GENERAL AVIATION Russian utility aircraft

Son of the An-2

What replaces the ubiquitous Antonov An-2 biplane, first flown in 1947, as Russia’s 21st Century rugged utility aircraft? EUGENE GERDEN reports on the LMS-901 Baikal monoplane project.

An artist’s impression of the new LMS-901 Baikal. Baikal Engineering

Russia is continuing the implementation of a project for the replacement of the iconic An-2 aircraft – a Soviet single-engine biplane, which was produced in the USSR during the period of 19481971 and became the most massively produced aircraft, designed for the needs of regional aviation, in the history of the country.

The new aircraft will be marketed as LMS901 ‘Baikal’, being designed by the OOO BaikalEngineering design bureau, a subsidiary of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant. The prototype is planned for this year, while mass production of the aircraft is scheduled to begin in 2024.

The new aircraft will increase transport accessibility of remote regions of Russia and contribute to the overall development of regional aviation in the country.

New and incoming

According to Yuri Trutnev, Russia’s Deputy Prime Minister, who is personally responsible for implementation of the project in the Russian government, the new Baikal will be produced at the capacities of the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant (U-UAZ, which is part of the Russian Helicopters Holding) in the Republic of Buryatia.

It will have a length of 12.2m, a height of 3.7m and a wingspan of 16.5m. Its maximum takeoff weight will be 4.8t, while speed will be up to 300km/h. The range of the aircraft will be 4,000km, with carrying capacity of 3,000kg. It will be equipped with a turboprop engine and will be designed for 9-12 passengers.

The new Baikal will be a monoplane and is designed on the basis of a modular scheme that will enable it to convert into a cargo or passenger version. The new aircraft will have a special antiicing system and will be capable of using short unpaved runways in remote areas.

Most of the details and components, that will be used in its construction will be of domestic origin although, according to recent statements by Vadim Demin, UZGA’s Chief Designer for Aircraft Engineering (made in an interview with the Russian AviaPort aviation magazine), at the initial stage it will be equipped with a General Electric H80-200 engine and will later be replaced by the domestic VK-800. The latter will be a joint development of the UZGA and JSC Klimov – one of Russia’s leading manufacturers of gas turbine engines, main gearboxes and accessory drive gearboxes for transport aircraft.

One of the main advantages of the new aircraft will be its price, which will be almost two times lower than the cheapest Western competitors. This will be also due to a high share of domestic components in its design, that will have a positive effect on operations and technical maintenance.

The new Baikal will be a technologically advanced aircraft and will be characterised by higher fuel efficiency.

Bye to bi, hello to mono

Being a monoplane (unlike the An-2), Baikal will be able to fly faster and will have a longer flight range. At the same time, it will retain all the advantages of the An-2, which was one of the world’s best aircraft in its class for several decades. The An-2 was the most massively-built aircraft in the USSR, with more than 18,000 units being produced over more than 23 years.

THE RUSSIAN CIVIL AVIATION SECTOR HAS BEEN WAITING FOR THE REPLACEMENT OF THE AN-2 FOR ALMOST 30 YEARS

As Oleg Smirnov, the former Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation of the USSR and a Chairman of the Civil Aviation Commission of the Russian Federal Transportation Inspection Service (Rostransnadzor), stated in an interview with the Russian Vzglyad business paper, the Russian civil aviation sector has been waiting for the replacement of the An-2 for almost 30 years.

According to Smirnov and other analysts, during the Soviet times, the USSR had a well-developed air communications network, when all the small settlements of the country were connected with regional centres by regular flights. At the same time, prices for such transportations were comparable to those for public automobile transport. The collapse of the USSR had resulted in the destruction of the system, while of the 1,300 small aircraft airfields, which were used by regional aviation, only 200 remain in operation.

Analysts also consider the new project as important, as the beginning of the wide use of the Baikal will create conditions for the renewal of a regional aviation fleet in Russia, which has become almost completely outdated in recent years.

The producers, from their side, hope for a stable demand for the Baikal in the domestic market. According to their predictions, most orders for the new aircraft may be placed by domestic aviation companies, particularly those which operate in the Far Eastern and Siberian regions and which can purchase new aircraft for their needs.

In the meantime, the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) estimates the overall demand for such aircraft at 230 units within the next ten years and 500 units for the global market.

The legendary Antonov An-2. Julian Herzog

Exporting hopes

Most of the future aircraft will be supplied to the domestic market. However, there is a possibility that some of them will be exported abroad, particularly to China, where the demand for Soviet An-2s has always been high and where some potential customers have already expressed an interest in purchase of the new aircraft.

With regard to its use, in addition to short-distance air transportation and the needs of agricultural aviation, the new Baikal aircraft will also be used for monitoring pipelines and power lines, aviation forestry, fire protection, border patrolling etc. It will also be suitable for use in extreme weather conditions.

In the meantime, the launch of commercial production of Baikals is just the beginning. According to recent statements by Vladimir Putin, there is a need to develop the entire aircraft engineering chain in Russia, starting with the smallest aircraft.

As Putin stated, during one of the latest governmental meetings dedicated, to the needs of aviation: “the next one in the line is the L-410, which is designed for 19 passengers, as well as the L-610 for 44 passengers, with serial production planned for 2024 and which will be based in the city of Yekaterinburg”.