate it to ‘a couple of customers" in the region. Edwards added that Swiss operator Lions Air, the owner of the visiting Galaxy, hopes to gain additional Russian charters for the aircraft having already undertaken charter flights for its Russian clients. He also has hopes of selling the Galaxy in Russia stating that there is some interest in the aircraft given that, unlike some other western business jets, the Galaxy has a stronger landing gear and more effective de-icing system, making it better suited to local conditions. Edwards added that a regional airliner version of the Galaxy is being considered with a 3m extension to the fuselage and a completely new wing and that they may facilitate a meeting between Yakovlev, IAI and Galaxy to discuss possible involvement The decision on the go ahead with the regional jet however, is part of an extensive future development evaluation process for Galaxy according to Jeff Miller VP of Corporate Communications at Galaxy Aerospace. Decisions regarding which aircraft to pursue and which suppliers may be used, remains undecided says Miller, until the completion of marketing studies regarding the viability of the programmes. Gurtovoi however, added that Yakovlev had already undertaken some work in 1993 and in 1995, before the IAI contract was terminated, on the extended fuselage with a larger wing, capable carrying 27 to 33 passengers.

Article ID: 1891