The Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 is a domestically developed short-haul aircraft. It is rightfully considered the pride of the Russian aviation industry. It was developed on the basis of the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Design Bureau (GSS Closed Joint Stock Company) together with foreign enterprises.
Development history
The development of the Sukhoi Superjet began back in 2003, when CJSC GSS received a grant for the development of the Russian Regional Jet project, the amount of which was about 3 billion US dollars. The assembly of the first model was completed in January 2007 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. On January 28 of the same year, he arrived for testing in the city of Zhukovsky. The presentation of the new aircraft took place on September 26 in Komsomolsk-on-Amur.
Flight tests were carried out throughout 2008. The first flight was performed on December 24 by test pilots Pushenko and Chikunov. The aircraft was in the sky for about 3 hours, and the maximum altitudeflight was up to 6 kilometers. In 2008, the process of obtaining the IAC certificate began, which ended in February 2011. The Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 was presented in 2009 at Le Bourget at the air show. In the same year, the first flight of this airliner equipped with a passenger cabin was made.
The first production aircraft began to be operated by Armavia air carrier in 2011. In 2013, a new modification with an increased flight range was developed - 100LR. By 2018, it is planned to create an SSJ-100SV with an increased fuselage length.
Despite the fact that GGS CJSC survived two global economic crises in 2008 and 2015, the company continues to conclude multi-billion dollar contracts.
Design Features
Sukhoi Superjet is designed according to the classical aerodynamic design and is a twin-engine turbofan low-wing aircraft. The wings are swept-back and equipped with single-slotted flaps. Composite materials were used in the design of the nose cone, mechanization and the root part of the wings. In the cockpit, the function of the steering wheel is performed by the side control knob, the so-called sidestick. Designers are currently developing wingtips for both new models and existing ones. There are no mechanical shock absorbers in the design, since a system is provided here to prevent the tail of the aircraft from touching the runway during takeoff.
Which airlines operates"Superjet"?
Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 is operated not only by Russian carriers, but also by foreign ones. Among the domestic airline operators are Aeroflot (26 units), Gazpromavia (10), Moskovia (3), Yakutia (2). Also, one aircraft belongs to Rosoboronexport, and two belong to the Russian Emergencies Ministry. An airliner of this type is present in the fleets of the following foreign carriers:
- Armavia (Armenia) – 1 unit;
- Lao Central Airlines (Laos) – 1;
- Interjet (Mexico) – 20;
- Sky Aviation (Indonesia) – 3;
- Comlux (Switzerland) – 1.
Prospects
Now the main competitor of the Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 in the air transportation market is the most demanded American airliner Boeing 737. According to statistics, one Boeing 737 lands every five seconds around the world. Despite this, the domestic "Superjet" can compete with it, since its cost is much lower.
Now aircraft are operated mainly by Russian and several foreign airlines. By 2025, analysts have predicted an increase in demand for SSJ aircraft worldwide, thus, they will be operated in 26 states. Even despite the anti-Russian sanctions, some European carriers, such as Blue Panorama Airlines (Italy) and CityJet (Ireland), have already signed supply contracts. However, the priority market for our country is Asian, not American. Manufacturercontinuously negotiates with airlines in the Asian region, in particular, specializing in low-cost transportation.
"Dry Superjet 100-95": cabin map, best seats
The classic scheme of a two-class passenger compartment assumes the presence of 12 seats for business class passengers, and 75 for economy class. A distinctive feature of the layout is the location of the seats - there are 5 of them in one row (2 on the left, 3 on the right). The on-board kitchen is located at the beginning of the saloon. There are two toilets - in the tail and front of the aircraft.
The most comfortable seats are located on the 6th row. There is enough legroom here. In addition, there are no passengers sitting in front. Armchairs located in the middle of the cabin are also relatively comfortable, as they have reclining backs. The distance between the seats is 81 centimeters.
The most inconvenient places are the outer row seats near the toilets, as the partitions at the back do not allow the chairs to fully recline.
The above is a standard layout. Each airline, depending on its needs, can change it.
Sukhoi Superjet 100-95: reviews of travelers
Reviews of passengers about the aircraft are both good and not very good. Among the positive aspects of the airliner are:
- Wide and spacious interior.
- Comfortable wide soft passenger seats.
- New aircraft.
Among the shortcomings, passengers note:
- Bad systemnoise isolation.
- Narrow aisles;
- No individual ventilation system.
- Strong floor vibration.
- Squeak during landing.
- Sounds during flight.
- Few emergency exits (compared to Boeings and Airbuses).
- Inconvenient location of emergency exits.
- There is no partition between the service salons - there are only curtains.
- Constant technical delays.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100-95 is the national pride of the Russian aviation industry, as it is the first aircraft developed in the post-Soviet era. During its development, modern digital technologies were used. In the near future, more than 150 aircraft will be manufactured and delivered for Russian and foreign airlines. The airliner is focused on regional transportation of low congestion with a range of up to 4000 kilometers. Passengers flying on the Superjet note that the aircraft needs to be improved.
