MOSCOW. Aug 22 (Interfax-AVN) - Financing of the programs targeting creation of the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) and a fifth- generation warplane is provided from different sources, RRJ Constructor General Yuri Ivashechkin said on Thursday.
The RRJ is being developed by the Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company, an affiliate of the Sukhoi design bureau, which has its own legal and financial status, Ivashechkin told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft company will search for domestic and foreign investors in the RRJ program on its own," he said.
The funding volume and financial flows related to the RRJ will be absolutely independent from other projects that the Sukhoi design bureau is working on. "Nevertheless, the design bureau is investing some funds in the RRJ program," Ivashechkin said.
According to participants in the program, a baseline RRJ modification will cost less than the average price of planes of that kind on the global market, which amounts to about USD23m-25m.
"After the business plan of the RRJ development is elaborated, which is supposed to happen late this year, the so-called catalogue price of the plane will be announced. It is not yet clear whether the plane will have the same price on the domestic and foreign aircraft markets or Russian operators will get a discount. The issue will be written into the business plan after consultations and accords between participants in the program and its investors," Ivashechkin said.
Sukhoi Civil Aircraft and Boeing have decided to compete jointly for a contract to design Russian regional planes. Results of the competition announced by the Russian Aviation and Space Agency will be summed up by October 30, 2002.
The production plant and tentative production schedule will be approved by mid-2003. A competition between suppliers of components has been announced and will be wrapped up by the same deadline.
The expected demand of planes of this kind on global and domestic markets is expected to amount to 650 items before 2020. Russian airlines are planning to purchase more than 150 regional planes before 2010.