MOSCOW, August 25. /TASS/. A wide-body long-range plane the project of which is currently being developed by Russia jointly with China may become the first in the range of civil aircraft, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said on Tuesday in an interview to the Rossiya 24 TV channel.
"If we acquire such partners as China we’ll be able to develop a whole range of civil aircraft," he said. "We need to create a whole family of civil aircraft; the long-range wide-body plane is only a pilot project, which may entail a series of other planes: of different size, with different engines and range," Rogozin added.
"The central question on this wide-body plane is its range," said the deputy prime minister. He said Russia is interested in creating a plane of a longer range, and China wants a shorter range plane. Rogozin did not rule out in this connection that two versions of one plane may be created.
Possibility of purchasing Chinese components for SSJ not on agenda
Russia is not considering the possibility of using Chinese parts and components in its Sukhoi Superjet-100 air liner.
"China will be of no help here. We will manage on our own," he said on the Rossiya-24 television news channel. "We must Russify the Super jet, which is dependent on foreign components more than 70%."
Rogozin said that a decision regarding a new engine of domestic manufacture for that plane instead of the French one had been "practically adopted."
"Production facilities are in place. We have several PD-14 engines fit for the MS-21 plane," he explained. Rogozin believes this engine may serve as a basis for a whole family of power plants with thrusts ranging nine to 18 tonnes.
"That alone means the dependence on foreign spare parts may be eased 30%," he said.