Delays and funding problems could lead to transfer (356 words)

Published: 4/18/2001

According to a source from within the management of OAO Tupolev the serial production of the Tu-334 may be transferred away from RSK MiG to another aircraft producer. The reasons for the potential transfer being given as problems with funding and considerable delays in the completion of the second prototype, after a protracted period of problems with the first, that have significantly slowed the aircraft's progress to certification. The new producer not unsurprisingly will be Aviastar, which according to the source could start serial production of the Tu-334 in 10-12 months, due to the high degree of the commonality of the parts and components used on the Tu-204 and Tu-334. Given the delays at MiG, Tupolev is reported to be currently focusing on the completion of a Tu-334 at Aviant in Ukraine, which is reported to require less than $5m for completion. While the source of this report is unrevealed other than as a senior manager of OAO Tupolev, the surprise is why such a story has not emerged sooner. Aviastar in particular, is eager to make sure that it emerges as Russia's major aircraft plant and has been actively lobbying for the production of the An-70 on the same basis as the Tu-334, that the An-124 has commonality of parts. Given its involvement in the OAO Tupolev group and the increasingly strong management being applied for Tupolev over Aviastar as witnessed by the recent changes in management at the plant, this does not seem an unsurprising piece of consolidation by Tupolev. RSK MiG however, already marginalized in a number of other areas will be reluctant to see this programme go, although sources with RSK MiG have stated that the company has inadequate funds for the move to serial production in the “near future”. The recent restructuring proposals may give them no choice, as civil development and production is focused in fewer hands and its civilian programmes including the MiG-110 look increasingly marginalized and unlikely to develop further, although the production of the Khrunichev $160,00 T-411 Aist is reported to be continuing at the MiG light aviation subsidiary MiG-MGA although with no orders as yet.

Article ID: 2496