RuAviation

The light multirole LMS-901 “Baikal” aircraft is undergoing ground vibration (frequency) testing as part of its certification program, TASS reports, citing a representative of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade.

This type of testing is aimed at identifying the natural resonance frequencies of the airframe and the dynamic characteristics of the flight control system in order to eliminate in-flight vibrations and verify compliance with aviation safety requirements. The results are required to determine the aircraft’s natural frequencies and structural mode shapes, validate analytical models, and assess flutter risk. Successful completion of this stage will clear the way for subsequent certification procedures for civil operation.

Ground vibration (frequency) testing is performed to expand the validated flight envelope and confirm the dynamic stability of the airframe. The tests are conducted by specialists from the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) and the Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute (SibNIA), under the supervision of certification centers TsAGI and the Russian Aviation Register. During testing, excitation shakers are installed on the structure while sensors record response data. The collected measurements are used to build a modal model of the aircraft, which is then applied in flight testing and for certification under AP-23 / CS-23 standards for light aircraft.

The testing procedure is governed by a set of regulatory documents, including GOST R 59005-2020, developed in 2020 at SibNIA, which defines requirements for laboratory test facilities and testing methodologies. In parallel, the aircraft is undergoing certification testing of its electrical wiring system. Experts from the Russian Aviation Register have already completed a visual inspection of the cable installation, assessing compliance with industry standards and design documentation.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation stated that the full certification campaign for the LMS-901 “Baikal” is expected to be completed by the end of 2026, with a permissible schedule slip of approximately one to one and a half months. In December 2025, the prototype “Baikal” completed its first flight powered by a domestically developed propulsion system — the VK-800SP turboprop engine and AV-901 propeller. This marked a key milestone in the import substitution program, as the aircraft previously used an imported engine.

In early April, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov, speaking at the plenary session “New Mobility: How Technology Is Changing the World,” stated that the ministry expects to obtain type certificates for the VK-800 engine and AV-901 propeller by December of this year, followed by certification of the “Baikal” aircraft.

The first production-standard “Baikal” aircraft are scheduled for delivery to Aurora Airlines at the end of 2026. Earlier reports indicated that Aerokhimplot plans to lease 50 aircraft of this type.

The LMS-901 “Baikal” is a light nine-seat multirole aircraft program developed since 2019 under contract with the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade as part of a comprehensive aviation transport development program through 2030. Approximately 80% of the airframe components are manufactured at UZGA’s Nizhny Novgorod site, with final assembly carried out in Yekaterinburg.