Official line increasingly lacking in credibility (391 words)

Published: 6/27/2001

Recent reports confirm suspicions that a Russian aircraft programme never really dies, but lingers on, supported by a cycle of rumours of reorganisation or new variants that never get further than the drawing board. An example of this is the toiling Tu-334 programme. The latest media reports have suggested that RSK MiG intends to withdraw from the production of the Tu-334 in Moscow and at Tavia in Taganrog and focus on Kiev and Samara, with Aviant building the Tu-334-100 and Aviakor building the Tu-334-200. The withdrawal from ongoing development at Tavia in Taganrog actually took place over three years ago and the plant - by its own admission - has undertaken no work since then, due to lack of funding, despite concluding a fuselage supply deal in spring 2000 with MiG. There are, however, reports that the first Russian assembled Tu-334 by RSK MiG is from a Tavia produced fuselage. Aviakor has just had its lights turned back on after seven days in darkness, due to non-payment of utility bills, and, according to its General Director, Vladimir Belogub, any production developments at the plant, which has finally withdrawn from plans to produce the An-140, are premature. This implies that the reports of a second line at the Samara based plant for the -200 are erroneous, despite Aviakor signing deals for supply of the Tu-334 nose sections last spring. RSK MiG's official response to the media coverage is that, although the programme is moving slowly, due to lack of funding, the company still plans to rollout its first serial aircraft in Moscow by the end of 2002. Chief Designer of the Tu-334, Igor Kalyuguin, added that he was not aware of any changes in the programme. Off the record, however, sources within MiG consider that funding problems have caused the programme to grind to a halt and it is in danger of staying there, unless additional sources of funding are identified. They are therefore highly sceptical of serial production starting in the foreseeable future, either at Aviant, which has already produced one aircraft, or at Aviakor. In principle, the programme remains one of the government's key targets for support, but so far little seems to have materialised to meet the estimated $370m needed to get the aircraft into full production.

Article ID: 2613