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22-28 November 2016 | Flight International | 23flightglobal.comflightglobal.com22 | Flight International | 22-28 November 2016

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Antonov An-140 spec check

An-140-100

MTOW (t) 21.5

Seats (single-class) 52

Range (nm) 1,300

Antonov An-140 data check

An-140-100

First flight 17/09/1997

Net orders (all-time/2016) 19/0

Deliveries (total/2016) 19/0

Backlog 0

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L ow demand in the turboprop sector has seen more seats shoehorned into exist-ing airframes rather than stretches or new developments. In Russia and

China, the need for efficient regional aircraft becomes ever greater, while Western manu-facturers face strong entry barriers.

The ATR 72-600 has been outselling the Bombardier Q400, not least because of its lower price, but overall demand remains low. Bombardier has increased Q400 seat capacity to 90 by some internal rearrangement and ATR has done likewise to squeeze 78 seats into some ATR 72s for the Asian market. Both manufacturers are reluctant to stretch their designs further at this time, although enthusi-asm may grow when the market picks up.

In the past year Bombardier has an-nounced significant layoffs and sold its am-

phibious aircraft division to Viking Air, al-lowing it to concentrate on commercial aircraft and business jets.

Further delays with the Mitsubishi Region-al Jet (MRJ) have allowed Embraer to steal a march on its Japanese rival. The E195-E2, the first of the updated E2 versions of Embraer’s E-Jets, took flight ahead of schedule – then made its show debut at Farnborough in July.

MRJ MODIFICATIONSThe MRJ haltingly began its long-delayed test programme in November 2015 with the maid-en flight of the MRJ90, followed by a brief grounding for modifications and a warning that there might be further structural changes needed. Things seem to have got back on track with the start of a test campaign in the USA and flight of the third MRJ in September.

China’s underdeveloped regional sector, hampered by taxes and landing fees on im-

ported regional jets, is in dire need of a relia-ble local product. Comac’s ARJ21 limped into service in 2016 after a long gestation, but is probably not a long-term solution. Mean-while, Embraer is closing its joint-venture business jet assembly line in Harbin, a victim of high taxes on imported parts and govern-ment resistance to competition for the ARJ21.

Russia has a desperate need for an aircraft in the 50-seat class to serve regional airports, and four options were put before president Vladimir Putin in May, including licensed pro-duction of the Chinese AVIC Xian MA700, de-velopment of the Ilyushin Il-114, continuing production of the Antonov An-140, or devel-opment of a new design such as the Tupolev Tu-234. Western types have clearly been ruled out, and the revived Il-114 appears to be the development favourite. ■All data from Flight Fleets Analyzer or manufacturers, to 31 October 2016

Holding patternA weak turboprop market is damping enthusiasm for bigger ATR and Bombardier models, but new technology could boost regional jet producers including Embraer and Mitsubishi

Antonov An-132DNow designated the An-132D, Antonov’s new twin-turboprop is progressing towards first flight with the help of Saudi investment. So far, Taqnia Aeronautics of Saudi Arabia has spon-sored the project to the tune of $150 million,

for which it will receive intellectual property rights on the design.

The King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology in Riyadh is assisting with the de-velopment, and some flight-testing will take place in Saudi Arabia. The aspiration is to start series production of the multi-purpose aircraft in the country within about two years of first flight.

Preliminary work began in mid-2015 and a prototype was under construction in Ukraine

with an estimated completion by the end of 2016. Handover of the demonstrator to the Saudi partners is expected in the first quarter of 2017.

Antonov says there is no participation in the project by Russian companies, and nu-merous Western suppliers are on board, in-cluding Pratt & Whitney Canada, which will provide PW150A engines, and Dowty, with its R408 propellers. Avionics will be supplied by Honeywell. ■

Antonov’s An-140, a 52-seat, high-wing twin-turboprop, was first flown in September 1997 and has been built at three plants in three coun-tries – albeit in tiny numbers. Six were complet-ed by 2009 at the Kharkov State Aircraft Production Plant in Ukraine and seven IrAn-140s were built by HESA (Iran Aircraft

Corporation) at Isfahan between 2001 and 2010. The type was grounded pending the in-vestigation into an August 2014 crash at Tehran which killed 39. In March, an accident investiga-tion report concluded that a fault in engine con-trol electronics was the cause.

Aviacor, in Samara, Russia, builds the Antonov-designed An-140-100; it has so far built a number for the civil market and eight for the Russian armed forces, but lost a law-suit in 2016 over royalty payments to use the Antonov name.

Aviacor delivered a third passenger-config-

ured An-140 to the Russian navy in May, but development of a ramp-equipped An-140T version appears to have stopped.

Series production of the civil An-140 was one of the four options put to Russian President Vladimir Putin in May for the revi-talisation of the Russian regional airline in-dustry. Reorganisation of the Antonov Company, which is concentrating on the An-132, and continued tensions over eastern Ukraine suggest that further co-operation with Kiev is unlikely and prospects for further volume production are not good. ■

Antonov An-140

19Number of civil An-140s built across type’s 19-year history

JIM WINCHESTER LONDON

E-Jets, like this E170, are still selling well as Embraer prepares to deliver updated E2 versions from 2018

An-140 volume production looks doubtful

WORLD AIRLINER DIRECTORY Regionals

WORLD AIRLINER DIRECTORY Special report


With a less-than-stellar safety record and lack of Western certification, the 60-seat AVIC Xian MA60, derived from the Antonov An-24 and powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127J turboprops, has struggled to find sales outside of China, the Far East and Africa.

The lack of certification has caused fric-tion between New Zealand and Tonga, where airline Real Tonga has returned to service the one aircraft donated by China in 2013. New Zealand suspended some aid and issued a travel advisory over the issue. Grounded for a year, it flew again in August.

A handful of improved MA600s featuring Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 avionics have been built since 2008.

Smile Air of Ghana plans to make the MA600 the backbone of its fleet following local certification and has committed to a tentative order for 28 examples. An MA600F freighter with a 6,100kg (13,400lb) payload was certificated in China in 2013.

The MA700 is a further development with P&WC PW150C engines, Pro Line Fusion avionics, fly-by-wire controls and advanced aero dynamic design. Stretched to take 68-86 passengers, it was launched with 30-unit letters of intent (LoI) from Chinese carriers Joy Air and Okay Airways in December 2013, and the airlines are said to be partici-pating in the aircraft’s development in order to meet customer needs. Smile Air also holds a LoI for 40 aircraft.

First flight is anticipated in 2018, with service entry pegged for 2020. The manu-facturer hopes the MA700 will be as eco-

nomical as the ATR 72, with speed comparable to the Bombardier Q400.

A framework agreement with Chinese investors to establish an MA60 production line in Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the far east of Russia was signed in early 2016. In a re-

port on options for improving regional air-line services presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin in May, licence production of the MA700 was one of the options put for-ward, presumably at the notional Komsomolsk-on-Amur plant. ■

Xian MA60 data check

MA60 MA600 MA700

First flight 25/02/2000 09/10/2008

Net orders (all-time/2016) 129/-11 14/0 0

Deliveries (total/2016) 90/1 4/0 0

Backlog 39 10 0

Xian MA60 spec check

MA60 MA600 MA700

MTOW (t) 21.8 21.8 26.5

Seats (single-class) 60 60 68-86

Range (nm) 860 770 1,460

The An-148 remains in slow production in Russia while Antonov continues to market the high-wing, twin-turbofan regional jet and negotiate license production of its freighter derivative.

An-148s for Russian customers are assem-bled at the Voronezh Aircraft Plant (VASO); 30% of the components come from Ukraine. VASO executives stress that the Ukraine-Russia political situation has not affected the delivery of parts or the production schedule of the five aircraft being delivered to the Russian government in 2016. By mid-year, 28 of the An-148 series aircraft produced had been built by VASO, and only seven in Ukraine. In addition, United Aircraft, which owns VASO, announced in July that it would wind down production in Russia by 2018.

The family consists of the 85-seat An-148-100, the 99-seat An-158, the An-178 airlifter, a proposed 89-passenger An-148-200 and a

long-range An-148-301 business jet. Medical evacuation, command and maritime patrol derivatives have also been studied. The An-178 freighter made appearances at the 2016 Farnborough and Berlin air shows. Although primarily aimed at military operators, the An-178 also has potential civilian cargo applica-tions. At present it seems the most likely of the family to have sales success.

In June, Azerbaijani carrier Silk Way Airlines announced plans to take its first of 10

An-178s in 2018, with a number to undergo local final assembly.

Also in June, Esterline CMC Electronics was awarded contracts to supply avionics in-cluding flight management systems for the An-148/158 and -178, with equipment for 60 new aircraft to be provided. Tests of an An-148 with uprated Ivchenko-Progress D-436-148FM turbofans began on 5 February this year. The new engines increase take-off thrust by 6.7%, to 15,500lb (68.8kN). ■

Antonov An-148

AVIC Xian MA60

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Antonov An-148 data check

An-148 An-158 An-178

First flight 17/12/2004 28/04/2010 07/05/2015

Net orders (all-time/2016) 34/0 32/0 10/10

Deliveries (total/2016) 24/0 6/0 0

Backlog 10 26 10

Antonov An-148 spec check

An-148B An-158 An-178

MTOW (t) 41.9 43.7 52.4

Seats (two-class/max) 68/85 86/99

Payload (t) 18

Range (nm) 1,890 1,350 2,160

30%Proportion of components supplied from Ukraine for Russian-assembled An-148s

An order slowdown has seen only one significant new sale for the ATR regional turboprop in the year to date. ATR was an immediate beneficiary of the lifting of some sanctions against Iran in January, following international agreement on uranium enrichment. Within two weeks, a firm order for 20 ATR 72-600s, with options on another 20, was announced in Tehran. Africa and the Middle East currently represent only 9% of ATR sales. In September, ATR began deliveries of a 78-seat high-capacity configuration ATR 72-600

to Cebu Pacific of the Philippines, to be oper-ated by subsidiary Cebgo. The capacity in-crease was achieved by adjusting the seat pitch and replacing one galley with a foldable unit.

Tests were conducted on the ATR 42-600 prototype under the “All Electrical Aircraft” programme, part of the EU’s Clean Skies ini-tiative. The aircraft has a new electrical man-agement system to optimise power distribution and a lighter Liebherr all-electric air conditioning pack that uses less fuel than traditional bleed air-based systems.

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127M turbo prop has served the ATR family from the outset, but is beginning to show its age.

ATR has been talking with P&WC and GE Aviation about a new powerplant for the ex-isting family. A decision will have to be made whether to re-engine the 42/72 or move di-rectly to expanding the family with new mod-els. Leonardo, which owns half of ATR, is keen pursue a 90- to 100-seat model, but Airbus, which owns the other half, believes this is unnecessary given ATR’s dominance of the market sector. Without Airbus support, an “ATR 90” is impossible.

A new engine option will inevitably mean a new wing and propellers, so the two partners will have some serious work ahead, whatever the choice. ■

ATR 42/72ATR 42/72 data check

ATR* ATR 42-500 ATR 42-600 ATR 72-500 ATR 72-600

First flight 16/08/1984 16/09/1994 04/03/2010 19/01/1996 24/07/2009

Net orders (all-time/2016) 471/0 121/0 59/0 360/0 533/26

Deliveries (total/2016) 471/0 121/0 28/5 360/0 318/47

Backlog 0 0 31 0 215*first-generation ATR 42/72 aircraft

ATR 42/72 spec check

ATR 42-500 ATR 42-600 ATR 72-500 ATR 72-600

MTOW (t) 18.6 18.6 22.5 23

Seats (single-class) 48 48 68 70-78

Range (nm) 720 720 780 830

Improved MA600 has been sold to airlines

in three nations

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Cebu unit Cebgo was first to take 78-seat example

VASO says politics has not affected An-148 parts supply from Ukraine




Facing stiff competition from Embraer, Bombardier is choosing to fine-tune the CRJ regional twinjet rather than attempt any major upgrades or to develop a new product.

With already-low operating costs and good customer satisfaction from US regional operators for the CRJ series, the Canadian manufacturer is concentrating its engineering resources on the CSeries, although it is mak-ing some tweaks to the CRJ.

Following aerodynamic improvements that have achieved 5.5% better fuel efficien-cy, Bombardier is offering an improved cab-in as a retrofit to existing operators with increased bin space, larger toilets, mood lighting and electrical outlets. The new cab-in could be delivered in a year from a first order and is first being offered on the CRJ900.

The first generation, 50-seat CRJ100 and 200, which entered service from 1992, sold 1,021 examples. Their stretched replace-ments have achieved 725 orders to date, with a backlog of 100 orders and options – equivalent to 37 months of production at the current 2.7 aircraft per month rate.

Current models are the CRJ700 NextGen, CRJ900 NextGen and the CRJ1000 NextGen, offering 70, 90 and 100 seats, re-spectively. The CRJ700 and CRJ900 were introduced in 1999, followed by their NextGen counterparts in 2008 and the CRJ1000 in 2010. All have 14,500lb-thrust (64.5kN) GE Aviation CF34-8C5 turbofan en-gines. The CRJ900 continues to be the top seller of the range, with no CRJ1000 orders since 2013.

Orders in 2016 have included 10 CRJ900s for Chorus Aviation, four for Trident Jet and 10 for an unidentified customer – revealed at Airshow China in Zhuhai to be China’s CIB Leasing. ■

Bombardier CRJ family

5.5%CRJ fuel efficiency gains as a result of aerodynamic improvements

Bombardier CRJ family data check

CRJ100/200/440 CRJ700 CRJ900 CRJ1000

First flight 10/05/1991 27/05/1999 21/02/2001 03/09/2008

Net orders (all-time/2016) 1,021/0 345/0 430/21 68/0

Deliveries (total/2016) 1,021/0 336/1 398/32 48/5

Backlog 0 9 32 20

Bombardier CRJ family spec check

CRJ700 CRJ900 CRJ1000

MTOW (t) 33.0 36.6 40.8

Seats (single-class) 70 90 100

Range (nm) 1,090 940 1,420

Bombardier Q400

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In a weak turboprop market Bombardier hopes to revitalise sales by entering the 80- to 100-seat segment, which is otherwise unfilled by Western manufacturers. Bombardier will ex-pand the Q400’s passenger capacity to 90 by adding 12-14 seats, equal to a 907kg (2,000lb) payload increase. This will be achieved by mov-ing the rear bulkhead aft and reconfiguring the front right-hand door to accommodate an extra

row of seats. For the time being, talk of a stretched variant has stopped while Bombardier concentrates on this niche, which the company describes as a “sweet spot”. No launch customer has yet been announced for the variant.

Orders in 2016 include two for Air Tanzania, three for All Nippon Airways, three for Porter Airlines, nine for WestJet, and a letter of in-tent for 12 from Philippine Airlines. Although ATR stole a march in Iran with a commitment following the end of some sanctions in January, Bombardier is hopeful of taking a share of this large country’s regional market.

Deliveries of Q400 cargo-combi aircraft

began as 2015 closed, with the first of five ordered by Ryukyu Air Commuter, a member of the Japan Airlines Group. The cargo-com-bi model was announced at the Farnborough air show in 2014 and offers several configura-tions from 50-68 passengers and up to 32.5m3 (1,150ft3) of freight volume.

Although deliveries of first-generation DHC-8s (Q100, 200 and 300) ended in 2008, many remain in service and increasing num-bers are undergoing freight conversion. Bombardier has begun work with Quebec-based Air Inuit to convert Q300s with a large cargo door. Inuit currently operates 12 Q-series turboprops. ■

Bombardier Q400 data check

Q100/200/300 Q400/Q400 NextGen

First flight 20/06/1983 31/01/1998

Net orders (all-time/2016) 623/0 557/15

Deliveries (total/2016) 623/0 527/24

Backlog 0 30

Bombardier Q400 spec check

Q100/200/300 Q400/Q400 NextGen

MTOW (t) 16.5-19.5 28.0-29.5

Seats (single-class) 37-56 74-90

Range (nm) 1,020 700-1,110

The 90-seat CRJ900 is the big seller of the family, followed by the CRJ700, but

orders for the CRJ1000 have dried up

A 90-seat configuration is in the works

After one of the longest gestation periods in civil aviation history, Comac’s ARJ21 regional twinjet finally entered service in 2016, albeit in a limited way, in China’s relatively undeveloped regional market.

The first ARJ21 (MSN 106) was delivered to Chengdu Airlines on 29 November 2015 and entered service in June in an all-economy con-figuration on the Chengdu-Shanghai route. The second aircraft was not delivered until October, and was in a 78-seat, mixed-class layout.

Production certification is the next goal, but certain issues need to be addressed before the Civil Aviation Authority of China will grant it. Noise in the rear cabin is said to be so high that the last two seat rows have to be left unoccupied;

there is no aircrew address and reporting system; cockpit warning systems need simplifying; and there have been door seal problems. Some re-ports say the type can fly only in fine weather.

At the Farnborough air show in July, Comac disclosed tentative commitments for 90 ARJ21s from two Chinese lessors. One deal will see 60 ARJ21-700s placed with an Indonesian airline

owned by Hong Kong-based Friedmann Pacific Asset Management. The unidentified airline is operating, according to Friedmann Pacific, which hopes to take deliveries from late 2017 or early 2018. Other non-Chinese customers in-clude Lao Airlines and the Republic of Congo.

It seems unlikely that Comac will seek Western certification. ■

Comac ARJ21

Comac ARJ21 data check

ARJ21-700 ARJ21-900


Net orders (all-time/2016) 161/0 0

Deliveries (total/2016) 2/1 0

Backlog 159 0

Comac ARJ21 spec check

ARJ21-700 ARJ21-700ER ARJ21-900 ARJ21-900ER

MTOW (t) 40.5 43.5 43.6 47.2

Seats (two-class) 78 78 98 98

Range (nm) 1,200 2,000 1,200 1,780

Lead operator Chengdu Airlines has taken delivery of its first two twinjets




Embraer’s second-generation medium-range E-Jet family continues to make good progress towards service entry in 2018. The first E190-E2 was rolled out in late February and flew on 23 May – three months ahead of schedule. Only 44 days after its first flight and with 59h logged, it flew from São José dos Campos, Brazil to Farnborough for a static appearance at the biennial air show.

The second E190-E2 flew on 8 July. These are the first of four E190-E2 prototypes, to be joined by two E195-E2s and three E175-E2s for the certification programme. Service entries for the types are scheduled for 2018, 2019 and 2020, respectively.

Embraer announced a 1.4m (4.6ft) wing-span extension for the 120-seat E195-E2 in February, allowing increased maximum take-off weight and better range for customers us-ing high-altitude airports such as in Denver, Colorado. The model’s sea-level range is ex-pected to increase to 2,450nm (4,537km) from 2,000nm, and take-off weight by 2t. All three of the E2 models will now have individual wing designs. The design change is not expected to delay the projected service entries or in-crease the overall $1.7 billion programme cost.

The current generation E-Jets are still selling, with a significant order from Horizon Air for 30 E175s, plus 33 options announced in April; all to be flown for Alaskan Airlines. Modest orders for the current versions and E2s were also an-nounced during the Farnborough show.

Lessor AerCap later placed five E-Jets with Turkey’s Borajet, the first such arrangement for

the series, and China’s Colorful Guizhou Airlines signed for up to five more E190s.

Powered by GE Aviation CF34 turbofans, the original E-Jet series launched in 1999 consists of the 70- to 80-seat E170, the 78- to 88-seat E175, the 94- to 114-seat E190 and the 106- to 124-seat E195.

Capacities of the equivalent E2s are similar, although the stretched E195-E2 can seat 146 in high-density configuration. The E175-E2 uses 15,000lb-thrust (67kN) Pratt & Whitney PW1715G geared turbofans, while the E190-E2 and E195-E2 use 19,000-23,000lb-thrust

PW1919Gs.By October, firm orders for E-Jets stood at

207, plus 272 E2s. Embraer says commercial production could be raised slightly to 105 air-craft per year in 2017, although as of mid-2016 the orderbook was nearly full and 2018 was “looking very, very good”.

Embraer sold 890 of the smaller ERJ regional jet family: the 37-seat ERJ-135, 44-seat ERJ-140 and the 50-seat ERJ-145/XR. Chinese partner Harbin Embraer assembled a number of ERJ-145s in China for the local market between 2002 and 2011. ■

Embraer may boost the E-Jet production rate slightly in 2017, to 105 aircraft per year

Embraer E-Jet family

Embraer E-Jet family data check

ERJ E170 E175 E190 E195 E175-E2 E190-E2 E195-E2

First flight 11/08/1995 19/02/2002 14/06/2003 12/03/2004 07/12/2004 24/05/2016

Net orders (all-time/2016) 890/0 193/0 530/30 585/7 166/60 100/0 82/5 90/5

Deliveries (total/2016) 890/0 190/0 403/72 532/9 152/5 0 0 0

Backlog 0 3 127 53 14 100 82 90

Embraer E-Jet family spec check

E170* E175* E190* E195* E175-E2 E190-E2 E195-E2

MTOW (t)* 38.6 40.4 51.8 52.3 44.6 56.2 58.7

Seats (single-class) 72 78 100 116 88 106 132

Range (nm)* 2,150 2,200 2,450 2,300 2,060 2,800 2,000

*advanced range variant

Ilyushin’s Il-114 twin-turboprop regional airliner was first flown in March 1990 with Klimov TV7-117S engines. The Il-114-100 version with Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127Hs followed in 1999, but was sold only to the now defunct Vyborg airline and to Uzbekistan Airways, which today operates a handful of the 20 built. Another is used as a radar testbed.

Backed by Rb50 billion ($789 million) of Russian government money, production is due to restart in 2018 using only Russian equipment, including reverting to the TV7-117SM engines. Russia is trying to revive regional aviation and the Il-114 has the advantage over alternatives, such as the Antonov An-140 or licence produc-tion of the Bombardier Q400, of not being sub-ject to sanctions or other supply problems with Western components.

The cockpit will have a five-screen layout with

avionics allowing landings in Category II weath-er conditions, and the structure will enable land-ings on unpaved airstrips. Range with maximum passenger load is stated at 1,030nm (1,900km).

Demand for the Il-114 is estimated at up to 230 aircraft by 2030, with production of up to 18 per year. The intent is to build the Il-114-300 at the Sokol aviation plant in Nizhny Novgorod. Production at the TAPO plant in Uzbekistan ended in 2012 and Ilyushin has been negotiat-ing to buy structural parts stored there. Russia also reportedly offered India production of the Il-114 in mid-2016. ■

Ilyushin Il-114Ilyushin Il-114 data check

Il-114 Il-114-100

First flight 29/03/1990 26/01/1999

Net orders (total/2016) 16/0*

Deliveries (total/2016) 16/0*

Backlog 0

* totals are for both versions

Ilyushin Il-114 spec check

Il-114 Il-114-100

MTOW (t) 22.7 23.5

Seats (single-class) 64 64

Range (nm) 540 750

Mitsubishi MRJ data check

MRJ90


Net orders (all-time/2016) 233/10

Deliveries (total/2016) 0

Backlog 233

Mitsubishi MRJ spec check

MRJ70 MRJ70ER MRJ70LR MRJ90 MRJ90ER MRJ90LR

MTOW (t) 36.8 39 40.2 39.6 41 42.8

Seats (single-class) 78 78 78 92 92 92

Range (nm) 1,020 1,670 2,020 1,150 1,550 2,040

Following the MRJ’s delayed first flight on 11 November 2015, second and third flights followed quickly, but then Mitsubishi Aircraft announced another shift in its delivery sched-ule, to mid-2018. This was put down to further testing on a strengthened wing design.

The first flight test aircraft (FTA-1) was grounded until February, and the second was flown at the end of May, pushing the beginning of the flight-test campaign in the USA from the first or second quarter of 2016 into the fourth. Structural changes, also applied to FTA-2, in-cluded strengthening the wing-fuselage join with additional plates.

More positive news included the announce-ment of two new customers. The first leasing company came aboard the programme at the Singapore air show in February with the signing of a letter of intent (LoI) from Aerolease Aviation for 10 firm MRJ90s and 10 options, and this was

followed up by another LoI for the same quanti-ties signed by the Swedish lessor Rockton at Farnborough in July. Although the final place-ment of the leased aircraft is unknown, that deal may see the MRJ gain its first foothold in Europe.

Although Aerolease converted its LoI into an order in August, there have been no further orders announced since Farnborough, leaving the order book at 427, including 233 firm or-ders, 170 options and 24 purchase rights, as of October. All the orders so far are for the 92-seat MRJ90, which, like the 80-seat MRJ70, is pow-ered by Pratt & Whitney geared turbofans.

FTA-3 flew on 25 September and FTA-1 was transferred to Mitsubishi’s newly opened flight

test centre at Moses Lake, Washington, three days later, after two aborted attempts attrib-uted to air conditioning problems. Three more test aircraft will follow, operating at various loca-tions: Roswell, New Mexico for special runway tests; Gunnison, Colorado for high-altitude op-erations; and the McKinley Climatic Laboratory in Florida for extreme climate testing.

Japanese media reports in early October suggested that Mitsubishi was warning custom-ers of a “risk of” further delivery delays, but the company denies there are any plans “at pre-sent” to shift the schedule. The reports sug-gested that structural changes necessitated a “rebalancing” of the airframe. ■

Mitsubishi Aircraft MRJ

1999Year the E-Jet family was launched, with more than 1,200 delivered to date

$789mRussian government funding to restart Il-114 production using only local equipment

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All orders so far are for the 92-seat MRJ90




The Netherlands Aircraft Company (NAC), for-merly Rekkof Aircraft, plans to revive the Fokker twinjet series with new production of two mod-els of the Fokker Next Generation Aircraft: the 100-seat F-90 and the 130-seat F-130.

Little recent information has appeared about the state of the project, which is still seeking launch funds from a private investor,

having received €20 million ($22 million) seed money from the Netherlands government in 2011.

NAC says it could begin deliveries within five years of a go-ahead decision.

The proposed next-generation Fokker 100 would have tail-mounted Pratt & Whitney geared turbofan engines, which promise a qui-eter cabin and lower fuel burn and emissions.

With the increased use of composites and winglets for aerodynamic efficiency, the F-130 is touted by NAC to be the lightest in its class, with best-in-class fuel efficiency and the lowest operating costs against current and planned

competitors, such as the Embraer E-Jet E2 and Mitsubishi Regional Jet.

Inside the cabin, the company is proposing a five-abreast single-class configuration with 30in (76cm)-pitch seats for 130 passengers. A two-class arrangement will be able to accommodate up to 140 seats. ■

NAC Fokker F-90 and F-130 2011

Year the Dutch government provided seed funding to kick start programme. Private investment is still being sought

Owned by the US-based Sierra Nevada Corporation, which has held the type certificate since 2015, TRJet plans to develop modernised versions of the Dornier 328 turboprop and the 328JET turbofan-powered regional airliners. These are to be known as the TRP328 and

TRJ328, respectively, with each having 32 seats in passenger configuration. Cargo and special mission variants are also being offered.

The company has strong connections with Turkey and at the Farnborough air show in July TRJet signed a memorandum of understanding for its first order. This covers 50 units for use by various Turkish agencies, from the central gov-ernment to the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce. Another five have been ordered by Sentinel Aerospace Group of Singapore for special mission use.

TRJet has now brought on board a number of suppliers, including Pratt & Whitney Canada for its PW127 turboprops for the TRP328 and PW306B turbofans for the TRJ328, and Rockwell Collins for Pro Line Fusion avionics.

TRJet plans to follow the 328s with the TRJ723 (formerly the TRJ628), which will be fully designed and built by Turkish engineers, ac-cording to the company, and could be a jet or a turboprop. TRJet hopes to fly the TRJ328 in 2019 and the 70-seat TRJ723 in 2023, the cen-tenary of the modern Turkish state. ■

TRJet 328/723

TRJet 328/723 spec check

TRP328 TRJ328 TRJ723

MTOW (t) 15.2

Seats (single-class) 32 32 70

Range (nm) 1,120 1,120

50Orders in Turkey’s initial MoU

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NAC’s F-90 and F-130 concepts are modernised Fokker 100s

Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) says a stretched derivative of the Superjet 100 with 120 seats and a new larger wing will be mar-keted from 2017, with a planned service entry in early 2020. The central fuselage will be stretched, but the tail surfaces and PowerJet SaM146 powerplants will remain the same.

Sukhoi earlier launched two new models

based on the 98-seat SSJ100, the Sukhoi BusinessJet and the SportJet, which claims to be the first aircraft dedicated to transporting professional sports teams. Its interior fit in-cludes areas for in-flight training and a treat-ment couch for injury recovery or match preparation. Biomedical sensors in the seats measure each athlete’s condition. A cabin mock-up was displayed on the eve of the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, and the company is offering deliveries from late 2017.

The only significant recent order has been from Rossiya for 20 SSJ100s, acquired via VEB leasing. The first European operator is Dublin-

based CityJet, which introduced the Superjet to service in late July, initially on its Cork-La Rochelle route, and hopes to have four in service by year-end. The Irish airline is to lease 15 SSJ100s and has a further 16 options, using them to replace its Avro RJ85s. Two aircraft were in service by October.

Sukhoi hopes to certificate the SSJ100 next year for steep approaches, as required at London City airport, although operations are unlikely before 2018. Windtunnel tests have been conducted in Russia on a winglet-equipped SSJ100LR model to this end, but no full-scale test example has yet appeared.

SCAC plans to open its first overseas office in China in late 2016. The Beijing office will spe-cialise in marketing, promotion, certification and arrangements for financial support of SSJ100 sales. The company also plans a future maintenance depot in the country. Reported talks with Chinese operators have not yet re-sulted in orders.

In April, Mexican operator Interjet and SCAC announced a deal to open a service centre and a joint venture to promote sales across the Americas. Interjet was the first non-Russian SSJ100 operator and now has 22 aircraft in op-eration, of 30 ordered.

The SSJ100 is marketed outside Russia by Venice-based SuperJet International (SJI): a 49:51 joint venture between Sukhoi and Leonardo. SJI is also responsible for sales and deliveries. Sukhoi has recently moved to acquire Leonardo’s 25% holding in SCAC and has re-ceived Russian regulatory approval to do so. ■

Sukhoi Superjet 100

Sukhoi Superjet data check

SSJ100-95 SSJ100-95LR

First flight 19/05/2008 12/02/2013

Net orders (all-time/2016) 108/10 38/4

Deliveries (total/2016) 74/12 14/4

Backlog 34 24

Sukhoi Superjet spec check

SSJ100-75* SSJ100-75LR* SSJ100-95 SSJ100-95LR

MTOW (t) 38.8 42.3 45.9 49.4

Seats (single class standard) 78 78 98 98

Range (nm) 1,570 2,900 1,590 2,390

*unlikely to be built

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In July, Dublin-based CityJet became the first European Superjet operator

NAC Fokker 130 spec check

F-130

MTOW (t) 48.2

Seats (single-class) 130

Range (nm) 2,000

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The TRJ328 will be based on the 32-seat Dornier 328JET



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