MOSCOW. May 15 (Interfax-AVN) - The Yakovlev Design Bureau will present pilot training equipment at MAKS 2003 international air show, a competent source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency Thursday.
"The system includes a simulator, a computer classroom, a YAK-52M piston-engine trainer for primary training and a YAK-130 trainer for advanced training," the source said.
He said that the system was in full compliance with future requirements of the Russian Air Force.
"The upgraded YAK-52M can be used until the Sukhoi-designed SU-49, the winner of the tender for piston-engine Air Force trainer, enters the inventory. The performance and onboard equipment of the YAK-52M fully comply with the Air Force requirements for training of cadets. In addition, it is cheaper," he went on.
According to the source, the first YAK-130-01 has been fully assembled and almost fully equipped by the Sokol plant based in Nizhny Novgorod. The equipment was provided by the Elektroavtomatika company based in St. Petersburg.
He also said that the aircraft was being prepared for painting, and that it would arrive at Le Bourget, France, on June 14 to participate in the air show.
The source said that talks with the Air Force were underway for the procurement of a pilot batch of the YAK-130 trainers to be delivered in 2004-2005 in addition to the four experimental aircraft under construction (three of the aircraft are for flight tests, the fourth is for ground tests).
"So far the schedule has not been broken. The AI-222-25 engines for the first YAK-130 will be delivered to Nizhny Novgorod this October," the source said.
According to the source, the final stage of R&D on trainer and combat twin-seater versions of the YAK-130 was funded by the Yakovlev Design Bureau and by the Defense Ministry as approximately 85/15. The total investment has been over USD100m. The R&D is to be finished in 2005, with the total spending of about USD200m. The combat twin-seater will cost about USD12-15m, more than the trainer.