Flight International - August 18, 2015

34 | Flight International | 18-31 August 2015 flightglobal.com

RUSSIA

SPECIAL REPORT

❯❯ industry also has deep insight into the

engine’s capabilities through P&W’s selection
by Irkut to power the MC-21.
“It’s a really big challenge from the P&W
product. We respect these engine people. To
increase bypass ratio by using a gearbox, by
creation of the new more efficient core. It’s a
really interesting product and we look at that
product,” Dolotovsky says.

Sukhoi’s analysis has concluded that the
geared turbofan engine’s fuel efficiency ad-
vantages are real, but they come for a price. By
retaining the SaM146 powerplant, Sukhoi
hopes to offset the fuel efficiency improve-
ment offered by the P&W product with a steep
price discount on acquisition cost.
“I’m not sure that Pratt & Whitney engine will
cost exactly the same as SaM146 for instance,”
Dolotovsky says. “And I’m not talking about
maintenance. I’m just talking about cost itself.
So then you will compare. I have got aircraft
number one and aircraft number two. The
[P&W-powered] aircraft is 10% more efficient –
yes, it’s more fuel efficient. But if you take the
full economic analysis, at least [the SaM146-
powered aircraft] will become comparable.
At least.”
The improved wing surface of the stretched
model also plays a critical role in Sukhoi’s
analysis of the thrust requirement. By using the
more efficient wing, the heavier stretched Su-
perjet should be able to meet take-off and range
requirements with only a small improvement

in thrust compared to the original version.

“We found a technical solution to keep the

same engine. We have the same thrust rating,”

Dolotovsky says.

FACING COMPETITION

In addition to the E-Jet E2, Sukhoi’s stretched

model will compete in the same cabin segment

as the CSeries, including the 110-seat CS100

and 135-seat CS300. The CSeries and the Su-

perjet share obvious similarities, with five-

abreast, economy-class cabins.

The CSeries is a formidable rival for Super-

jet. “It’s a nice aircraft, I like it,” Dolotovsky

says. “It looks like a Superjet.”

But Sukhoi is careful about promising too

much for the stretched Superjet. The CSeries,

for example, is offered with more than 3,000nm

(5,550km) range, a trans-continental distance ri-

valling the Airbus and Boeing narrowbody

families. Sukhoi, however, plans to limit the

range of its proposed commercial product to

less than 2,000nm.

The stretched aircraft will be “suitable for re-

gional operation with optimised costs”, Dolo-

tovsky says. “We would not like to make a uni-

versal aircraft. History shows if you’re trying to

be the best everywhere, you will never be good

anywhere. We are focusing on the regional mar-

ket. We would not like to have Airbus and Boe-

ing as competitors.”

Another part of the planning phase for the

Superjet NG is the study of future avionics re-

quirements. If the Superjet NG enters service

after 2020, it will be subject to several new re-

quirements for airspace access imposed by

the USA’s NextGen and Europe’s SESAR air

traffic modernisation programmes.

“So we expect to use this opportunity to give

the same cockpit for both family members, but

with some advantages,” Dolotovsky says.

“We’ll keep our five-screen system because it

looks nice, and it is positively accepted by the

pilot. We will keep the general shape of the

cockpit and the general functionality, for sure.

We also keep the fly-by-wire system because it

is outstanding now. But maybe we will grow

some capability for the avionics suite in ac-

cordance with the requirements.”

A head-up display (HUD) is expected to be

mandated for all commercial aircraft operating

in China by 2025. A Chinese lessor has recent-

ly become a major Superjet customer, commit-

ting to acquire 100 aircraft. “We will consider

a HUD for the Superjet 100, especially for the

Chinese market,” Dolotovsky says. ■

Mexico’s Interjet is one of the

few exceptions in Sukhoi’s

mostly Russian order book

The stretched variant gives Sukhoi the chance to make improvements over the first type

Sukhoi

Sukhoi

“We’ll also keep the

fly-by-wire system because

it is outstanding now”

ALEXEI DOLOTOVSKI
Deputy chief designer, Sukhoi