Russian Civil Aviation: News #2

Firebird wrote:
Finally, I wonder what sort of numbers will be produced. If this plane is good enough to be the Russian presidential plane, I'm sure its good enough to replace the Boeings in Russian civil fleets.

ZHUHAI, China and MOSCOW—United Aircraft Corp. (UAC) and Comac are targeting a 10% advantage in operating costs over aircraft that will compete with their planned 280-seat widebody aircraft.

Adopting a conservative development schedule, the Russian and Chinese companies have pushed out the target for entry into service to probably 2027, about two years later than previously intended.

Registration in Shanghai of the their joint company, apparently marking the beginning of full-scale development, will occur this year or in the first quarter of 2017, according to slightly conflicting statements by the partners.

They plan that UAC will build the wing, which will be of composite material, while Comac makes the fuselage, using aluminum and composite, said Yuri Slyusar, president of the Russian company. Final assembly will be Shanghai, the home of Comac.

The initial version of what has been provisionally called the Long-Range Wide-Body Commercial Aircraft (LRWBCA) will be powered by a Rolls-Royce or General Electric engine, Slyusar told Aviation Daily. A Russian engine, the United Engine Co. (UEC)PD-35, should follow around 2030.

A preliminary design has been agreed upon. The proportions of a model unveiled at Airshow China, held Nov. 1–6 here, show that a cabin width for nine-abreast economy seating, which appeared in early design studies, has been retained (Aviation Daily, Sept. 28, 2015). Range will be 12,000 km (7,500 mi.).

For the targeted 10% advantage in operating costs, UAC does not identify the baseline competitor, but it is presumably the Airbus A330-900.

Almost all the advantage will come from superior structural and aerodynamic efficiency, since UAC expects the chosen turbofan will have about the same technology level as the engines in the latest Airbus and Boeing types. So it looks like the gain in efficiency will, above all, come from the composite wing.

UAC and Comac have become steadily more conservative in their scheduling for the development. In 2014, when a formerly vague plan for the aircraft was becoming firmer, the target for first delivery was 2023–25. By early 2015, it had become 2025. Now it has moved out by two years, only partly because of a delay in launch.

The development period is set at around 10 years, which longer than any manufacturer has allowed for developing a commercial jet. Slyusar says “We will try to shorten this process by maybe one or two years.” The first flight should be made seven years after program launch.

An imprecise schedule discussed last year implied that the companies thought they needed nine years for development. If the project is launched into full-scale development in 2017, then the LRWBCA would fly in 2024 and enter service around 2027.

Work is to be shared equally. Each side can allocate its 50% between its domestic companies and outsiders, the industry source said. Suppliers of all systems are to be elected by 2018, Slyusar said.

Russian avionics specialist Kret would like to supply the communications, navigation and surveillance system and the air traffic management system, a senior manager of that company said. It may also build part of the flight control system.

The clear risk to the LRWBCA program is relations between the partner countries, especially Russia, could worsen to the point that the supply of systems from other countries could be blocked by sanctions. Foreign systems, notably engines, are needed to make the type competitive.

Slyusar played down the risk of supplies being blocked. “This 100% a civil aircraft,” he said. “That is why we don’t expect that any sanctions and any geopolitical risks [would affect] this product.” UAC is encouraging suppliers to the Irkut MC-21 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 programs to stick with the company.

Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC) is gearing up for developing high-thrust turbofan engines for future commercial airliners. In particular, the Perm-based Aviadvigatel enterprise (an UEC subsidiary) is looking into the possibility of upscaling the core of the new PD-14 engine, UEC deputy chief designer Victor Belousov told the Aircraft Engines Of The 21st Century conference recently held at the Central Institute for Aviation Motors (TsIAM).

The PD-14, with its 14-ton nominal thrust, was developed for Russia’s Irkut MC-21 next-generation narrowbody aircraft. The engine commenced flight tests on an Ilyushin I-76LL flying testbed in late October.

It is, however, the 35-ton PD-35 that will become the baseline model for the new enlarge family of powerplants, says Igor Maximov, the PD family chief designer at the development and prouction plant Aviadvigatel. For that new powerplant, the core of the PD-14 will received an additional stage at the discharge of the high-pressure compressor. As a result, the total number of stages at the PD-35 compressor and turbine will be 9+2, and the high-pressure compressor intake diameter will be 815 mm, as compared to the PD-14’s 582 mm. The engine’s fan diameter will reportedly be 3,100 mm; the engine will be over 8 m long, and will weigh around 8 tons.

At least two more powerplants will be developed from the PD-35: the 28-ton PD-28 and the 24-ton PD-24. The larger two of the engine family will be offered for next-generation two- and four-engine widebodies, whereas the smallest one will be mounted on short-haul widebody airliners and a heavy military transport, says Aviadvigatel’s presentation.

One feasible application for the smallest of the powerplants would be the widebody airliner under joint development by Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation and China’s COMAC. The 280-seat aircraft, codenamed C929, is scheduled to make its maiden flight in 2021 and enter service in 2025.

Belousov notes that a similar powerplant program is being looked into at Samara-based Kuznetsov Company (also part of UEC), which is considering developing engines with up to 35 t thrust from the NK-32 turbojet engine currently powering Tupolev Tu-160 strategic bombers. According to Belousov, both companies are looking at the classic layout and the geared-turbofan possibility.

franco wrote:

Austin wrote:Interview with Aeroflot Chief , He says he wont buy the new IL-96-400M and IL-114-300 aircraft and is in favour of full pritivisation of Aeroflot

He doesnt seem to be too enthustic about MS-21 and even the SSJ-100 but is high praise of Boeing and Airbus aircraft.

I wonder why he is even head of Aeroflot


VITALY SAVELYEV: "AEROFLOT" WITHOUT SENTIMENTALITY

https://www.aviaport.ru/digest/2017/02/20/421265.html

And yet here is today's news involving one of his Airbuses;

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201702261051057339-russia-aeroflot-zurich/

kvs wrote:  I would not be surprised if Airbus and Boeing don't give this
f*cker kickbacks.   That is normal business practice by these companies.

Russia’s Aeroflot Group reported a 2016 net income of RUB38.8 billion ($640 million), reversing a RUB6.5 billion net loss in 2015. The results are published according to International Financial Reporting Standards.

Full-year revenue rose 19.4% to RUB496 billion year-over-year (YOY), producing an operating profit of RUB63.3 billion, up 43.4% YOY. Total operating costs for the year grew 16.6% to RUB432.6 billion.

Aeroflot deputy CEO Shamil Kurmashov said the results were “due to growth and development of the business, a net positive foreign exchange effect on revenues and costs while maintaining tight control of operating expenses, thanks to a high level of digitalization, and also the effect of operating leverage due to higher passenger load factors.”

Group passenger traffic grew 10.3% to 43.4 million passengers as a result of sustained high demand for domestic flights and the launch of new international routes and increased frequency of flights amidst a gradual recovery in demand in the international segment.

Kurmashov added, “In addition to scheduled passenger traffic, which rose by RUB60.3 billion YOY, the charter segment returned to growth during the reporting period in connection with the launch of a charter program. As a result, overall revenue from passenger traffic grew by RUB11.5 billion YOY.”

According to Kurmashov, the addition of new widebody aircraft to the group’s fleet “enabled growth of cargo revenues by RUB3 billion. As a result of the currency factor, the net positive effect on operating profit amounted to RUB14 billion, which was made possible, thanks to efficient revenue management and tight control of operating costs. In the fourth quarter, the Russian rouble strengthened against international currencies, which became an additional factor affecting operating expense dynamics,” he said.

Aircraft fuel costs increased 7.6% YOY to RUB101.6 billion. Staff costs rose 16.3% year-on-year to RUB65 billion, mostly as a result of salary indexation for certain categories of employees from the beginning of 2016, as well as the hiring of more than 4,000 former staff of Transaero Airlines, which ceased operations in October 2015.

Aircraft maintenance costs rose 19.3% year-on-year to RUB 38.2 billion, primarily because of exchange-rate fluctuations. Excluding foreign exchange effects, these expenses rose 13.6% in the context of higher flight hours and additional expenses related to preparing aircraft for decommissioning from the fleet, Aeroflot said.

As of Dec. 31, 2016, Aeroflot’s total debt was RUB144 billion, down 38.4% compared to 2015. The reduction was the result of repayment of loans and borrowings both as they came due and ahead of schedule, adjustments in the valuation of financial leases because of changes in the RUB-US dollar exchange rate and disposal of nine aircraft (15.8%) on financial leases versus Dec. 31, 2015.

MOSCOW, March 2. /TASS/. Aeroflot Group plans to add 40 planes to its fleet in 2017, according to the company’s investor presentation.

In 2016, the company added 33 aircraft. As of December 31, 2016 Aeroflot’s fleet contained 291 aircraft (excluding one An-24 which was leased out).
Aeroflot Group also plans to increase the number of passengers carried by 12-14% in 2017 compared with 2016, according to the presentation.

Passenger traffic is expected to rise 11-13%.

In 2016, the group’s total passenger traffic amounted to 112.11 bln passenger-kilometers, a 14.8% increase compared with 2015, while the number of passengers carried surged 10.3% to 43.44 mln people.

Aeroflot Group includes Aeroflot - Russian Airlines, Rossiya, Aurora and Pobeda. The main shareholder of Aeroflot is the Federal Property Management Agency (Rosimuschestvo) with a 51.17% stake. Aeroflot-Finance (Aeroflot’s subsidiary) owns 4.84% and Rostec Corporation controls 3.26%. Another 34.57% are kept by the National Clearing Depositary, which is a nominee shareholder. The actual shareholders of this stake are not disclosed. The company’s shares are traded on the Moscow Exchange.
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