KYIV. April 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The joint Russian-Ukrainian next-generation Antonov An-148 regional passenger aircraft has completed another stage of certification tests, the Antonov Aircraft Research and Technical Corporation's press-service told Interfax-Military News Agency on Thursday.
"The aircraft has carried out a total of nine flights at great angles of attack. The aircraft carried out wing-slips at various altitudes, employing all wing and landing gear mechanisms," a press-service official said.
According to him, preliminary results show that maximum lift coefficients, demonstrated during the tests, correspond to design ones.
Thus, the An-148 proved its flight safety at great angles of attack, including wing-slips, and demonstrated its readiness for further certification tests.
"The next stage envisions flights in natural icing conditions, thus the aircraft will be sent to one of the Russian northern areas in the near future to undergo the tests," he said.
The An-148 is being developed by Ukraine and Russia in cooperation with the U.S., Germany and France. The program involves about 200 enterprises from Ukraine and Russia, as well as U.S. ACSS and Rockwell Collins, Germany's Litef, Goodrich Hells Aerospace, and Pall Corper HmbH, France's Deutch, Filotex, and Thales and Britain's Raytheam.
According to experts, the AN-148 is 25-30% superior to currently operated aircraft of the same type in terms of cost-effectiveness. The market demand for the aircraft of the type for the period till 2013 is about 500, 170 such planes expected to be in demand in the CIS. The aircraft will cost from $16.2-18 million depending on configuration.