SINGAPORE. Feb 21 (Interfax-AVN) - Russian aircraft manufacturers will demonstrate a wide variety of new products, including the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ), a regional jet family in the 60 to 95-seat category and export versions of Russia's Mi-17 and Mi-26 helicopters, at the Asian Aerospace-2006 exhibition, which opened in Singapore on Tuesday.
"The market of Southeast Asia looks increasingly promising for airplanes to be produced as part of the RRJ project. This circumstance prompted us to take part in the Singapore air show," Sukhoi Commercial Aircraft spokesperson Olga Kayukova told Interfax-Military News Agency.
Participants in the exhibition will be able to get comprehensive first-hand information on the progress in RRJ project implementation and prospects of RRJ supplies to foreign customers, she said.
Kayukova stressed that the aerospace show is attended not only by developers of the aircraft, but also by developers of its engine and onboard equipment.
The PowerJet company, which is a joint venture set up by Russia's Saturn research and production association and France's Snecma Safran for development and production of the SaM 146 engine for the RRJ, has a separate bench at the show.
Apart from RRJ planes, Russian helicopters have a broad representation at the exhibition. The Rostvertol helicopter company based in Rostov-on-Don, offers foreign customers from Southeast Asian countries the Mi-26, the world's most powerful mass-produced helicopter capable of carrying cargoes with a weight of up to 20 tonnes.
The Kazan helicopter plant exhibits helicopters of the Mi-17, Mi-38 Ansat and Aktai family. The interest in these aircraft is very high, not only in this region, but also in Latin America, the Middle East and Africa.
The show is attended by a delegation of the Aviaexport enterprise, one of the major players on the commercial aircraft market. The delegation includes representatives of the Applied Mechanics Research and Production Association, which develops spacecraft, and a series of other industrial enterprises.
Russian aircraft makers face tough competition on foreign markets. Nearly all leading aircraft manufacturers from all over the world have arrived at Asian Aerospace 2006. The show involves over 900 companies from 37 nations.
The exhibition in Singapore will be in progress until Sunday.