Sukhoi’s Superjet 100 (SSJ100) adopted sidestick flight controls and an Airbus A320-style cockpit layout after prospective airline customers rejected an initial proposal based on the Boeing 737. The decision exposed a difference between Boeing’s preferred cockpit philosophy and the requirements of airlines expected to operate the Russian regional jet over its service life.
The cockpit configuration was settled during consultations in the early 2000s, when Sukhoi’s civil aircraft subsidiary, Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC), was developing its first commercial airliner. The programme sought to limit development costs and technical risk while introducing a new aircraft into a market in which Russian manufacturers had limited recent experience of civil aircraft development, certification and aftermarket support.
SCAC initially proposed a flight deck modelled on the Boeing 737, including conventional control columns. Boeing, which had entered into a co-operation agreement with Sukhoi and Ilyushin in July 2001, was advising the Russian company on the aircraft’s development and intended to support the programme across design, production, certification and commercial activities.
At a cockpit consultation meeting in December 2003, airline representatives challenged the proposed configuration. They considered the 737’s cockpit architecture, derived from a design dating to 1967, unsuitable as the basis for a new aircraft expected to remain in service for decades. The airlines instead advocated an approach closer to that of the Airbus A320, with sidestick controls and a highly automated flight deck.
Alexander Dolotovsky, deputy managing director and head of Yakovlev’s Regional Aircraft division, recounted the decision in a podcast produced by the Moscow Aviation Institute. He said the airlines argued that cockpit design should reflect the needs of pilots who would enter the profession in the years ahead, rather than preserve familiarity for the existing pilot workforce.
Boeing maintained its preference for conventional control columns. In a subsequent letter, the US manufacturer acknowledged that the airline customers’ position carried greater weight in determining the SSJ100’s configuration. However, Boeing said it lacked the expertise to advise SCAC on the ergonomics of an Airbus-style sidestick cockpit and would withdraw from that part of the consultation if the Russian company proceeded with the alternative design.
SCAC adopted the sidestick configuration despite the disagreement. The two companies continued to co-operate on other aspects of the programme, and in June 2007 they expanded their agreement to cover flight crew and maintenance personnel training, operational documentation and spare-parts support.
The SSJ100 entered commercial passenger service in early 2011. Its cockpit configuration reflected the requirements of prospective operators rather than Boeing’s preferred approach, illustrating how airline input shaped a major design decision during the aircraft’s development.
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