RuAviation

On July 10, 2025, the second prototype Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) equipped with Russian-made PD-8 turbofan engines (tail number 97012, serial number 95157) completed a ferry flight from Komsomolsk-on-Amur to Zhukovsky. The announcement was made by Yakovlev PJSC.

The flight was operated by a crew consisting of test pilots Leonid Chikunov and Dmitry Savonin, along with lead flight test engineer and onboard operator Alexander Krylov. The route covered approximately 3,700 miles (6,000 kilometers), with an intermediate stop at Novosibirsk Airport, and took about eight hours to complete. Upon arrival at the M.M. Gromov Flight Research Institute airfield, the aircraft was transferred to the Yakovlev Aviation Technical Complex, where it will begin its certification testing program.

Prior to the transfer to the Moscow region, aircraft 97012 was based at Dzyomgi airfield in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, undergoing factory acceptance tests and participating in the certification program for the import-substituted version of the Superjet. The aircraft is fitted with PD-8 engines and features a partial replacement of foreign components with domestically produced systems.

Aircraft 97012 is the third prototype in the SSJ-New program and the second to be equipped with PD-8 engines. It will join the ongoing certification campaign, focusing on flight tests to evaluate the performance of the new propulsion system, according to Yakovlev’s press service.

Notably, 97012 is among the first SSJ100s fitted with aerodynamic winglets (“sablets”), designed to meet operational requirements for CityJet flights into London City Airport, which is surrounded by dense urban infrastructure. These winglets help reduce wake turbulence impacts on nearby structures during approach and landing—an essential safety requirement at that airport. In 2019, the aircraft took part in a demonstration program at the MAKS Air Show.

Subsequently, the aircraft was incorporated into the import substitution program. In January 2022, it was ferried to Komsomolsk-on-Amur for the installation of Russian PD-8 engines and new pylons, replacing the original SaM146 engines. The PD-8 engines were first started on 97012 in October 2023, followed by ground testing and modifications. The aircraft completed its maiden flight with the new engines on March 17, 2025.

Three prototypes are participating in the certification campaign for the import-substituted SSJ100. Aircraft 97021 (serial number 97001) is equipped with SaM146 engines and partially Russian avionics, and is undergoing certification flights in Zhukovsky. Aircraft 97012 (95157), now powered by PD-8 engines, completed its acceptance tests in Komsomolsk-on-Amur and will be used for PD-8 engine certification following its transfer to Zhukovsky. Aircraft 97023 (97003) is the first fully import-substituted prototype with PD-8 engines and is conducting certification flight tests for Russian-built onboard systems.

All three SJ-100 prototypes are now based at the “Regional Aircraft” division of Yakovlev PJSC at Ramenskoye Airfield in Zhukovsky. The certification program for the import-substituted version of the aircraft is scheduled to continue there through the end of the year.