MOSCOW. Sept 29 (Interfax-AVN) - Russia's leading aircraft makers will continue developing the IL-112V and MIG-110 planes that are taking part in the Russian Air Force competition of light transport plane projects, Director General and Constructor General of the MIG aircraft corporation Nikolai Nititin said on Monday.
"The MIG aircraft corporation has been instructed by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov and Colonel General Alexei Moskovsky, Russian Armed Force chief of armament and deputy defense minister, to continue development of the MIG-110 light transport plane. As far as we know, a similar instruction was given to the Ilyushin aircraft corporation which submitted the IL- 112V plane for the competition," Nikiton told Interfax-Military News Agency.
"The Defense Ministry will determine the winner of the competition only after technical projects of the IL-112V and MIG- 110 planes are developed, their demonstration flight samples are built, and some part of flight tests is performed," he said.
"The MIG-110 is the most promising aircraft in the category of planes with a cargo capacity of five to six tonnes," the official argued.
According to him, the corporation is currently drafting working design documents on the plane and preparing facilities for its mass production.
The civilian variety of the MIG-110 is being developed in accordance with the federal purpose-oriented program of Russian civilian aviation development for 2002-2010 and further to 2015. The program allocates RUB1.84bn (USD160m) for the project.
The MIG-110 will be powered by two TV7-117S engines of second series developing 2,800hp each. The plane will be capable of airlifting up to 5.5t of cargo or up to 20 parachute jumpers in full outfit. The plane's maximum take-off weight is 18t, cruising speed is 550kmph, and operation range is 1,930km with a load of 4,500kg and 4,025km with the maximum fuel stock.