RuAviation

Certification testing of the SJ-100 aircraft has commenced at Dzyomgi Aerodrome, part of the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aviation Plant. Flight operations are being conducted by aircraft 97012 (serial number 95157). It is fitted with PD-8 engines and has undergone a partial replacement of imported components. During the flight tests, “sawtooth” and “drag-check” manoeuvres are being performed, according to a press release from the United Aircraft Corporation.

The “sawtooth” manoeuvre involves a series of alternating, steady-state climbs and descents, each lasting from 15 to 40 seconds. These are carried out around a designated altitude, alternating between maximum and minimum engine thrust, while maintaining a constant airspeed. The pilot is assigned 8-12 airspeed values and a flight path angle to follow. Throughout the “sawtooth” manoeuvre, the aircraft configuration remains unchanged.

The “sawtooth” manoeuvre is used during new aircraft testing to assess how the power plant behaves under extreme conditions – from rapid climbs to sustained flight at constant thrust.

The “drag-check” manoeuvre is one of the most challenging aspects of new aircraft flight testing. It involves performing level runs at a constant speed and constant engine thrust. The purpose of the drag-checks is to assess the aircraft’s take-off and landing performance, as well as the thrust characteristics of the PD-8.

This manoeuvre also verifies the gas-dynamic stability of the power plant under various altitude and airspeed conditions. The difficulty of the tests lies in the need for pilots to maintain the specified parameters for extended periods; even a momentary error can skew the data, so each manoeuvre is practised to perfection.

In May, aircraft 97012 completed seven flights with a total duration of 24 hours and 19 minutes. Concurrently, flight tests of the prototype aircraft 97021 (serial number 97001) are ongoing in Zhukovsky, near Moscow – featuring SaM146 engines, with some imported equipment replaced with Russian equivalents. From March 3 to May 20, 2025, the aircraft completed six flights with a total duration of 13 hours and 45 minutes.

The fully import-substituted SJ-100 aircraft (b/n 97023, serial number 97003) did not conduct any flights in May. In April, the aircraft performed two flights with a total duration of 1 hour and 56 minutes, one of which – the first – occurred on April 23.

Earlier, SJ-100 chief designer Kirill Kuznetsov reported that the certification flight programme would take place in Zhukovsky. It is planned to conduct approximately 200 flights before the end of 2025, including tests in extremely high and low temperatures, which will take place in the Arabian Peninsula and Yakutia, respectively.

First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov clarified that only the first fully import-substituted aircraft, 97023, will have to perform 130 certification flights. The certification of the SJ-100 aircraft is scheduled to be completed by the end of this year.