On Christmas Eve, the second of four SSJ100 prototypes SN95003 took to the skies joining the flight test program for the Sukhoi SuperJet started earlier this year. The aircraft took off from the factory runaway and safely landed after a successful, two-hour, 30-minute flight at the altitude up to 6,000 m.
The airplane performed traditional stability and handling quality as well as systems’ checks in accordance with the first flight assignment.
SN95003 was captained by Leonid Chikunov, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft test pilot, who flew with Nikolai Pushenko, also a test pilot. “With a number of software modifications introduced on SN95003 basing on the results of the flight envelope evaluations done on the first prototype, the aircraft demonstrated remarkable stability and handling qualities,” said Chikunov. “Both flight test engineers and pilots are quite pleased with the overall performance of the second prototype. The aircraft looks trouble free and I expect it to join our ongoing certification test campaign at the earliest.”
The first two prototypes SN95001, launched in May, and SN95003 are to perform the larger part of the certification program. In the course of 398 flights both airplanes, fitted with heavy on-board measurement instrumentation, will perform a wide range of tests including overall performance, stability and control, engine and systems performance, hot & high trials, and cold weather trials .
Sukhoi Superjet 100 SN95001 has already spent more than 200 hours in the skies. “Since May 19, when the first airplane took to the skies, we’ve done quite a lot,” said Chief Test Pilot Alexander Yablontsev. “As test pilots we go much beyond a flight envelope an airline pilot will usually fly. We are to be absolutely sure that in a critical situation the airplane will behave in the expected way. In November, along with the systems and overall performance evaluation trials, we conducted the first series of high angles of attack testing. And it’s encouraging that the airplane behaves in a predictable way, every average pilot can manage.”