Sukhoi Company (JSC) is engaged in diversifying its production activities by branching out into the civil aircraft market. By 2007, the company's civil production share is expected to rise from the current 5% to 30-35%.
The company's most ambitious civil programme is the family of RRJ regional passenger airliners. The Russian regional aircraft family is being developed by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company (a subsidiary of Sukhoi Company (JSC)) jointly with the Boeing company, the latter providing consulting support for the aircraft design, development, marketing and sales, manufacturing and certification. Other project participants include Snecma Moteurs and Saturn SPA, whose SM146 engine was chosen for installation on the RRJ family aeroplanes, and a Russian aircraft manufacturer, the Ilyushin Aviation Company.
The family comprises six aircraft versions with an optimised seating capacity (60, 75 and 95 seats) and flight range (basic and extended). All versions feature a standard wing configuration and engine, with the airframe and equipment lineup standardised as much as possible to make them cheaper not only to develop and manufacture, but also to operate and to maintain and in training the flying and engineering personnel.
The projected sales of the RRJ aircraft series are estimated at more than $12bn. The total forecast demand for RRJ family planes will amount to about 800 machines over 20 years. The RRJ aeroplanes are expected to be priced at 10-15% below foreign-made equivalents.
Suppliers have been appointed for RRJ basic aircraft systems:
SM146 engine – Snecma Moteurs and Saturn SPA,
Avionics – Thales and Aviapriborkholding (JSC),
Emergency rescue equipment – Air Cruiser (Zodiac),
Auxiliary powerplant – Honeywell and Salyut SPA,
Fuel system – Intertechnique (Zodiac) and Abris (JSC),
Firefighting system – A Curtiss Wright Company, Autronics,
Oxygen system – B/E Aerospace and Respirator (JSC),
Interior – B/E Aerospace,
Electrical system – Hamilton Sundstrand,
Pilot seats – IPECO,
Landing gear – Messier Dowty and Aviaagregat (JSC),
Brakes and brake system – Goodrich,
Aircraft control system – Liebherr and Elektropripor (JSC)
Air conditioning system, automatic pressure control system, anti-icing system – Liebherr and Teploobmennik (JSC).
The aeroplanes will be built using NAPO and KnAAPO facilities.
The RRJ Programme features a Consultative Council, with representatives of airlines on the panel, to agree RRJ configuration and performance specifications and to discuss commercial arrangements for operation and aftersales support.
In addition, Sukhoi Company (JSC) is continuing development of a series of aerobatic aircraft, the Su-26, Su-29 and Su-31, the amphibian aeroplane Be-103, the Su-80 utility transport aircraft, and the agricultural Su-38L aircraft.
