ST. PETERSBURG, June 20. /TASS/. The United Aircraft Corporation plans to start testing the SSJ New jet liners with Russian-designed and made PD-8 engines in autumn, Yury Slyusar, the UAC CEO, told TASS in an interview on the sidelines of this year’s St. Petersburg International Economic Forum. The UAC is already starting to receive the engines for their subsequent installation on the aircraft. The PD-8 will replace the Russian-French SaM-146 engine currently in use.

"We have approached the final stage of preparations for the first flight, namely the handover of the aircraft to the flight test station. Russian systems are already installed on this aircraft, but the PD-8 engine is still being tested in parallel on the flying laboratory. We are just beginning to get Russian engines to be installed on the second prototype. We will start the flights with the French engine. The second aircraft, which will begin to be tested in the autumn, will be equipped with Russian engines," he said.

At the beginning of June Rostec announced that the first sample of the SSJ New airliner was handed over to the flight test station. The aircraft was also fueled for the first time and the specialists of Irkut Corporation (the aircraft manufacturer) commenced ground tests of the plane’s new systems.

SSJ New profile

The SSJ New - Russia’s latest generation short-range narrow-body aircraft - is a new version of the Sukhoi Superjet 100. The maximum substitution of previously imported components is its key feature. The project was initiated after the introduction of Western sanctions against Russia. Simultaneously with the import substitution of components, many processes will be improved, including those related to the reliability of systems, improved comfort, safety and airworthiness maintenance.

About SPIEF

The 26th St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF), the largest annual economic and business event in Russia, was running on June 14-17. The theme of this year's forum was "Sovereign Development as a Basis for a Just World: Joining Forces for Future Generations". The event was organized by the Roscongress Foundation. TASS is its official media partner.