MOSCOW. Aug. 7 (Interfax-AVN) - The Tupolev company is to complete development of the infrastructure for servicing aircraft fueled by liquid gas before the end of the year, Designer General of the Tupolev JSC Vladimir Andreyev told Interfax-Military News Agency on Wednesday.
Technical specifications for the infrastructure will be handed over to the Gazprom company before the end of the year. Andreyev said that Gazprom would take an active part in development and introduction of the infrastructure used for servicing TU-156 planes, as well as other aircraft powered by liquid gas.
Andreyev noted that that Gazprom has been assigned the task of fitting airfields with units for liquefying natural gas and storage equipment.
The designer general said that work on fitting the TU-156 aircraft with NK-89 engines was being carried out within the framework of the R&D project of developing the mass-produced TU- 204K aircraft. The NK-89 powerplant employs liquid gas in standard mode and kerosene in emergency mode. Techniques and methods of employing new engines are now being improved on TU-154 Careless aircraft.
In response to a question, Andreyev said that Gazprom's investments into the R&D project amounted to 25 to 30 percent of the total sum. Some RUB14.27bn (USD451.8m) will be allocated for the purpose before the year 2015, budget financing accounting for RUB3.14bn (USD99.4m).