АSТО-2018: 'family plane' for two Jeeps and air town in Rybnaya Sloboda
450 participants presented the best novelties and shares plans to develop the sector at the International Air and Space Exhibition
Kazan is hosting a Tatarstan aviation forum dedicated to aviation and space technologies again. All the guests said Tatarstan was the centre with all the sectors needed to manufacture aircraft equipment. A product of MVEN company from Kazan has been laid out at the exhibition – it's a ''family car'', multipurpose four-seater Murena plane. Realnoe Vremya tells the details.
Holistic work
The ninth international exhibition dedicated to aviation and space technologies held together with a congress of aircraft manufacturers of Russia has gathered the most innovative representatives of the sector. It's 150 enterprises from 21 regions of the country, a total of more than 450 representatives of the aviation industry.
''The exhibition demonstrates innovative developments in the Russian air and space sector. ASTO is an opportunity to demonstrate the latest developments. The issue of supporting the development of aviation sector is solved holistically, a powerful cluster consisting of secondary specialised colleges, higher educational establishments, test and design bureaus, big aviation enterprises,'' Tatarstan Prime Minister Aleksey Pesoshin gave a speech at the opening.
There were also presented the latest developments – four-seater multipurpose Murena plane.
''It must fly fast and be economic, we worked on the scheme together with the Kazan Aviation Institute, the flight range is 1,600 km, it can be in the air for up to 6 hours, it can be used to both transport passengers and patrolling. The parachute and rescue system makes it safer. We'd been working on it for many years, performed flights, confirmed the claimed characteristics,'' general constructor of MVEN Viktor Yermolenko presented the products.
The car can cost ''1,5-2 two expensive Jeeps'', however, the final price will depend on specifications.
''We've tested the plane, it's been born. Factory testing is held, we're collecting a portfolio of orders. If this is enough for serial production, we will launch it. Certification is needed, it's a complicated procedure, it takes one-two years. It's like a family car for personal use. It has good technical characteristics, an economic Austrian engine. It can be in the air as a means of patrolling. It can fly to Moscow and be back,'' Viktor Yermolenko specified later.
An analogous transport vehicle is made in Russia in the Moscow Aviation Institute, but, according to Yermolenko, its characteristics are worse. ''Our plane is faster, 310 km per hour,'' the constructor announced the numbers.
Rare region
Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Oleg Bocharov stressed the exhibition gathered the best representatives of the country's aviation industry.
''Tatarstan isn't just an industrial centre of the country. What a region has aircraft, helicopter, engine and equipment engineering and science? Of course, in this respect, the region is rare. The government is discussing the spatial development of the country in the short run. The most correct model of spatial development is here, in Tatarstan. Tatarstan has the shortest way from solution to implementation. The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation carefully observes your work, we will lay out new strategies for both radio and electronics and aviation industry in the nearest future,'' Bocharov gave a speech.
Some of the facilities in Tatarstan are being updated now.
''A planned work on the Kazan Aviation Factory is underway. We signed an agreement to update a series of its facilities, which will be fully equipped by 2021 in accordance with all parameters. The work on Kazan Helicopters on federal targeted programmes is about to end, we're finishing new electrotyping equipment, moving from the old site in Admiral Settlement to a new one, thus reducing costs we create new possibilities to produce Mi-38 helicopters, there will be signed a serious contract on the instruction of the Russian Federation to development medical helicopters on the basis of Ansat. They will be manufactured in our Kazan Helicopters,'' Tatarstan President's Aide Ravil Zaripov told about prospects.
The delegation carefully examined all the stands that had the latest achievements of the aviation industry. The people especially spent much time next to the stand of the Kazan Giproniiaviaprom.
''A 3D scanner that can scan any room quickly is interesting, we use it at work. For example, if earlier it took five days for five employees to measure an exhibition pavilion, now one person can do it with this equipment for several hours. In addition, we talked about supplies of vibration testing equipment, production of electrotyping equipment,'' head of the electrotyping equipment group of Kazan Giproniiaviaprom Marat Mavletov told Realnoe Vremya.
To teach the growing generation whose representative can choose the profession of pilot, Tatarstan thinks about the appearance of the first regional air town in Maslovka settlement in Rybno-Slobodsky District.
''It will be the first air town that would combine both residential infrastructure and runway. It's a commercial, social and industrial project. It will be a junior gliding centre that would annually train 300 pilots. This is a unique experience in Russia,'' told head of Aviation Country regional programme Ivan Lyamin and asked the republic's government to help in the transfer of lands from one category to another. Now the interesting territory is designed for agricultural purposes.
In a talk with Realnoe Vremya's correspondent, Lyamin explained the land parcel was registered, the investment plan was made and it was included to the general investment plan of the government at the moment. They want to fulfil the idea for 2-3 years.
''The sum hasn't been completely defined, there are many questions about making the investment plan. Mainly investments will be attracted, the regional budget – less. It's a unique example of state and private partnership,'' Lyamin didn't announce financial costs.
Unique documents
The Kazan Motor-Building Production Association, which presented two areas, drew a lot of attention.
''It's production technologies of a very complex representative of construction of gas turbine engine, blade production and units in cooperation with the Klimov United Engine Building Association. It's our participation in import substitution programme for the Ukrainian engine. Today the Klimov United Engine Building Association already has serial production. As participants of cooperation, we make four units to assemble the engine. We already supply a series of units, we've supplied over 60 air starters and 190 exhaust pipes, other two units are at the Klimov United Engine Building Association for qualification tests. There will be made a decision on their serial production,'' said Deputy Director General of KMPO Sergey Shelepov.
Constructor General of the United Aircraft Construction Corporation Sergey Korotkov didn't encourage they could begin producing the Il-96.
''There were such talks, but we don't see a big market,'' Korotkov explained. An agreement on intentions between the republic's government and the nuclear centre in Snezhinsk was signed at the exhibition's opening.
The State Committee for Archive of the Republic of Tatarstan presented unique documents. For instance, documents about the evacuation of educational establishments and aircraft building enterprises to Kazan first saw the light. So some of them are about the partial evacuation of the Flight Research Institute and Central Aerodynamic Institute from Moscow to Kazan.
''This unique document will be given to the director of the Aerodynamic Institute by the 100 th anniversary,'' said chief archive worker of the state committee Indira Zaynullina.
Documents about test flights in Kazan factories were made public for the first time. The surname of Mikhail Vodopyanov who was one of the first people to get the title of the Hero of the USSR can be found among the test pilots. Sergey Korolyov is the engineer and constructor in some of the documents.
