Russian Aircraft Research Articles

Implementation of diversification of dual-use goods production through public-private partnership of aviation holding companies

Subject. This article deals with the issues of realization of the production and scientific potential of the Russian aviation industry. Objectives. The article aims to assess the capabilities of defense enterprises in the development, production and output of civil aviation products, and analyze measures aimed to support the production of dual-use goods and improving the competitiveness of the Russian aircraft industry. Methods. For the study, I used the methods of logical, theoretical, and comparative analyses. Results. The article finds that the Russian helicopter industry is characterized by the completeness of the cycle of development, production and final sale of products. Russian Helicopters holding company has the technological resources and production facilities to successfully diversify production and produce goods that are competitive in the domestic and global markets. Conclusions. The development and production of new products involves an increase in the utilization of production capacities of Russian aviation industry enterprises and the development of the relevant infrastructure. The State can act as a guarantor in order to attract funds from private investors for the development of projects.

Unlawful Seizure: The Legal Implications Of Russia’s Re-Registration Of Leased Aircraft

During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Russia passed a law allowing its domestic airlines to reregister foreign-owned aircraft on the Russian aircraft registry. This law raises important questions about dual registration—forbidden under international law—since the prior foreign aviation authorities had not consented to the deregistration of the subject aircraft. Even as lessors revoked airworthiness certificates, Russia re-registered more than 350 leased aircraft. The most significant problem in civil aviation today is Russia’s re-registration law, which undermines predictability, order, and safety. This essay argues that Russia passed its registration law because its war left it with few other options. This does not make Russia’s actions legally defensible, but the context helps frame potential solutions, which will be explored after examining the international aircraft registration regime and the legal implications of Russia’s actions.

Power plants of the first aircraft

The article is dedicated to the 140th anniversary of the construction of the first Russian aircraft designed by Alexander Fedorovich Mozhaisky. The main attention is paid to a comparative assessment of the parameters of the power plants of the Mozhaisky aircraft and some of the best known of the first heavier-than-air manned aircraft driven by a propeller. For the analysis, data published in various sources were used, primarily on the parameters of the elements of power plants (engines and propellers). An assessment was made of the sufficiency of the engine power of the first aircraft needed for their flight. The published materials of detailed studies of the aerodynamics of aircraft by A.F.Mozhaisky and the Wright brothers were used as the basis for an expert qualitative assessment of the aerodynamic characteristics of the compared aircraft. An analysis of the known statistical data and the results of the calculated estimates made it possible to show the impact of engine improvement on the progress in aviation.

Actual problems of legal regulation of the development of the aviation industry in the context of the transformation of global markets

The article highlights the problems of legal regulation of the aviation industry in Russia, caused by both external (critical dependence on imported technologies and components, damage from sanctions imposed by unfriendly foreign states and their unions) and internal factors (long time for aircraft production, outdated production infrastructure, lack of an aftersales service system). The author comes to the conclusion that the further development of the Russian aircraft industry depends on a balanced state policy, the effectiveness of the state support measures aimed at import substitution and localization of production, as well as on the use of legal instruments that meet the goals of state regulation to attract private investment, including foreign ones.

Introduction of a Standardized Gas Generator in Russian Aircraft Engine Production

Introduction of a Standardized Gas Generator in Russian Aircraft Engine Production

IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND UKRAINE-RUSSIA WAR ON THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE AND LOGISTICS

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused a series of disruptions in production and transportation. After the reduction in mortality from COVID-19, trade, and tourism began to accelerate sharply, which resulted in increased demand, primarily for air transport. And then, there came a special intervention of Russia in Ukraine. During the ongoing intervention, the transport infrastructure in Ukraine was damaged significantly. The EU actively joined the war and adopted a series of sanctions to undermine Russian economic and financial ability to wage war. That led to the closure of the EU airspace for Russian aircraft, the closure of the EU ports to Russian ships, the banning of Russian transport operators, and bans on the export of goods and technology to the aviation, maritime, and space sectors. Pipeline transport is also under attack. The United States and several countries introduced similar bans. The sanctions caused a backlash and also affected transport in the EU, leading to difficulties in traffic, gas, and oil supply. Western airlines also cannot fly to or through Russia. Bottlenecks emerged in supply chains and the need to bypass traditional routes. That increased travel time and costs significantly. Transport companies faced restrictions from both the the Western countries and the Russian Federation. In connection with the 'special' operations in Ukraine and the Western sanctions, the transport situation in the Russian Federation has also deteriorated significantly. This paper will not deal in detail with the causes of crises but their effects on transport.

Documents on Russia's Exclusion from Council Eur. & U.N.H.R.C.

In the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, states have deployed an array of tools aimed at isolating and weakening Russia, and supporting Ukraine, while avoiding direct involvement in the hostilities. These measures have included sanctions, export and import restrictions, visa bans, exclusion of Russian aircraft from states' airspace, seizure of oligarchs' property, and the provision of weapons and aid to Ukraine. Many states have also worked to terminate or suspend Russia's membership or participation in international organizations. In light of Russia's aggression and widely publicized reports of human rights atrocities, its early exclusions from two key human rights institutions—the Council of Europe (CoE) and the UN Human Rights Council (HRC)—were seen as important symbolic reaffirmations of the rules-based international order.

Türkiye’s policy on Russia-Ukraine war: Geopolitical legsplit in action

On 16 March 2022, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Turkey (or rather Türkiye) issued another press release on the anniversary of the annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation [1] to decry the eight-year-old illegitimate referendum in Ukraine’s Autonomous Republic. Beyond doubt, official Ankara has been consistent in supporting the sovereignty and territorial integrity of its strategic partner, including on the international political fora (its UN General Assembly voting patterns are another eloquent example of this). Yet, the stance of President Erdoğan’s administration on Russia’s “special military operation” (reads as war), which unfolded on Ukrainian territory on 24 February 2022, has been rather controversial. In its immediate formal response to this unjust and unlawful act of the Kremlin, the Turkish MFA labelled the attack launched by the Russian armed forces against Ukraine as unacceptable and the one posing a serious threat to the security of the region and the world, having condemned the very idea of “changing of borders by use of arms” [2]. Of particular importance have been Türkiye’s strong criticism of Russia’s days-before decision to recognize the so-called Donetsk and Luhansk People’s Republics, key military capabilities including drones provided to Ukraine, blocked access to the Bosporus and Dardanelles Straits for non-Turkish warships, and peace efforts of President Erdoğan to resuscitate top-level communication between Moscow and Kyiv. It is official Ankara, however, to refuse from joining other NATO allies and EU partners in their sanctions policy against President Putin’s regime, to keep Turkish air space open for Russian aircraft, and to denounce discriminatory attitude towards Russians and Russian culture in some Western countries. This article looks at whether the above refers to occasional double standards or is part of systemic trading-off policy of President Erdoğan’s Türkiye in-between Russia and the West.

ПД-14 – чи такий вiн вдалий?

The introductory part of the article provides information about the features of the modern Russian aircraft and engine designations, about the disappearance of the world famous brands such as "Tu", "Yak", "PS", "NK" and others. The tone of many publications testifies to a certain "megalomania" of the Russian aviation industry, whose real achievements of which are greatly exaggerated. One of the main prides of Russia is the PD-14 turbofan engine. This evaluation is the purpose of this article. The history of the development and testing of the PD-14 turbofan engine is given. Simultaneously, it is indicated that it was an alternative engine for the MS-21 aircraft, for which the Western PW-1000G engine was initially selected. Detailed information is given on the production and testing of experimental engines, including in a flying laboratory. It is noted that PD-14 is actually a program for the entire aircraft engine industry in Russia and other enterprises are actively involved in its implementation, in addition to the main subcontractors of the UEC - Aviadvigatel and Perm Motors. In the development of the PD-14, the experience of creating and fine-tuning the PS-90A2 turbofan engine was widely used. It is indicated that when creating the PD-14, many innovative and advanced technologies were developed and applied (16 key technologies). The developers of PD-14 pay considerable attention to the creation of an effective after-sales service system (a network of field offices, engine service stations, spare parts warehouses, ensuring the replacement of modules in operation, etc.), the absence of which previously prevented the successful marketing of Russian engines (a characteristic negative example is the SaM-146 engines of the SSJ regional airliner). General information about the development programs, the main technical characteristics and design features of the competitors of the PD-14 - western PW1000G and LEAP-1 turbofan engines are given. These engines are already widely used in several types of medium-haul aircraft. The PD-14 is compared with its main competitors in terms of many parameters and design characteristics. It is concluded that a modern 5th generation turbofan engine has been created in Russia, which has come close in terms of characteristics and the level of applied technologies to the existing serial Western engines of a similar thrust class. However, the future of the PD-14 engine in the current conditions of the fall of the Russian economy due to the war with Ukraine and EU and US sanctions looks uncertain.

Assessment of the possibility of achieving in 2025 the planned results of the state program of the Russian Federation «Development of the aviation industry for 2013–2025»

The article discusses the main problems of the implementation of the state program of the Russian Federation «Development of the aviation industry». Its interim results and achieved results in the development of the Russian aircraft industry are studied, the quality of the system of target indicators of the program is analyzed. The possibility of achieving the planned results of the implementation of the state program in 2025, primarily in the field of aircraft construction, is being assessed.

Импортозависимость российской гражданской авиационной промышленности

Sanctions and restrictions by “unfriendly countries” in February-March 2022 affected many areas of the Russian economy. The article discusses the possible consequences of sanctions for Russian aviation and the aviation industry in terms of the problem of overcoming dependency on imports and the potential for transition to long-term development based on an import substitution strategy. Data on the structure of the aircraft fleet of the largest Russian companies are presented, and a conclusion is made about the critical dependency of most of them on import supplies and services. The historical development of the domestic aviation industry in the post-Soviet period is shown, the conclusion is made about the choice of a strategy for international cooperation, including in connection with the use of the advantages of “catch-up development” on the basis of the strategy of “market fundamentalism”, within the framework of the “Ideologeme of Philippe Aghion”. The predominance of foreign-made liners in the flight fleet of Russian companies is explained by the significant opportunities for the acquisition of new airliners through leasing schemes by Russian air carriers, the lack of a strategy for independence from imports of domestic aviation companies in the period up to 2014, and an emphasis on the priority renewal of the aircraft fleet by Russian airlines. The history of the development of two models of domestic aircrafts -Sukhoi Superjet 100 and MS-21, and the difficulties associated with the orientation of companies towards the production of military aircrafts, especially in the light of sectoral sanctions, are discussed. Based on an analysis of the development of the aviation industry in Russia in 2014-2022, the difficulty of abandoning international cooperation in the production of civil aircraft is stated. Despite the adoption of the Sectoral Plan of Measures for Import Substitution in the Civil Aircraft Industry of the Russian Federation, in fact, the goal of reducing import dependency was not achieved. The prospects for the proposed measures in the field of import substitution in the new conditions are discussed, in particular in relation to the production of Russian aircraft engines. Despite partial success, the work on certification of domestic PD-8 and PD-14 engines is still far from industrial development. The complexity of implementing the autarchy strategy for the development of a competitive Russian aviation industry in the medium term is shown. It is noted that in the medium term, in the conditions of a tough version of the current sanctions, the civil aircraft industry is waiting for a difficult path with “self-reliance”.

РОСІЯ “РАННЬОГО ПУТІНАˮ В ПОШУКАХ НОВОЇ НАЦІОНАЛЬНОЇ ІДЕНТИЧНОСТІ: МОДЕРНА ІМПЕРСЬКА ІДЕОЛОГІЯ В ТІНІ “ГУМАНІТАРНОГОˮ “РУСЬКОГО МИРУˮ

At the beginning of the XXI century the leadership of the Kremlin significantly strengthened control over the processes in the Russian state, achieved certain successes in the implementation of integration projects in the post-Soviet space. To increase the geopolitical weight of the Russian Federation and further strengthen its position on the territory of the so-called “near abroadˮ, Kremlin political technologists developed a new imperial ideology. Ivan Ilyin, a critic of the Bolsheviks and a supporter of monarchism and fascism, acted as an ideological guide for the Russian ruling elite. A practical manifestation of the new ideological approaches was the introduction of the “Day of People’s Unityˮ associated with the traditions of tsarist Russia, which essentially replaced the celebration of the so called “Great October Socialist Revolutionˮ. In the same vein, we can consider the launch of the action called “Saint George's ribbonˮ, which is a kind of attempt to combine the legacy of the Romanovs with the pages of the history of the USSR convenient for the Kremlin. Criticizing the federal nature of the Soviet Union, the Kremlin at the same time actively used the victory of the USSR in World War II for its geopolitical purposes. To the greatest extent, this was manifested due to the active popularization of the myth of the “Great Victoryˮ and the hypertrophied celebration of “Victory Dayˮ − the so-called “Pobedobesieˮ. One of the important components of the new state ideology of the Russian Federation was the active use of the “besieged fortressˮ concept. Tough declarations of the leadership of Russia at that time were complemented by decisive steps. The use of radioactive substances on the territory of Great Britain to kill a former employee of the FSB, cyber-attacks on the governmental structure of a NATO and EU member – Estonia, a return to the Soviet practice of aviation combat duty, a missile strike on Georgian territory by a Russian aircraft demonstrated the readiness of official Moscow to raise the stakes in the framework of the struggle for the redistribution of geopolitical “chessboardˮ. The ideological project “Russian Worldˮ became the decoration for Russian imperialism and revanchism. During the second presidential term of Vladimir Putin, it was already possible to trace warming signals that unequivocally demonstrated that behind the “humanitarianˮ envelope of “Russian Worldˮ the aggressive foreign policy goals of the Russian leadership were hidden. The most openly imperial essence of the Putin regime in its early stages is reflected in the framework of the so-called “Russian doctrineˮ. This document included provisions on the messianic role of Russia, criticism of the Bolsheviks for the division of the USSR into republics, the postulate on the historical continuity of the Russian Federation from tsarist times, etc. In the context of outlining the foreign policy goals of the Russian Federation, the doctrine refers to the creation of a multipolar world, the non-recognition of the 1991 Belovezh Accords, and the beginning of the path that should lead to the “reunificationˮ of Russia with Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan is declared.

Target-setting for technological development of the Russian aircraft industry in the field of countering climate change

Subject. The article discusses the introduction of a Pigouvian tax on greenhouse gas emissions. Objectives. The objective of the study is to develop methods for setting the target level of CO2 emissions by Russian aircraft, based on Russia's national interests (both economic and environmental). Methods. The emission target was set on the basis of the classical approach of determining the economically optimal level of pollution at the intersection of the curves of marginal damage from pollution and marginal costs of eliminating pollution. The assessment of marginal costs of reducing CO2 emissions was based on the learning curves in the field of research and development aimed at reducing emissions. Results. We developed a method to set up the target level of CO2 emissions by Russian aircraft based on Russia's national interests (economic and environmental), rather than on external requirements dictated by competitor nations. Conclusions. According to the calculations on the basis of realistic estimates of fixed costs for reducing the carbon dioxide emissions, the utility is maximized with a reduction of CO2 emissions by 10% (for this method of assessing the damage to the State and with the realistic estimates of fixed cost of reducing carbon dioxide emissions).

ОБЕСПЕЧЕНИЕ ИМПОРТОНЕЗАВИСИМОСТИ ДЛЯ ПОВЫШЕНИЯ КОНКУРЕНТОУСТОЙЧИВОСТИ ПРЕДПРИЯТИЙ АВИАЦИОННОЙ ПРОМЫШЛЕННОСТИ

The article discusses the results of the implementation of the State program of import substitution in the aviation industry, implemented at the enterprises of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), since 2014. Significant successes of Russian aircraft manufacturers are noted, which, in difficult conditions of sanctions pressure, managed to master their own production of domestic components. This made it possible to bring new modern competitive aircraft to the world market, the production of which now does not depend on the unpredictable policies of foreign countries. The necessity of wide application of the policy of import independence in the production of own aircraft, helicopters and unmanned aerial vehicles to ensure the national security of the Russian Federation is advocated. The conclusion is made about the high efficiency of the State Program for the Development of the Aviation Industry, which sets high production rates, providing them with the necessary funding and state support of domestic manufacturers of modern high-tech equipment.

Areas of development of aircraft engine–building enterprises based on integrated quality management systems

The main tendencies of the development of the Russian aircraft engine building and aircraft building in general, as well as the results of the implementation of the state program of the Russian Federation «Development of the aircraft industry» are considered. A model for the development of aircraft construction based on quality management systems is proposed.

Russian civil aircraft market: development problems and prospects for integration into the global aviation complex

Russian civil aircraft market: development problems and prospects for integration into the global aviation complex

ЭЛЕМЕНТНЫЙ АНАЛИЗ ДИСПЕРСНЫХ ПРОДУКТОВ ЭМИССИИ АВИАЦИОННОГО ДВИГАТЕЛЯ ДЛЯ ДИАГНОСТИКИ ЭРОЗИОННОГО ИЗНОСА ЕГО ДЕТАЛЕЙ

The study of advanced diagnostic methods and tools for aircraft engines shows that spectral elemental analysis of aerosol emission products has recently become quite widespread in the engine maintenance programs of foreign manufacturers for detecting the turbomachinery parts erosive wear. To determine the elemental composition of aerosols at the gas turbine engine (GTE) outlet, opto-emission and mass spectrometric approaches have been used in various implementations. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) are recognized as the most informative and accessible laboratory methods. The most common sampling method is filtration with Teflon analytical membranes. Artificial intelligence technologies are used worldwide to identify and localize the source of the elements flow (a potential area of the GTE parts erosive wear). It has been found that the main problems of applying a multi-element analysis are associated with the sampling procedure, with the potential simultaneous element flow from several engine parts having a similar chemical composition; as well as with the variability of the “background” atmospheric aerosol composition, which is an unavoidable component of atmospheric air, especially in ground-level conditions. The article also presents the first results of the elemental analysis of aerosol particle emission samples from a modern Russian aircraft engine using the X-ray fluorescence method.

Improving the productivity of the Russian aircraft industry

Currently, the pandemic has had an extremely negative impact on the economy, especially in the aviation industry. The airfreight’s frequency has not fully recovered. The situation requires appropriate systemic measures to address it. The article describes the organizational and economic mechanisms to improve the Russian aviation’s productivity and identifies the need to review approaches to assess the Russian aviation industry, considering that it has not achieved the target indicators set by the state program. There are two main directions: inclusion of the section “Evaluation of Integrated Aircraft Industry Structures (IS) Efficiency” into the state program, as well as a detailed evaluation of competitiveness and product portfolio of the aircraft industry’s IS, development of IS competitiveness strategy both in the domestic and foreign markets. There have also been considered the prospects of using crowdlending platforms in Russia as an alternative financial instrument to banks in the helicopter technology’s P2B and B2B segments. There several factors facilitating this practice’s development: the world sharing economy’s active position; tightened requirements for customers and a decline in bank loans; the lack of profitable lending programs for small and medium-sized entrepreneurship; the regulations of crowdfunding platforms introduced in 2020; citizens’ growing involvement in various IT platforms, including investment ones.

Анализ парка воздушных судов ведущих авиакомпаний Российской Федерации: тенденции и перспективы развития в условиях макроэкономической нестабильности

Цель: фундаментальной основой проводимого исследования является анализ парка воздушных судов российских авиакомпаний с целью определения содержания рынка пассажирских авиалайнеров. Важным элементом в этом является определение структуры ключевых производителей, а также установление доли рынка российских производителей авиационной техники. Обсуждение: в условиях макроэкономической нестабильности, вызванной пандемией COVID-19, авиакомпании демонстрируют значительное снижение пассажиропотока, составляющее от 45% до 95% (по итогам показателей за май 2020 года). Кризисное положение авиакомпаний окажет существенное негативное влияние на рынок пассажирских авиалайнеров. В условиях макроэкономической нестабильности отечественные производители авиалайнеров «SSJ-100» и «МС-21» имеют все основания для усиления позиций на национальном рынке пассажирских авиалайнеров ввиду более низкой стоимости по сравнению с ведущими зарубежными аналогами, удобства обслуживания и снижения финансовых рисков, обусловленных курсовой разницей валюты. Результаты: результатом проведенного исследования является выделение основных принципов российского рынка пассажирских авиалайнеров. Средний возраст авиационного парка 15 крупнейших авиакомпаний составляет около 15 лет. Средний возраст авиапарка до 10 лет демонстрируют только 2 национальные авиакомпании «Аэрофлот» и «Победа». Воздушный парк значительного количества национальных авиакомпаний является крайне возрастным, что обуславливает потребность рынка в введении в эксплуатацию новых воздушных судов. При осуществлении эффективных мер государственной поддержки российские авиапроизводители могут составить конкуренцию западным авиастроительным корпорациям в условиях макроэкономической нестабильности.

How Has Access to Heathrow Airport Influenced the UK–Russia Air Services Agreement?

Access to London Heathrow Airport has played an integral role in the development of the UK– Russia air services agreement. The entry into force of the original agreement signed in 1957 was delayed by two years due to concerns regarding the noise created by Russian aircraft at Heathrow. Since then, Russia has sought amendments to the agreement to allow Aeroflot to increase its London-Moscow frequencies, in exchange for granting UK carriers permission to operate over Siberian airspace, which is crucial for flights from Heathrow to the Far East to operate efficiently. Russia has only been willing to increase Siberian overflight rights once it has secured slots for Aeroflot at Heathrow, linking the allocation of slots with the granting of rights under the air services agreement. Russia has also sought to protect its carriers from future changes in the UK regulatory framework, such as possible changes in the system of slot allocation, as it could threaten to withdraw Siberia overflight frequencies from UK carriers if it fears that Aeroflot’s position at Heathrow would be weakened. UK, Russia, Brexit, Heathrow, Slots