First Russian-built An-148 prepares for first flight

The first Russian-made Antonov-148 regional jet was towed from the assembly shop of the Voronezh plant (VASO) to the maker's flight-test station.

Before being pulled out, the aircraft underwent a weight check. It confirmed that the airplane's empty weight, close to 21 tons, lies within the technical specification. Now, the aircraft, designation number RA-61701, is being prepared for its maiden flight.

Meanwhile, VASO continues work on final assembly of two more An-148-100Bs out of the initial production batch of six airframes, all intended for the type's launch customer, GTK Rossiya, Russian acronym for State Transport Company "Russia". The airline placed a firm order for six An-148-100Bs with Ilyushin Finance leasing company at MAKS'2007. These feature passenger cabin of two classes seating 68 passengers. The airline is negotiating to firm up its option for further six aircraft, of which at least two shall come in VIP version, for Russian government officials.

The United Aircraft Corporation believes that, with VASO mastering production of the An-148 and Sukhoi that of Superjet 100, the Russian civil aircraft manufacturing industry has attained a world-class level, with both models of the large regional jets having been designed from scratch on computer screens and intended for profitable operations in service with domestic and foreign airlines.