№ 1. 2011 CONTENTS Bangalor's Sky Aircraft 04 Chengdu J-20. China’s ram for “cheese boxes on rafts” Waiting Summing-up 12 Russia’s aviation industry in 2010: from Sukhoi PAK FA to Tupolev TU-204SM Review of the Most Important Events of the Last Year Engines 20 The Motor Sich: Development, Production and Services Avionics 24 “Radionix” (Microwave Systems Design Company) — crisis solutions to upgrade fighters’ avionics Navigation 28 Compas: priorities of space navigation View of analyst 32 India and Russia: new joint military projects 44 Russian arms trade 1 Director General Evgeny Osipov Deputy Director General Alexander Kiryanov Commercial Director Denis Kostin Marketing Director Editorial Leonid Belyaev Marketing Manager Elena Bebneva Creative Director Alexander Strelyaev Yet another exhibition of world aviation industry achievements — Aero India 2011 — has Editor-in-Chief of A4 Press Publishing opened its doors. The show gathered a large number of professionals from many countries, Viktor Murakhovskiy two of which are India and Russia. These two powers have much in common in the aviation Editor-in-Chief of AirFleet sector, and India has been Russia’s strategic partner for many decades. Since the early Alexander Gudko 1960s India has been purchasing Soviet and Russian aviation equipment. Today, this Editors partnership has stepped to a new level. Not only does India purchase aircraft but the two Mikhail Nayden Art Director countries work on joint development projects, the most important one is the PAK FA T-50. Al'vina Kirillova India keeps stressing the critical importance of the project in the light of the recent flight Designers tests of China’s Chengdu J-20 fighter. The T-50 is developing successfully; the second Alexander Shipilov prototype is currently passing tests. Nadezhda Fadina Elena Shishova Apart from this, in 2010 a joint venture was established to develop the multipurpose REPRESENTATIVE OFFICE IN SAINT-PETERSBURG transport plane (MTA). The project also holds the status of joint programme which is Deputy Director General of great concern for both Russia and India. Oleg Perevoschikov The third important fact is that Russia is taking part in tender for selling 126 fighters for Commercial Director the Indian Air Force with its MiG-35. These aircraft have successfully completed flight Sergey Baydak tests in both countries, and Russia has every chance to win the tender partly because Advertising Sales Director MiG-35 has been unified with the MiG-29K fighter, which is currently entering service Milana Nikolaeva with the Indian Navy. Apart from the mentioned competition Russia is also participating Development Director Roman Moshnin in tender for supplying the light scout helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces with its Marketing Director K-226s. Russia also hopes the final choice will be in favour of these machines. Trying to Grigoriy Zubok describe the scope of Russian-Indian partnership it’s noteworthy that India’s advanced jet Photos and graphics in this issue: trainer is equipped with Russian AL-55 engines. Some other interesting facts come to my M. Lystseva, A. Cheredayko, Rajesh Dangi, mind as well... M. Badrocke, N. Solovjev, “Motor Sich” JSC, “Radioniks” Ltd., Compas MDB, blogspot.com, A lot can be said about Russian-Indian joint projects and military and technical photobucket.com, defenceindustrydaily.com, sflorg. cooperation but let’s sum it up to one phrase: “There is no other country like India for Russia com, airwar.ru, free-review.net, radikal.ru to lead such a great number of joint projects and sign contracts to supply various aircraft Partners: equipment. Today, India is Russia’s major strategic partner in the aviation industry”. While Literra Translation Agency Office 202, Gapsalskaya St., 1, St. Petersburg, reading feature of this issue you’ll face some facts proving the statement and will find a lot tel.: +7 (812) 680-17-03; e-mail: [email protected] of interesting and useful information. Circulation: 10 000 I wish you successful and fruitful work at the Aero India 2011, as well as fresh impressions The magazine is registered in the Committee for Press of the Russian Federation. Certificate № 016692 as of 20.10.1997. and prospective business contacts. Certificate № 77-15450 as of 19.05.2003. © AIR FLEET, 2011 Yours faithfully, ADDRESS Alexander Gudko P.O. Box 77, Moscow, 125057, Russia Tel.: + 7 495 626-52-11 Fax.: + 7 499 151-61-50 E-mail: [email protected] 2 8-10 March, 2011 AsiaWorld-Expo, Hong Kong www.AsianAerospace.com THE RIGHT PLACE THE RIGHT PEOPLE THE RIGHT VALUE Is the high growth occurring in Asia at the heart of your corporate development strategy? It should be. Book your opportunity in the heart of this growing commercial marketĀ Right Now Organised by Integrated Events Associated Event Supported by Ё೑⇥⫼ᴎഎणӮ China Civil Airports Association For more information, please contact: David Lim Tel: +65 6780 4669 Email: [email protected] Aircraft CHENGDU J-20. CHINA’S RAM FOR “CHEESE BOXES ON RAFTS” On 11 January 2011 the new Chinese combat jet flew for the first time (in public, at least). The new airplane is referred to as the Chengdu J-20. Chengdu is the name of the city which houses a few aviation industry enterprises, including aircraft manufacturing plants producing jetfighters and design houses developing them. Great many outsiders watched the J-20 fly, as they happened “by chance” to be around the fence of Chengdu factory’s aerodrome on that day. The flight itself was uneventful. It took place in the conditions of clear skies allowing photographers to make some good shots. Before touching off the ground, the pi- to weapons testing, but these are yet to be jet shall be solving after entering squad- lot made several passes over the runway constructed and outfitted. ron service. so as to expose his airplane to the cameras The J-20 first public flight occurred just The J-20 represents a relatively large of “aviation admirers” all round the place. in time when US defense secretary Rob- tactical jet with the canards (foreplanes) Those took photos of the aircraft from dif- ert Gates was in Beijing on an official vis- and large delta wing. The fuselage length ferent angles and depicted everything they it. Once there, he was trying to calm down is somewhere between 23 and 25 me- wanted except for doors of internal weap- the Chinese leaders who were much wor- ters, wingspan between 13 and 14 me- ons bays. ried about pending deliveries of modern ters. By our estimation the maximum take- These doors were either thoroughly hid- US-made weapons to Taiwan. Beijing con- off weight shall be in the region of 40 tons, den or removed from the shots by the picture siders this island an essential part of China. and operating empty weight twice less takers on the insistence of very competitive A lot of pictures appeared on the In- than that. advisers. But it is even more likely that these ternet on the memorable day of 11 Jan- Many aviation experts believe that doors were not actually fitted to the J-20 uary. These shots gave more information the J-20 relies on a pair of Russian engines first operable prototype. They are not need- on the new airplane. In particular, they re- or their Chinese copies. In other words, ed on the very first operable aircraft dedi- veal the shape of the wing and its position- the J-20’s engines are picked out among cated to assessment of flight performance, ing in relation to fuselage. This makes it members of the big family uniting the Item flight envelope, various engine settings, possible to make some preliminary conclu- 117, AL-31F, WS-14 and WS-10 Taihang. functioning of the essential onboard systems, sions about the aerodynamics layout and Two engines together develop in between proving flight control algorithms. As a rule, technical characteristics of the J-20, and 30 and 40 tons of thrust. If that is so, then third or even later prototypes are devoted make guesses as to the main task the new the capability of the propulsion system 4 Aircraft is enough for supercruise, or supersonic ing good sources in the US and Europe- position for the airplane’s center of gravity. cruise flight at military power (highest pow- an intelligence bodies, defense ministries Here comes the first surprise: the like- er setting without afterburning). We may and the industry. It seems that not only jour- ly center of gravity position rests… too far also expect that the J-20 with restricted fu- nalists, but the professionals were in some from the mean aerodynamics chord (MAC) el and combat load (for instance, when fly- state of shock after seeing the new Chi- of the wing. As a first iteration for aircraft ing air-to-air mission) can fly vertical with- nese bird. designers, the center of gravity must be out losing speed at subsonic regimes and First of all, let’s determine J-20’s center somewhere 25–35% of the wing’s MAC, — low altitudes. of gravity position. There are some pho- like so is prescribed in the classic aircraft When in-flight photos appeared, tos available of the J-20 taxiing, in which design books. the J-20 became the hottest topic for dis- we can clearly see its long fuselage, wing- But the Chinese airplane appears to cussion among aviation enthusiasts round to-fuselage connection and landing gears. have the center of gravity position some- the world. But as it appeared, the enthu- The J-20 undercarriage is fighter’s clas- where at MAC’s edge. It is fairly strange siasts, and even world-famous western sics: three-point with a nose gear.