Russia's Superjet 100 Plane Makes First Long-Haul Test Flight

Russia's Superjet 100 Plane Makes First Long-Haul Test Flight (NSI News Source Info) MOSCOW - April 2, 2009: Russia's Superjet 100 medium-haul airliner completed its first long-distance test flight on Wednesday. The plane took off from Novosibirsk in southwest Siberia and landed at an airfield near Moscow, covering a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers (1,864 miles). Another Superjet 100 landed about an hour later. A Russian passenger Sukhoi Superjet 100 aircraft with a Russian fighter jet escort lands at an airstrip just outside Moscow on April 1, 2009. The plane, seen as a potential saviour of the country's struggling aeronautics sector, made its first medium-length test flight, from Novosibirsk in southwest Siberia a distance of more than 3,000 kilometers. The flight was scheduled for Tuesday, but was delayed due to foggy weather conditions. The Superjet 100 project is a family of medium-haul passenger aircraft developed by Russia's Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company in cooperation with U.S. and European aviation corporations, including Boeing, Snecma, Thales, Messier Dowty, Liebherr Aerospace and Honeywell. Sukhoi's head said the plane would carry its first passengers in early 2010. "We are hoping to complete the plane's certification to international standards in November 2009. At the start of next year, a Superjet 100 will take its first passengers on board," Mikhail Pogosyan said. Sukhoi said last month it would deliver its first Superjet 100 airliner to the country's flagship carrier Aeroflot in December. A total of 30 airplanes are to be supplied to Aeroflot. The plane manufacturer earlier said the first Superjet 100 aircraft had made 40 short-distance test flights, clocking a total of 100 hours, and that a total of four planes would take part in the certification program, which should be completed in the third quarter of 2009. Sukhoi earlier said there were at least 100 orders for the aircraft. Sukhoi, part of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), plans to manufacture at least 700 Superjet 100s, and intends to sell 35% of them to North America, 25% to Europe, 10% to Latin America, and 7% to Russia and China.