OREANDA-NEWS. June 10, 2010. The fourth Sukhoi Superjet 100 flight test prototype SN95005 made a one day flight from Komsomolsk-on-Amur via Novosibirsk to the Zhukovsky-based Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company Flight Test Center. Prior to this flight the aircraft had been performing flights aimed to check the systems operations, including autopilot and engines. Just before the flight to Zhukovsky the aircraft completed en-route operation towards Sakhalin to thoroughly validate navigation and communication systems.

The flight certification campaign tests scheduled for this aircraft include the evaluation of on-board equipment and, together with SN95004, systems failure safety. SN95005 will go through tests on both fire protection and inertial gas systems.

Sukhoi Superjet 100 is the first Russian aircraft to feature inertial gas system, while its implementation is a must according to the American and European aviation authorities introduced to enhance flight operation safety. Inertial gas system fills the fuel tank with nitrogen deployed from the air in proportion to the fuel consumed. Its application prevents fire and detonation of fuel fumes in case of unfortunate critical landing, for example, if the aircraft wing touches the runway. Further on, upon completion of flight certification campaign, Sukhoi Superjet 100 SN95005 will be the vehicle used by its first customers for pilot training.

Flight tests

Upon completion of the main part of flight tests listed under the “Flight” section, which confirmed stated aerodynamic and operational characteristics of the aircraft, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 continued to move forward with the next certification test stage – systems tests. This stage began with avionics suite tests, including instrumented landing to Cat I and II, being performed in Zhukovsky on the third Sukhoi Superjet 100 flight test prototype SSJ100 SN95004 upon return of the aircraft from Yakutsk. Yakutsk hosted successful runs of standard procedures designed to warm up the aircraft after long-term parking of up to 17 hours - while the jet was exposed to temperatures that reached -41°С – with a further check of aircraft system performance and a launch of the APU, followed by the engines. These procedures involved standard ground servicing equipment. Upon warm-up completion, a total of 7 test flights, assigned to this trial batch were delivered, demonstrating the smooth operation of all on-board systems after aircraft low temperature soaking. SCAC’s team also assessed the influence of short parking on aircraft availability for the next take-off. Upon receipt of the type certificate, additional trials will be held to extend the temperature operational limits.

Overall, flight prototypes have performed around 600 flights scoring over 1500 flight hours – this included operation in six Russian and CIS typical airports. Test flight operation demonstrate high reliability and maintainability, and stable work of all on-board systems and equipment in an entire range of operational altitudes and velocities of flights.

Flight tests also confirm advantage of the brand-new and tailored electronic fly-by-wire. Designed in close collaboration with Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI), considering flight accidents statistics, it not only provides for an enhanced piloting comfort, but also prevents all piloting mistakes, otherwise inevitably leading to dramatic consequences. A key system in terms of flight safety, fly-by-wire features 6-fold back-up allowing the aircraft to sustain safe and predictable piloting in all flight modes and conditions.

Static and fatigue trials

TsAGI completed static aircraft testing under operational loads. Design loads are also tested in the greater part, with minor cases, such as the strength of passenger chair installations remaining on the agenda. The front gear was successfully tested, while the main landing gear tests are under completion.

Novosibirsk is nearing completion of the first fatigue tests stage on SSJ100 SN95006. Once the test bench had been tuned and as the tests gained dynamic pace, the fatigue aircraft had already delivered over 4950 laboratory flights out of 6000, required to obtain a type certificate. Upon completion of the first stage the aircraft will proceed to deliver full life cycle results.

Production

The final assembly shop takes care of 5 ramp-up production Sukhoi Superjet 100s. Due to rescheduling of SaM146 engine certification and deliveries, factory ground tests for the first two ramp-up production aircraft at the flight test base will employ prototype engines. The first ramp-up production 95007 is approaching power-on. The Final Assembly Shop finishes assembly and system installation on the other two – 95008 and 95009, while the fuselage of 95010 is being joined to the wing. The 95011 fuselage is in the first work station, where hydro and fuel system parts, as well as doors are installed.

The fuselage of the sixth (95012) ramp-up production aircraft has been installed and KnAAPO is preparing it for transfer to the SCAC Final Assembly Shop. The fuselage of the seventh (95013) ramp-up production is currently being installed.

Overall 14 ramp-up production aircraft are in production in various readiness stages, while parts manufacture orders had been placed for the aircraft up to the 95024.

In March 2010, IAC AR Certification center NORMA issued an approval on fabrication methods applied in SSJ100 production processes. The issued approval confirms compliance of the methods to Russian aviation requirements. This approval confirms that design documentation requirements and fabrication methods, including production implementation, quality and stability of production processes and the equipment employed create the consistently high production quality, directly enhancing safety and reliability of aircraft operation. This approval is one of the key elements to type certificate acquisition, along with flight, static and fatigue tests.

CUSTOMER SERVICES

CUSTOMER CARE CENTER

The SJI Customer Care Center (CCC) – situated at SJI Tessera (Venice) premises – is already available to serve the airline customers as the single point of contact and is staffed with a dedicated, international team of highly qualified specialists. CCC is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to provide assistance for both spares related and technical / engineering queries. All standard Operators’ requests will be managed through SJI innovative and user-friendly web-portal. The management of the request is supported by Customer Relationship Management Software (CRM) which permits to:

• Properly address and track requests throughout the organization

• Visualize Operator’s issues addressed trough CCC in real time

• Save time by enabling Operator to maintain visibility on their requests online.

FAILURE REPORTING ANALYSIS AND CORRECTIVE ACTION SYSTEM IMPLEMENTATION

In view of entry into service of the first aircraft, SJI is implementing a highly flexible and comprehensive software system for management of “in-service” technical data and improvement of fleet reliability: the Failure Reporting, Analysis and Corrective Action System (FRACAS). This service consists of gathering data from Operators, suppliers’ repair shops and MRO and processing it through a customized computer program in order to issue reliability reports and lead the identification and correction of critical technical issues. The objective is to propose customized solutions to streamline fleet reliability and to provide well-adapted technical recommendations enhancing aircraft operations.

The FRACAS database can then allow Customers to:

• Monitor the effectiveness of corrective actions taken to solve recurrent failures

• Attain and maintain higher reliability through trend monitoring

• Assess the effectiveness of maintenance program

• Determine which modification has a better payback

• Compare data coming from the worldwide SSJ100 fleet

• Support troubleshooting activities through dedicated comparison of failure data and occurrences

• Develop customized reports in compliance with Aviation Authorities requirements

TRAINING SERVICES

Committed to be a global training provider and made up of a team of International experienced instructors and pilots, the SJI Training Center is developing a flexible portfolio of training services for the new Sukhoi Superjet 100.

Today, the SJI Training Center provides the most competent support for SSJ100 flight and maintenance training through an ever-growing range of certified courses for:

• Flight Crews (Type Rating and Recurrent)

• Cabin Crews (Transition and Refresher)

• Maintenance and Ground Operations personnel

SJI Flight Training Organization (FTO), certified by EASA in September 2009, under certificate No. I/FTO/063, has been extended in January 2010 to include following capabilities:

• A320 Type Rating and Renewal Course

• A320 Instructor Rating and Renewal Course

The acquisition of the training capability on A320 aircraft allows SJI FTO to increase its level of activities and to exercise the training infrastructure in preparation of SSJ100 entry into service.

Furthermore, all SJI Training Center certifications have been endorsed in October 2009 by Russian National Aviation Authority for Maintenance and Training Organizations (RosAviaciya Cert. No. 20.14-1534) and in December 2009 by General Department of Civil Aviation at the Government of the Republic of Armenia (GDCA RA Cert. No 1.1-991).

SJI Training Center is equipped from February 2010 with the new Training Management System (TMS) software to manage training activities.

TMS main features are courses planning and scheduling personnel, trainees and resource rostering, test management and record storing and flexible reporting system.

TMS provides following advantages:

• The capability to manage many different Training Centre aspects with just one tool

• Quick reaction to Customer needs

• Real time information availability

Training for pilots and maintenance personnel: benefits of advanced virtual reality training tools

• SJI is developing, in collaboration with well established partners of multimedia training solutions, a series of innovative training tools based on advanced virtual reality technology. Thanks to the state-of-the-art graphical and teaching capabilities, the Customer will benefit from the following advantages:

• Substantial reduction of costs for training of pilots and maintenance personnel

• Flexible training schedule (several people at the same time and possibility of self-paced training)

• Simulation of events and troubleshooting sequences otherwise impossible on the active aircraft

The following modules, based on the virtual aircraft software, are going to support the training programmes for pilots and maintenance personnel.

Virtual Walk Around (VWA)

The VWA is designed to train flight crews for the pre-flight inspection. Being in a virtual reality immersive scene the trainee must verify and analyze all aircraft components as contemplated by the pre-flight checklist. The system simulates random anomalies, represented by defects in some components. The results of such training activities could then be checked, verifying all the recorded training sessions and evaluating for each component, the result of the trainee’s diagnosis.

Virtual Flight Procedures Trainer (VFPT)

The VFPT is a tool designed to train pilots in the best way for normal and emergency flight procedures. It is based on the Flight Crew Operating Manual and each cockpit element can be activated.

Virtual Maintenance Procedure Trainer (VMPT)

The VMPT is a tool, based on the Trouble-Shooting Manual, dedicated to maintenance procedure training. The trainee is placed in a virtual reality immersive scene inside the aircraft cockpit, and performs troubleshooting location and, upon detection, performs the test/assembly or disassembly of the failed component.

Component Locator

This tool is dedicated to the localization of specific aircraft components. A search function is possible using different parameters, such as Part Number or ATA chapter.

MRO PARTNERS NETWORK

SJI MRO strategy is to provide worldwide Customers since day one with top class base and line maintenance services, establishing partnerships with well recognized Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) organizations strategically located according to market needs.

Authorized SSJ100 service centers will offer maintenance services as independent contractors, and therefore Operators will enter into a direct agreement with the selected Service Center(s). SJI will publish upon the first SSJ100 entry into service a Worldwide Authorized Service Centers Network booklet containing information such as service center location, normal business hours, point of contact.

In accordance with this policy, SJI MRO network has been recently enriched through new agreements signed with:

• Volga Dnepr Technics Ulianovsk LLC – Letter of Intent (LOI) – March 2010

• Aeroflot JSC – Letter of Intent (LOI) – February 2010

• AMECO Beijing – Letter of Intent (LOI) – January 2010

• Aeroplex of Central Europe Ltd – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – August 2009

• Nayak Aircraft Services – Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) – June 2009

These worldwide service centers will be authorized by SJI to perform all SSJ100 line and base maintenance activities and will be audited on a regular basis in order to ensure the targeted service level expected by SSJ100 Customers.

The SJI MRO network includes also the SJI ever-growing range of maintenance capabilities. SJI was already recognized in February 2009 as maintenance organization with the EASA Part145 approval certificate no. IT.145.0332 to conduct line maintenance activities on the A320 aircraft type in Venice. Then, in March 2010 SJI received by Aeroflot - Russian Airlines the approval Certificate AFL/047 to provide line maintenance activities on AFL A320 aircraft in Venice.

Furthermore, SJI has submitted the application to Russian Ministry of Transport to achieve the FAP 145 Line Maintenance certification on SSJ100, subject to the certification of the aircraft by the Russian Aviation Authority (IAC AR).

All these certification achievements constitute a significant step towards the SSJ100 entry into service readiness, prove the reliability of SJI Customer Services and strengthen the collaboration with the SSJ100 launch Customer.