VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
ARCHIVE OF THE OFFICIAL SITE
OF THE 2008-2012 PRIME MINISTER
OF THE RUSSIAN FEDERATION
VLADIMIR PUTIN
The private joint stock company Aviastar SP is a spin-off of the Ulyanovsk Aviation Industrial Complex (UAPK-Russian acronim), whose construction was launched in 1976 for the serial production of wide-bodied aircraft. In 1985, the UAPK completed the first An-124 Ruslan military transport plane. In 1988, it expanded its capacities to build Tu-204 airliners, the first of which was rolled out in 1990. In 1992, UAPK was restructured into a public joint stock company, Aviastar.
After conversion, the plant was converted to manufacture An-124 aircraft and a family of Tu-204 passenger airliners. In 1997, Aviastar SP was registered as a private joint stock company.
In 2007, the government decided to make Aviastar SP the central assembly facility of the United Aircraft Building Corporation.
Currently, Aviastar SP is a plant equipped with high-precision machine tools manufacturing An-124 Ruslan heavy transport planes and Tu-204 medium-haul passenger and cargo planes for domestic and export needs. Its production facilities are capable of a wide variety of operations: from stamping and machining to final assembly, testing and painting. Its capacities make it possible to upgrade, refit and maintain any domestically or foreign-made aircraft. Today the plant is the largest enterprise in the Russian aviation industry and a key contributor to the economy of the Ulyanovsk Region. Aviastar SP leads Russia's aircraft exports.
Since its establishment, the Ulyanovsk aviation plant has turned out 45 Tu-204s of different versions and 36 An-124s.
Currently, Aviastar SP has a long-term development programme for the construction and maintenance of aircraft. Its order book includes 42 aircraft. Presently, it has nine passenger and cargo modifications of the Tu-204 in the works, ordered by Russian and foreign companies. The plant provides warranty and post-warranty servicing, supplies parts, trains flight and technical personnel, and co-manufactures aerospace assemblies and units with the space industry.
The regional government has drawn up plans to support the region's aviation industry. On February 19, under the chairmanship of Governor Sergei Morozov, it met to review and approve a resolution on support measures. The resolution endorsed a plan to provide support for operations manufacturing and marketing aircraft in the Ulyanovsk Region. The steps included assisting with personnel, housing and hostel construction, tax breaks, etc.
Under a strategy for the development of the aviation industry through 2015, approved on September 28, 2005, and in accordance with a November 2007 plan to ensure the production of locally-made aircraft through 2015, Aviastar SP is expected to turn out 200 aircraft in the Tu-204 family, including 150 of the improved Tu-204SM type.
In 2007, Aviastar SP assembled and delivered five aircraft to its customers, or half of all civilian aircraft turned out by all Russian aviation plants. In 2008, it plans to complete eight aircraft, a 200% increase over the previous period, and achieve a 420% increase by 2015.
Its short-range priority is to start the serial production of Project 476, whose annual output is to reach 10 units by 2015, with a total production of 50 units.
Types of airliners made
The Tu-204 has spawned a family of passenger and cargo variations, respectively the Tu-204-100, Tu-204-120, and Tu-204-300; and the Tu-204S, Tu-204SE, Tu-204-120S, and Tu-204-120SE. Featuring highly efficient operation, comfortable cabin arrangement, and fuel efficiency on a par with similar foreign models, the Tu-204 family of aircraft is both competitive and economical for distances of up to 8,000 km.
The Tu-204-100 is a basic medium-haul passenger airliner with PS-90A engines from Aviadvigatel in Perm. It has a maximum take-off weight of 103 metric tons, a range of up to 4,350 km, and a maximum payload capacity of 21 tons (210 passengers) and has been awarded an NLGS-3 airworthiness certificate. The next model is expected to be certified to AP-25 standards.
The Tu-204-120 is based on the serially produced Tu-204-100 but is powered by Rolls Royce RB211-535E4-B-75 engines adapted to a new air frame and other related systems. It has an NLGS-3(MAK) and an ECASA (Egypt) airworthiness certificate.
The Tu-204-300 is a long-haul passenger aircraft with PS-90A engines, differing from the Tu-204-100 by the length of its body (which is 6 meters shorter), an increased take-off weight of 105 tons (107.5 tons), a range of 5,670 km (6,200 km) with a maximum payload capacity of 18 tons and reduced passenger capacity (164 passengers). It has an AP-25 airworthiness certificate.
The Tu-204-100SM and Tu-204-300SM are basic versions developed around the standard versions of Tu-204-100 and Tu-204-300 either by reducing the overall weight by 12%, or cutting down crew numbers, or adopting improved engines.
The unique An-124 Ruslan heavy transport aircraft has become an icon of reliability and quality among Russian manufacturers and is one of the best known liners in air freight. The Ruslan is credited with 28 world records, including several overall records. A combination of size, cargo cabin volume, and range make this aircraft an undisputed leader for outsized and overweight cargoes.
The An-124-100 is a civilian transport plane with a take-off weight of 392 tons, a maximum payload capacity of 120 tons, and a maximum range of 15,000 km. It meets all ICAO requirements for navigation, environment and flight safety.
The An-124-100M-150 differs from the An-124-100 by having an increased take-off weight of 402 tons, an increased maximum payload of 150 tons, and a maximum range of 15,500 km. It meets ICAO's projected requirements.
The An-124-300 differs from the An-124-100M-150 by a 6-meter longer body, which allows it, given the same payload capacity of 150 tons, to increase take-off weight to 553 tons, maximum fuel capacity to 295 tons, and maximum range to 16,800 km.
Aviastar SP's final assembly shop
Final assembly involves pre- and final assembly of an aircraft, assembly and installation of electric wiring harnesses and electric boxes, painting, sealing, and unit testing.
The final assembly buildings were constructed in the 1980s, with an eye to modern technology and production organization, which fact favorably sets them apart from Russia's other aircraft manufacturing plants.
There are 910 total personnel, including 474 production staff, with 385 pieceworkers. The available space is enough to assemble 8 narrow- and 3 wide-bodied aircraft at the same time. The throughput capacity of the buildings is sufficient to maintain a steady work and production schedule.
Computer-aided aircraft design
With Aviastar SP now converting to a new product, it is adopting state-of-the-art technology enabling it to shorten design cycles, trim personnel and improve the quality of design documentation.
In 2007, the company opened a new computer center for 33 work stations to handle design, technology and production tasks in preparation for switching to non-loft and drawing-free digital technologies. The total number of work stations in the Chief Designer's Office to develop electronic models is 50.
Since the adoption of the new technology, specialists in the Chief Designer's Office have developed electronic models for the F2 bay of Project 476. The design documentation so obtained has been used to produce F2 bay electronic models equivalent to 10,010 A4 format pages.
