MOSCOW. Aug 9 (Interfax-AVN) - A Russian M-101T turbo-prop aircraft took off in Johannesburg, South Africa, last Saturday August 7 for an 11,000-km intercontinental travel to Nizhny Novgorod, Russia.
"The aircraft will make interim landings in Beira (Mozambique), Lilongwe (Malawi), Dar-Es-Salaam (Tanzania), Eldoreth (Kenya), Addis-Ababa (Ethiopia), Khartoum (Sudan), Asuan (Egypt), Amman (Jordan), Diarbakir (Turkey) and Nalchik and Volgograd in Russia," reads the press release of the Kaskol Group of Companies, delivered to Interfax-Military News Agency Monday.
South Africa was selected to be the launch site for the M- 101T into the international market not by chance. The aircraft hit the air show in Wonderboom in April 2004. Later, it underwent a series of demonstration and test flights following which its type certificate was amended to allow wider use of aircraft and lift off a number of operating limitations. The aircraft remained out of the main maintenance facilities for four months and made over 120 flights during the period.
"The flight from Johannesburg to Nizhny Novgorod is devoted to the 100th anniversary of Valeri Chkalov, a great Russian pilot, and is aimed to hail the intercontinental expeditions. Moreover, the aircraft is going to prove again its export designation of the M-101T Expedition," reads the press release.
The M-101T seven-seated turbo-prop aircraft was developed by the Myasishchev plant and is in production at the Nizhny Novgorod Sokol aircraft building enterprise, acting as part of the Kaskol Group of Companies.
Kaskol is a major player in the Russian aerospace industry and incorporates the companies manufacturing and developing aircraft and related equipment.