I have just returned from a week in Russia , and thought the following items might be of interest to Russian aircraft owners:

Engines and future supply

As you know there are two engine suppliers: Vedeneyev (OKBM) who were the original designers, but have gone into production themselves and the Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMP) who were the original producers.  The practicality is that no completely new engines have been made since 1994, but there was substantial over-production of components, and these have been used to continue production.

The real problem, as anyone will realise, is that there has been a large supply of “old stock” but unused engines – for example 130 to Shadetree etc.

However there are now over 700 light Russian aircraft in the west, and of course substantial new demand from Pitts Model 12; Murphy Moose etc.

Voronezh Mechanical Plant

VMP is continuing to make engines on a small scale, and has to date supplied twenty-one M9F engines (430hp) including several to us.  These are used in the Russian Team Su-29M3s, as well as in a privately owned Su-29 and Su-31 in Russia .  Other applications include the Beriev light amphibian. 

Highest time engine is 205 hours, and initial certification will be at 300 hundred hours, but this will extend rapidly to 500 and then, it is intended, 1000 hours. 

There have been no significant problems in service, apart from an appetite for sparking plugs (Russian of course).

Interestingly Sukhoi have been experimenting with a Hartzell composite prop on the Su-26M3, no results as yet are available. 

The most important news is that the Russian Ministry of Transport has placed an order with the Smolensk factory for sixty new Yak-18T aircraft (see below).

However this means a confirmed order to VMP for sixty engines (M14P), which substantially exceeds the parts currently in stock, so all major casting and forging etc will be made from scratch.  

Most ancillaries are available – magnetos are in production at Saratov but at a Rouble price (i.e. in Moscow ) approaching US $2,000. 

Overhaul is now a major business, and VMP are currently overhauling sixty engines per year (I saw many M14V for Gasprom helicopters) and the output is expected to be ninety for next year.

The only real problem is for carburettors, previously made at the Perm factory, and for the time being they will overhaul old ones, but clearly this cannot last. 

For pricing - the bulk price for the sixty M14P engines was at US $40,000 each.  I suspect that this is going to be the price that people will be paying on a retail basis over the next few years. 

We are currently offering M9F at Euro 35,000 – today US $ 44,000.

Vedeneyev (OKBM)

Vedeneyev has been in technical bankruptcy for two and a half years, but has now been acquired by a very successful Russian private company called FK System.  They own the largest mobile phone network in Russia ; Kamov helicopters; the Speriott prop factory (which has been making the V-530 2-blade propeller) and many other businesses.   

They have had quite major problems coping with the bankruptcy issues, but are now getting through these and are separating the new business from the historic liabilities of the old.

They intend to manufacture M14P / M14PF / M14R engines from scratch.  To do this they are already investing in the appropriate casting and forging equipment (historically these have been bought from VMP) as well as having two engine test beds – again they have used VMPs facilities in the past. 

They have received orders for new engines for the Yak-54 (see below), and a significant order of the M14V-1 (a 400hp version of the helicopter engine for the MiL-34 helicopter).

OKBM has the advantage of being much smaller and therefore more flexible and with fewer overheads than VMP, which is a huge organisation – probably occupying thirty / forty acres of factory, and, I suspect, very inefficient.

Yak-18T

It is very good news indeed that the 18T will go back into production in Smolensk .  Obviously this is a government order, and the aircraft will have some modifications as well as Western avionics.  Price with 3-blade Russian MT prop US $400,000 each!

Yakovlev

Yak has diminished considerably in size and stature.  However they are pushing production of the Yak-54 2-seater, the airframe is now being tested at TsAGI, to simulate 12,000 hours of flight.  Lifetime will be established at 1,300 hours, and hopefully increasing to 2,000 hours before a major inspection. They have now finished the design of the 2-seat military trainer – the 154 – effectively a militarised; tricycle undercarriage version of the Yak-54.  Production was historically in Saratov , but is now being moved to Arsenyev in the Russian Far East (where all 50 and 55 were made). 

A formal order for 50 Yak-54 has been placed, and the first five are already beginning construction.

The Yak-52M (Yak-52 with bubble canopy; 3-blade prop; ejector seats) is being made for the Air Force, but from old and totally overhauled airframes.   Life has been extended from 2,000 to 3,000 hours, on the basis of a gentler military, rather than aerobatic, environment.

General aviation

General aviation is booming in Russia , although still with huge amount of controls.  More than 150 Robinson 44s have been sold in the last three years.  Indeed the supply of aircraft is such that the Russians were looking to me to suggest really nice and low time Yak-52 that we could sell back into Russia , simply because none are available there.

Spinning an Airliner

Many will have read of the accident to a Tu154, based in Russia but crashed in the Ukraine . 

The formal accident report has not been issued, but the pilots were attempting to climb over a thunderstorm; got slower and slower, and were well above the aircraft’s normal ceiling. It did a number of tentative wing–drops but the pilot kept the yoke firmly back, and then it went into a spin, and spun all the way down from 38,000 feet almost flat into the ground.  All (I think 125) people on board were killed.  Captain had never stalled or spun an aeroplane, and the co-pilot had a total of 60 hours flying time (Total, not on type!!)

Propellers

Speriott are going to recommence production of the V-530 2-blade propeller. 

Also MT, who now own Avia Propeller in Prague , have brought out a metal version of the MTV-9 – definitely non-aerobatic and principally aimed at “Bush” operation.

Shakty factory

Shakty was the principal overhaul facility for Yak-52, as well as M14P engines.  However it too has gone into bankruptcy, although it is “protected” and therefore continuing to operate, but clearly with difficulties.

Yakovlev Museum and Yak-30 and 32

Yakovlev has been taken over by a private company called Irkut.  They have little sense of aviation history, and have sold the contents of the Yakovlev Museum , including their original Yak-9 and Original Yak-11, and the prototype Yak-18T.  However these have gone to a private car/aircraft museum to the south west of Moscow , and will be available for public viewing.

Interestingly the 18T has almost fully enclosed wheel-bays.  I do not know why these were not continued into production. 

The two Yak-30 two-seater jets and the single seater Yak-32 (more sporting aircraft than military) have gone to a separate private owner, and these aircraft are being restored for flight. 

  Please click here to view pictures of my visit

October 2006