RuAviation

In June 2025, the fuselage mating of the third flight test article of the LMS-901 “Baikal” light multipurpose aircraft was successfully completed at UZGA’s Nizhny Novgorod facility. The assembly process utilized state-of-the-art tooling equipped with a laser tracking system to ensure high-precision alignment. The announcement was made by the press service of Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA).

This advanced technology guarantees precise installation of major components and their interchangeability, which is critical for maintaining manufacturing tolerances in serial production. Prior to fuselage mating, specialists fabricated and joined the panels, forming three fuselage sections. The assembly process, which lasted several hours, took place on the main assembly jig, equipped with a stretch-forming machine and a 500-ton press.

The Nizhny Novgorod site manufactures over 80 percent of the airframe components, including wing panels, empennage, ailerons, and flaps with deflectors. UZGA continues to expand its production capabilities to increase localization and enhance manufacturing efficiency.

Production LMS-901 “Baikal” aircraft will be powered by the VK-800SM turboprop engine, rated up to 870 horsepower. Flight testing of the engine began in July on the Yak-40LL flying testbed (tail number 87251) at Eltsovka Airfield, part of the S.A. Chaplygin Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute (SibNIA) in Novosibirsk. This phase of testing is scheduled for completion by the end of the year. The powerplant will subsequently be installed on an LMS-901 prototype and is slated for certification with the four-blade AV-901 propeller in 2026.

Type certification of the LMS-901 with the VK-800SM engine and AV-901 propeller is expected by late 2026. Serial production and commercial operation will commence pending successful completion of flight tests and government evaluation.

SibNIA Begins Flight Testing of VK-800SM Engine Using Flying Testbed

On April 9, 2025, Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and UZGA signed a government contract to carry out research and development work on the LMS-901 “Baikal” with the domestically produced VK-800SM engine and AV-901 propeller. The contract covers the manufacture of new, and the refinement of existing, prototypes of the engine and propeller, full-scale certification testing, and preparation of documentation to obtain type certificates and approvals for major design changes expanding the aircraft’s operational capabilities.

These efforts aim to address technical issues identified during flight testing, and to improve the reliability, service life, and operational performance of the powerplant and propeller. The contract is valued at over 10.4 billion rubles, with completion scheduled for the end of 2027.