Doubts remain about exactly when and where manufacture will commence (548 words)

Published: 11/1/2001

Reports from Armenia suggest that, despite losing the potential contract for the production of Sukhoi aerobatic aircraft to the Sokol plant in Kazan, Yerevan-based AO Hrazdanmash, may be about to start the production of the Su-38L agricultural sprayer. According to Vazgen Safaryan, Chairman of Armenian Domestic Manufacturers Union (SOT), a joint venture involving SOT is planned between OKB Sukhoi and AO Razdanmash for the production of 500 Su-38Ls over the next 17 years. Sources within Sukhoi are much less concrete about the plans, commenting that the subject of the production of the aircraft was probably discussed during a recent visit by President Putin. The programme for the aircraft's production will, according to Safaryan, be led by OKB Sukhoi, the aircraft's designer and OAO GiproNIIaviaprom. The cost of the production line, planned to employ 900 people, says Safaryan, will be reduced by a third from the original estimates of $23m required to cover the cost of certifying the aircraft and tooling the production plant. The aircraft is reported to have made its first flight during the summer, having had development postponed for a year in June 2000 owing to lack of funds. According to Safaryan, the proposed project that was originally scheduled to produce its first $125,000 aircraft in 2002, is currently being reviewed by the Russian and Armenian governments, who will report on whether it is "viable" during the last quarter of 2001. However Safaryan reports that Sukhoi has already started ordering composite components for the aircraft's production. Previous reports had suggested that two aircraft had been built at OKB Sukhoi and the programme would move towards both Russian and Western certification after manufacture has been established in Armenia in 2002, although funding for starting production had not yet been identified. The sales potential for the aircraft is extremely good, according to Andrey Ilyin the General Director of Sukhoi Civilian Aircraft (SCA), stressing that, while the programme was inherited by SCA from its predecessor, Sukhoi Advanced Technologies, he will be responsible for the marketing of the aircraft and he sees the market as being “very big”, particularly in Russia. Demand for agricultural aircraft in Russia is undoubtedly high, with estimates from RSK MiG, the producer of the Avitika-890 ultra light agricultural aircraft, putting demand in excess of the 1200 aircraft required to replace the increasingly unreliable fleet of An-2s and Mi-2s, through a combination of age, poor fuel economy and scarce and expensive spare parts. However, acquisition of new aircraft has been severely curtailed by the financial condition of the agricultural sector. The Federal government has made a number of proposals to resolve the problems of getting new aircraft to the impoverished agricultural sector, including leases paid with agricultural products. But, to date, little has been seen in the way of tangible financing. The expectation that the government-owned general aviation company, Avialine, would fill the vacuum created by the decline and demise of regional airlines previously responsible for the provision of aviation support to the industry, has also made little headway. Extensive criticism has been levelled both at the proposed costs of Avialine's services to agricultural enterprises and the suggestion that the two aircraft favoured by the entity to undertake agricultural tasks, the Il-103 and the Corvette amphibian were either unsuited or inadequate for the role.

Article ID: 2875