In case of successful implementation

• description and technical characteristics of the Tu-324 model
• country and manufacturer
• dimensions, number of seats, flight data and photo of the aircraft

Civil, Passenger, Regional Aircraft

As of early 2007, the aircraft is under development. The aircraft is oriented for deliveries to the domestic and foreign markets.

The use of aircraft in passenger, administrative, cargo-passenger and cargo variants is envisaged.

When designing an aircraft, CAD systems are used.

Great attention is paid to the reliability and reliability of the power plant, systems and avionics. The airborne flight and navigation complex provides full automation of aircraft navigation in all physical and geographical conditions, at any time of the day on domestic and international routes, as well as off-piste, with automatic approach for landing according to ICAO category II with upgrading to category IIIA.

The aircraft is focused on the runway with a length of 1800 meters, it is distinguished by its adaptation to domestic airfields.

Flight characteristics

Cruise speed (km/h): 870
Flight range with passengers and luggage (with fuel reserves) (km): 2500

2 engines AI-22 or CF34-3B1

Wingspan (m): 23.20
Aircraft length (m): 25.50
Aircraft height (m): 7.30

Passengers in the cabin of two classes: 44
Passengers in tourist class: 50
Passengers in the VIP version: 19

The Tu-324 passenger aircraft manufactured by the A. Tupolev Design Bureau is used as a passenger carrier on local airlines.

The beginning of development falls on the 90s, when engineers from the design bureau received the task of designing a twenty-seater Tu-20 passenger aircraft with engines with pusher propellers. Tu-20 and Tu-400 (turbofan engines) were worked out in draft versions, but did not go beyond this framework. Nevertheless, the leadership from the design bureau did not stop cherishing the hope of creating a passenger aircraft of this class. In February 1996, the government of the Russian Federation decided to create an interregional airliner for 50 passengers, which after a short time received the Tu-324 marking.

In July of the same year, the state mock-up commission presented a mock-up of the future aircraft. After a thorough review, the project was approved. After this stage, ASTC (Aviation Scientific and Technical Complex) began a full-scale design of the Tu-324 aircraft. At the moment, the design bureau is preparing working drawings for aircraft systems and a frame for their transportation to the mass production plant. Chief designer V. Dmitriev evaluates the preparation as "good". The fuel efficiency of the liner will be in the range of 23.6-24.3. It should also be noted that the aircraft is promising from the point of view of the introduction of satellite communication technologies (navigation, landing, communications, control in the air).

The Tu-324 liner belongs to regional aircraft. Russia, not without the help of Ukraine and Uzbekistan, has already designed several aircraft of this class and with the same dimensions (An-140 and Il-114). Although such units already exist, according to experts, the Tu-324 aircraft is considered quite promising. And this is connected not only with the domestic market, but also with the external one. In comparison with similar projects, it is safe to note the significant advantages of the Tupolev aircraft.

The Tu-324 is equipped with a turbojet power plant, unlike the Il-114 and An-140 turboprop engines. It is thanks to the high speed that the aircraft will be able to strengthen its position in the niche of devices of this class. But due to the lack of funds (the project at this stage of development is financed by the Republic of Tatarstan), the project is not only being constructed slowly, but also hangs in doubt.

The Tu-324 is the first major Russian project to be financed without state support and is not included in the number of planned programs. Because of this, the aircraft project is not included in the aircraft manufacturing plan of the Russian Federation for 2025.

The project is being implemented by paying part of the money from oil exports. Also, the aircraft is the first project that is created through the sale of raw materials. But also in this sector of financing, gaps appeared due to the fall in the market price of oil. In turn, the design and construction of the aircraft now depends directly on investments from Tatarstan.

According to experts, the completion of the main development work in general will cost 300-350 million rubles. Estimated completion time is up to four years.

In the future, it is planned to build and sell more than 130 copies of this sample. The dynamics of the creation of the aircraft is aimed at increasing sales in each year.

During the design of the Tu-324 aircraft, the main emphasis is on the introduction of advanced technology and computer-aided design tools. The use of such a staffing scheme is found only in two world firms: Airbus Industry and Boeing. Representatives of GosNIIGA stated that the aircraft project should be implemented, since there is a need for such a 50-seat airliner.

The design of the future Tu-324

The liner will be designed according to the aerodynamic design. This low-wing aircraft will have moderately swept wings and a T-tail, reinforced tricycle landing gear with a nose strut. The basis of the power plant will be a composition of two AI-22 turbofan engines, which were developed in ZMKB Progress. They will be placed on pylons in the tail section. In the future, it is planned to mount more promising R-126-300 engines due to their increased power.

Several variations of the cabin layout are being considered. There are currently three of them:

1. tourist (designed for 52 passengers);
2. mixed (divided into two classes - 46 seats);
3. administrative (will be used for high ranks and well-known politicians, from 8 to 19 passenger seats).

The aircraft has cockpit avionics similar to the unified Tu-204 and Tu-334. The electric radio remote system, together with the flight and navigation complex, provides almost complete automated aircraft navigation. It also contributes to the work of the landing process in the second category of ICAO.

According to preliminary calculations, the technical life of the Tu-324 is very high, since it is determined in 60,000 hours of flight at 45,000 landing moments. The same calculation calculates the operation of the liner without a major overhaul in gradations of the assigned technical resource. Built-in control will allow you to view the technical data of the aircraft without a physical check of the repair crews.

Modifications:

Tu-324 is a passenger version of the aircraft.

Tu-324A is an administrative version of the cabin. The difference with the base model lies in the fuselage shortened by two meters and the presence of additional fuel tanks. Since the aircraft is intended for the highest echelon of power, its flight range is increased to 7900 km. Among the equipment, it is planned to install radiotelephone and facsimile systems, equipping a sleeping room and a shower.

Tu-324 characteristics:

Tu-324. Gallery.

The vast territory, the large distance between regions and cities, the lack of a road network, especially in the north and east of our Motherland, require active restoration and further development of transport infrastructure.

Ecology and progress - we need to make them friends

A number of factors and features of our vast country did not allow aircraft such as Superjet and MS-21 to completely close the issue of replacing old Soviet-made aircraft. And, unfortunately, many airports in Russian settlements cannot be called modern and convenient due to relatively short runways. Overhaul in such "hubs" is not cost-effective due to the small passenger traffic. Thus, the idea arose to create a new modern aircraft capable of landing at the "obsolete" airports in Russia.

Aircraft TU 324. Description. History of creation

The MAKS-2017 air show showed a suitable one. It turned out to be the TU-324 jointly produced by Tupolev OJSC and the aircraft building plant in the Republic of Tatarstan (KAZ).

Here is what various media write about this aircraft.

The TU-324 was developed in accordance with the technical requirements for the design of aircraft by some Russian regional airlines and the Russian Research Institute of Civil Aviation. It should become a worthy replacement for the Yak-40 (34 seats), TU-134 (70 seats). Airlines really need to replace these two models. A good compromise is a 52-seat aircraft.

Surprisingly, the money for the implementation of this project is allocated not from the state budget, but by regional investors of the Republic of Tatarstan. Engineers, aircraft designers and designers work very quickly and provide quality that meets the highest standards and technologies. Also, four more companies (not listed) on their own initiative developed a new AI-222-25 engine.

Digital development is an indicator of high industrialization

According to the press secretary of the Kazan plant, for the first time in history, new aircraft and engines are being developed entirely in digital form. The experts spent at least 2 years designing and researching a new type of engine. After 1000 hours of testing, the new model showed good results, fully meeting the stated requirements. As a result, the Tupolev 324 has excellent performance and meets the highest international standards in this subclass. It outperforms the fuel efficiency of the SSJ-60 (Super jet) by approximately 28%. The main characteristics of the TU-324 aircraft are quite good. They are listed in the table below. After the table with the characteristics of the TU-324 aircraft, the diagram is presented.

TU 324. Scheme of the salon. Modifications. Information

The passenger compartment of the TU-324 is quite wide: width - 2.6 meters, height 1.9 meters. There is business and economy class. As an option, the aircraft can have a kitchen, Internet, an entertainment video system for passengers, including the current flight path.

The layout of the cabin is "2-2" (2 rows of seats on each side).

The following modifications are expected:

• extended Tu-414;
• TU-324 (with business class);
• TU-414 (with business class).

ICAO will have no claims

It is so accepted in this organization that it constantly tightens the requirements for aircraft in terms of noise levels. Various instruments are placed on the runway, takeoff and landing trajectories, the so-called special monitors, tuned to a certain number of DCBs. TU-324 meets not only modern standards, but also more stringent future ICAO requirements.

This aircraft will be able to perform not only NADP1, NADP2, NADP(A) or NADP(B) procedures with ease, but also any other procedures established by local authorities (good thrust-to-weight ratio and light weight).

How high will this plane fly

Although this aircraft was designed specifically to solve our intra-regional problems, the countries of the CIS, Africa, Asia, and Latin America became interested in it. It is also planned to try to compete in the Chinese aviation market.

Still, it is objectively necessary to understand that the main goal is the revival of the strategic missile carrier TU-160. The AN-140 somehow coped with regional transportation, but the Ukrainian crisis and the liquidation of the Russian-Ukrainian program leave Russia without a short-haul vehicle. And since the same TU-214s are produced a couple a year, the loading of aircraft factories remains at a low level. And if everything is left to chance, the day will come when aircraft factories will lose their competencies altogether, and such super-projects as TU-160 (TU-160 M2) and DA) will become inaccessible to our aircraft industry. How can it be otherwise if there is no download? To become an athlete, you need to train every day. This is the essence of such projects, such as the TU-324.

There was a lot of talk about the TU-324 prototypes, but there was never any money from the budget, so they initially looked for investors who would invest in this project.

At the end of 2012, the state program for the development of the aviation industry for the period 2013-2025 was adopted, there was no information about the project.

In April 2015, the acting president of Tatarstan, in an interview with Russian journalists, drew attention to this regional aircraft.

And here is what the adviser to the Prime Minister of the Republic of Tatarstan Nazir Kireev said:

“Much has been done to promote the TU-324 as essential to the aircraft industry. Created unique booklets, issued a circulation of about 800 units, banners. Long before the exhibition, a model of the aircraft was offered for demonstration at the Tupolev Design Bureau exhibition. They refused us, and we were forced to ask Valery Nikolaevich Pobezhimov (the chief designer of ENIKS). Where he was subsequently presented.

Director of ENIKS Pobezhimov V.N.:

“We did this because Rustam Nurgalievich was very rooting for this plane.

KAZ carried out a huge preparation for production: there is a mastered engine, avionics, everything is certified, in excellent condition, meets European airworthiness standards. In 1999, the documentation for the airframe was handed over, equipment and tools for creating the liner were made, new riveting machines were bought for $ 15.6 million. The government of Tatarstan ordered experimental AI-22 engines for a considerable amount of money. In total, since 2007, a group under the Cabinet of Ministers of the Republic of Tatarstan has been able to attract about $330 million to this project.”

As we can see, the short-haul passenger aircraft TU-324 is simply doomed to take off. After all, unlike the Superjet-100, which has a lot of foreign internals, this aircraft will be completely domestic: it is planned to have tested electronics and avionics, which are already showing themselves perfectly on the BE-200.

We wish good luck to the TU-324 and look forward to seeing it in 2018-2020!

• Data modification date: 12/22/2015

MODIFICATIONS. The aircraft can also be supplied in specialized versions: light transport, patrol, ambulance, etc.

In the administrative version, at the request of the customer, the aircraft can be equipped with:

∙ satellite telephone connection;

∙ telefax;

∙ personal computer.

This administrative option is shown in parentheses.

DIMENSIONS. The length of the aircraft is 26.2 (23.2) m, the height of the aircraft is 7.3 m, the wingspan is 24.7 m.

NUMBER OF PLACES. Basic option: 50 (1-4 VIP), business class option: 30 (8-10).

ENGINES. 2 X R-126-300

MASSES AND LOADS. Maximum takeoff weight 24600 (25400) kg, maximum payload 5000 (3000) kg,

FLIGHT DATA. Cruise speed 800 km/h, flight range with 50 passengers (load 3 tons) 2500 (5900) km, flight range with 30 passengers (load 1 ton) 4550 (7900) km, runway length 1800 (1950) m.

PROGRAM STATUS. At the design stage. Serial production is planned at the Kazan Aviation Production Association. S.P. Gorbunov.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION. The aircraft is designed to perform business aviation tasks and can be used as an air taxi, corporate, as well as for servicing senior leaders, members of governments and as a headquarters and liaison officer for the Armed Forces. It can be easily modified into a variant of a regional aircraft with a passenger capacity of 50 seats and a flight range of up to 2500 km.

The Tu-324 aircraft differs from previously created aircraft by the possibility of operation on unprepared airfields and a significant range of non-stop flight. This ensures: a high level of passenger comfort and flight safety. Significant advantages are a reduced level of environmental impact on the environment and a high degree of maintainability.

DEVELOPER. ASTC im. A. N. Tupolev.

Monitoring:

13.05.2016

Business Online, article: The plane, the development of which Tatarstan paid for down to the screw, can go...

18.09.2015

Business Online, article: Kazan aircraft plant at a crossroads: "Tupolev" stubbornly disowns the aircraft, which ...

On April 16-17, Ulyanovsk hosts the Second Congress of Russian Aircraft Manufacturers. One of the main issues discussed at the forum, which is attended by leading scientists, heads of research institutes, design bureaus, and enterprises, is the future of the domestic aircraft industry. How he is seen in Tatarstan - Rustam Minnikhanov, Acting President of the Republic of Tatarstan, spoke about this in an exclusive interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta.

Rustam Nurgalievich, some twenty years ago, the aviation industry in Tatarstan was on the verge of ruin. At the same time, none of the enterprises of the industry in the republic was closed. Most of them work successfully to this day. What's the secret?

Rustam Minnikhanov: The aviation industry is represented in the republic very powerfully: research institutes, design bureaus and enterprises that develop and manufacture aircraft, helicopters, aircraft engines, radio and electronic devices, a large list of components are concentrated here. And what cadres always worked there! The highest qualification. Moreover, the majority of specialists are graduates of the Kazan Aviation Institute, the university and other higher and secondary specialized educational institutions.

Let me remind you that the Kazan Aviation Plant named after Gorbunov then specialized in fulfilling especially important tasks for the Motherland. The company produced bombers that were part of the strategic nuclear triad, starting with the Tu-4. Then there were Tu-16, Tu-22, Tu-22M3 and Tu-160. It was in Kazan that the world's first Tu-104 jet passenger aircraft and the first domestic intercontinental liner Il-62 were produced. In addition, for most of these aircraft, we produced jet engines, control and monitoring devices, and various on-board radio-electronic equipment.

Therefore, when the crisis of the 90s broke out, the ministries were liquidated and the aircraft factories were left without management, we did everything to save them. How else? They also had and are of particular importance in the country's defense system. We have adopted more than thirty regulatory and legal acts aimed at supporting aviation enterprises in the republic. Due to this, the factories received tax benefits. They were allocated funds for the payment of wages, loans for urgent needs. It got to the point that the teams that did not receive payment for the completed state order were supplied with food. We thought about the future.

But the result was worth it. During the reform, we have not lost a single defense enterprise! Then new tests. Work in market conditions. To be honest, the defense industry adapted to them with great difficulty. But you have to survive! How? We decided together with specialists from enterprises, research institutes and design bureaus.

Very soon we realized that there was only one way out - to start developing new products that would be in demand not only in the domestic market, but also abroad.

But first it was necessary to understand what exactly is in demand. How did you define it?

Rustam Minnikhanov: With the help of consumers. For example, our helicopter builders annually invited foreign colleagues to Kazan. There, at conferences, Mi operators, including foreign ones, openly expressed their complaints about the operation of our helicopters. Their comments and suggestions then formed the basis of the terms of reference for the revision of already produced and planned for production of new products.

As a result, the factory workers mastered five modifications of the Mi-8 helicopter, which allowed the Kazan Helicopter Plant to remain on the foreign market and annually export products worth about 200 million US dollars.

Then they realized: one type of product is not enough. As a result, the plant received a license for the right to develop aviation equipment, organized its own design bureau and produced several new machines, including the Ansat helicopter.

In the same years, an international group on the Mi-34 helicopter was organized. But even when it broke up, KVZ completed the project on its own. He prepared production and released a prototype helicopter. Then, by the way, for the first time for the Milev machine, blades made of composite materials were mastered and applied.

As far as we know, Kazan engine builders did not stand still either ...

Rustam Minnikhanov: They, together with the Samarans, mastered and produced the NK-93 screw-fan engine. He is truly unique. The fuel economy it showed on the booth is phenomenal! Compared to other analogues, it is 17 percent better!

In addition, together with the Zaporizhzhya ZMKB Progress and OJSC Motor Sich, the Kazan engine-building production association mastered and produced an experimental AI-22 large bypass engine. We even managed to certify it for the stage of bench testing.

In the 90s, there was a question of replacing the Tu-154 aircraft in operation, and then the Kazan Aviation Production Association mastered the medium-haul liner of the new generation Tu-214.

But all these developments required a lot of money. Who invested in the projects?

Rustam Minnikhanov: We have mobilized all the internal resources of Tatarstan, including the budget ones. For example, the certification of the Tu-214 aircraft was financed from the republican treasury, and funds were contributed to the fund of the leasing company being created to sell it.

And when it was announced that purchases of the Tu-22M3 and Tu-160 were to be stopped and the question arose of preserving the strategic enterprise, KAPO named after Gorbunov, the republic initiated the development of a new aircraft at its own expense.

But he could be unclaimed ...

Rustam Minnikhanov: We started by looking at demand. On our order, the Civil Aviation Research Institute conducted a study and found out which aircraft the airlines would need. It turned out that from 2005 a regional aircraft with a capacity of 50-60 people will be in demand, which will replace the Yak-40 and Tu-134.

The Tupolev Design Bureau did an excellent job with our order. The Tu-324 project successfully passed the defense before the state commission. Working documentation in a short time and in full was transferred to KAPO, where in a short time more than 36 thousand technical processes were developed, a lot of equipment was manufactured.

According to the project, the aircraft fully complies with the requirements of the new generation. In particular, it meets all ICAO requirements for the control system, noise and exhaust emissions. He should not have any flight restrictions in any country in the world. In Russia, it can be used at all airfields that previously received Yak-40 and Tu-134 aircraft.

For him, by order of the republic, a new domestic avionics was developed at the Research Institute of Aviation Equipment. It allows the crew of only two people to fly the aircraft. Installed on the Be-200 aircraft, it has successfully passed certification in accordance with European standards.

By the way, the Tu-324 is the first aircraft in Russia designed using digital technologies. This was the requirement of the republic, and we purchased powerful servers for the Tupolev Design Bureau, more than 70 graphics stations and over 120 computers, trained 20 people in Germany to maintain software products.

We also purchased similar software and hardware for KAPO. In addition, digital machines and riveting machines "Dzhemkor" were purchased for the enterprise.

In total, 550 million US dollars were mobilized from the internal resources of Tatarstan for the implementation of all programs in the aviation sector over six years. And this at a time when up to 90-100 million dollars a year could be allocated from the federal budget for all aviation projects!

I believe that we have done everything to ensure that at present all aircraft manufacturing enterprises operate stably. Moreover, there is a good demand for their products. For example, at the stage of introduction into production on the Tu-324, contracts were signed for 50 aircraft.

Nothing surprising! Tu-324 had the best performance compared to the already produced and developed analogues. For example, it turned out to be 7 tons lighter and 29 percent better in fuel efficiency than an aircraft of approximately the same capacity - the RRJ-60, the development of which began much later.

How was the fate of the projects then?

Rustam Minnikhanov: Differently. If the corporation "Rostec", where Denis Valentinovich Manturov worked at that time, invited us to jointly manage the assets of OJSC "KVZ", and today this company is successfully developing, increasing sales of helicopters created at that time, then in KAPO everything is the other way around.

Despite the fact that all the republic's investments (and, as I said, we purchased the latest equipment, which, together with the enterprise's debt to the republican budget, amounted to more than three-quarters of the residual value), we did not receive a single share.

As a result, the main decisions were made without us. For example, the company was not allowed to start serial production of the Tu-214 aircraft and even to manufacture 7 out of 10 remaining aircraft under a contract with the Transaero airline.

As for the Tu-324 aircraft, it was decided to complete its development at the expense of federal funds. However, under the pretext that Russian airlines would not need many cars, the planned funds were not received. Specialists of the Tupolev Design Bureau and the plant have repeatedly said that Brazil and Canada, not to mention the USA and Europe, keep only a part of the aircraft produced, and relatively small, and sell the rest on the foreign market. But this was not heard.

Incidentally, Tu-324 analogues remain in high demand. More than 70 units of Brazilian and Canadian regionals have already been delivered to Russia alone.

And now you can return to the Tu-324 aircraft? Complete its development, launch production ...

Rustam Minnikhanov: My opinion: not only possible, but also necessary. It is no longer possible to leave regional lines without such an aircraft and continue to reach neighboring regions via Moscow, as is being done now. It is no coincidence that Tu-134 and Yak-40 aircraft were produced in total more than 1800 units.

But the Tu-324 is a jet aircraft, its fuel consumption is higher than that of turboprops.

Rustam Minnikhanov: Experts analyzed and found: at distances up to a thousand kilometers, turboprop aircraft are more economical than jet ones. They have no advantage on longer runs. Do not forget that jet planes have their own plus: they reduce travel time.

At a range of 2,500 kilometers, for which the Tu-324 is designed, the gain is already an hour.

The Tu-324 also has another feature. With the same speed and service as mainline aircraft, it can replace larger aircraft during downturns in passenger traffic, providing the same travel time and significant cost savings for airlines on each flight.

It turns out that the aircraft developed and even partially mastered at the enterprises of the republic remained unclaimed?

Rustam Minnikhanov: Not certainly in that way! The President of Russia flies on a Tu-214 plane. They are operated by the Ministry of Defense and other law enforcement agencies. We are proud of it.

The fate of this particular aircraft was adversely affected by the fact that at the time of the start of its production, Aeroflot "knocked out" privileges for duty-free importation of Boeings into the country. Even then we considered this decision controversial, creating privileges for foreign manufacturers and holding back the development of domestic aviation. Time has shown: our assessment was confirmed.

It is no secret that even today, when importing cars from abroad, the government of the country provides airlines with large privileges ...

Rustam Minnikhanov: After the industry stopped mass production of aircraft across the entire model range and less than fifty aircraft were delivered to commercial air carriers in seven years, such a decision by the Russian government became necessary. Airlines have to fly something. Over the years, they have purchased and leased more than 800 foreign aircraft, which today carry out up to 90 percent of air transportation.

True, there is one "but" about which, by the way, we warned ... The opportunity to save large sums on import customs duties and on the registration of aircraft in offshore companies ceases to stimulate airlines to purchase domestic aircraft. They are encouraged to do this by the bases created during this time for the use of foreign aircraft in the form of already trained personnel, as well as technical services for servicing foreign equipment.

Often, this is why one has to hear unreasonable claims against domestic technology.

This situation may drag on for a long time, since until 2025, in addition to the two types of aircraft types produced in piece order, only one is planned to be mastered. There are no decisions to launch the entire line of aircraft required by domestic airlines. It turns out that after 2025, Russian carriers will have to buy aircraft abroad.

Do airlines really need domestic aircraft?

Rustam Minnikhanov: Need! Russia is a huge country in terms of territory. In a significant part of it, land communications are underdeveloped. Russian aviation, adapted to its climatic conditions, is the only means that allows the state to ensure the constitutional rights of citizens to freedom of movement.

In the recent past, more than 5,000 lines were served on domestic aircraft, every fourth aircraft in the sky above the earth was ours. Note that the average ticket price was 27 percent of the national average wage. Almost a third of the country's citizens used air transport.

Foreign aircraft are good, but they are not suitable for all regions, and besides, their maintenance is very expensive. Some airlines have ceased operations because of this.

But there are more compelling reasons for airlines to have Russian aircraft. In certain periods of time, aircraft of civil airlines must be involved for state needs and the performance of especially important tasks, including for transportation in the interests of the Armed Forces. In such cases, you can fully rely only on domestically produced cars.

Suffice it to recall the example of the Dobrolet airline, which was recently forced to cease its existence due to flights to the Crimea. She was denied lease renewal, navigational information, and maintenance. Such a threat exists for all airlines with foreign cars.

In the middle of the last decade, the Ministry of Transport of Russia, expressing the aspirations of air carriers, in several appeals to various authorities raised the issue of reinstatement in the FTP for the development of aviation in Russia and the subsequent large-scale serial production of certified domestic aircraft Tu-214, Tu-204-100 (and their modifications), as well as new aircraft Tu-324 and Tu-414. This question is still relevant today.

Are you sure that airlines will want to buy these aircraft?

Rustam Minnikhanov: If the flight performance and operational characteristics of each introduced machine are agreed with the air carriers and finalized taking into account their requirements, yes! In principle, it is illogical to develop an industry strategy and plan a product line for the production of aircraft without taking into account the requirements of the consumer.

There is also an economic aspect. Airlines buy from foreign manufacturers up to a hundred aircraft a year. They are also paid for the maintenance of purchased aircraft. All this could be provided by Russian aircraft manufacturers. It turns out that these two industries annually miss a decent amount in the country's gross product. According to the most conservative estimates, it is up to ten billion dollars.

Where is the exit?

Rustam Minnikhanov: In Ulyanovsk, industry professionals gathered at the second congress of aircraft manufacturers. I think they have an answer to this question. Very valuable, in my opinion, proposals were sent to the organizing committee of the congress and our experts. In particular, they propose to once again rethink the industry management system and form the entire line and volumes of manufactured equipment at the state level. Considering that air carriers are faced with the task of providing air transportation in the country, the technical requirements for each product of the program should be formed based on their requirements.

Corporations of aircraft manufacturers should focus on the development of the industry in accordance with the tasks set by the state.

Under the current conditions, experts question the feasibility of such an ambitious task as winning the third position in the world in sales of civil aircraft by 2025. This goal will have to be achieved through products that have yet to be developed. And this is at a time when we do not provide even a tenth of the needs of our own airlines!

The programs being formed, according to experts, should be specific, designed for no more than 4-5 years. This will increase the demands on contractors, and will give airlines the opportunity to plan the development of their fleet.

One example. The recently adopted program until 2025 for JSC Tupolev does not include a single topic on civil aircraft. This excludes the potential that has a global brand and the largest line of commercial passenger aircraft. We believe that, taking this into account, the state should take special measures to preserve intellectual teams and domestic brands by creating current and promising topics for them.

Rustam Minnikhanov: First, developer schools don't take shape overnight. It is doubtful that the country will be able to create somewhere a new center in a short time, which will begin to "give out" a competitive product. Secondly, there are many firms in the United States that create aviation equipment, which Boeing has lost more than one tender in recent history.

Do you think that in the near future the state should make fundamental changes in the management and development of the aircraft industry?

Rustam Minnikhanov: Otherwise it is impossible. We believe that, given the mobilization component of civil aviation, it is necessary to legislate the priority of using domestically produced equipment in the country's civil air transportation. Our experts are convinced that we need to legislate a program, I would even say, a schedule that would reflect the increase in the share of domestic aircraft in the fleet of Russian airlines over the years. For example, by 2020 it should grow to fifty percent, and by 2025 - to eighty percent. This will help discipline manufacturers to produce civil aircraft of a technical level that would satisfy airlines and allow them to plan their activities taking into account the use of domestic technology.

As the very first step towards starting a new course in aviation activities and the beginning of the mass equipping of airlines with domestic equipment, experts suggest that the government of the Russian Federation establish a state order for the supply of Tu-214, Tu-204SM, Il-96, Il-114 aircraft modified to the requirements of air carriers, as well as the Tu-324 aircraft, which airlines have been waiting for a long time. Subsequently, the aircraft manufactured under the state order will be leased to air carriers.

Why are we talking about these aircraft? The fact is that all of them are designed taking into account the best achievements of domestic science, have a high degree of production readiness and, with the adoption of a decision, they can begin to be supplied to airlines in a modified form in the second and third years.

Nevertheless, specialists suggest that the government, with the wide involvement of scientists, professional organizations of the industry and practitioners, hold an open discussion about the effectiveness of the existing civil aviation management system, structures created for this and their proposals. They consider it important to discuss at the Congress the current practice of developing strategic goals, an adequate response of the industry to the real needs of Russian air carriers, the state of using the intellectual potential of developing organizations, and the preservation and development of domestic brands. And based on the results of the discussion, take measures to improve the management system. The organization of large-scale serial production of domestic aircraft is the only measure capable of reviving the Russian aircraft industry.

With the massive equipping of domestic airlines with Russian-made aircraft, one can expect foreign air carriers to become interested in Russian technology, which will help Russia achieve a high rating - third place in the world aircraft industry.