New Zealand boosts defence spend to US$6.6 billion and vows increased closeness with Australia
This budget will be spent over the next four years and nearly doubles the country’s defence spending as part of GDP to 2%.
4th SSJ100 joins flight test campaign
The fourth Sukhoi Superjet 100 – prototype SN 95005 – has performed its maiden flight at Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
The aircraft was captained by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft’s test pilots Sergey Korostiev and Alexander Ivanov. During a 2 hour and 45 minute flight, the pilots were able to examine systems integrity and performance.
SSJ100 SN 95005 has incorporated all modifications resulting from the certification tests to perfectly match the final standard certificate configuration of the aircraft.
Under the certification campaign, SSJ100 prototype SN 95005 will undergo a complex evaluation of onboard equipment and avionics as well as failure safety tests. Moreover, this aircraft will see fire protection and inert gas system testing.
The aircraft will also host the pilots training to fly the aircraft for the SSJ100’s first customers.
With engine partner PowerJet experiencing problems at its NPO Saturn plant, aircraft 95005 was powered with the engines from the first flight prototype SSJ100 SN 95001 so as to keep a smooth and regular certification flight test pace.
Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk, president of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft, commented, “With another prototype in the certification program, we will be able to deliver 75 flights monthly, which is a very good figure in flight certification campaigns. Provided that engines are certificated and delivered in due time, we will acquire the Type Certificate in the middle of 2010.”
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