The Smolensk Aircraft Plant (SmAZ) is involved in the collaborative production of the TVRS-44 Ladoga regional turboprop aircraft. The plant is currently assembling wing boxes, which are key structural components. This was announced in a statement on the website of the Russian Engineering Union.
“The first trial wing box prototypes are already in the process of assembly at SmAZ. The flight-worthy prototype is scheduled to be ready in April. Following this, volume production is planned to commence. Moreover, under an agreement with the Urals Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA), Smolensk will manufacture the complete wing assembly for the Ladoga. The initial few sets are projected for completion in 2025,” said representatives from Soyuzmash.
The Ladoga turboprop aircraft is being developed under a contract with the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade. The aircraft is designed to seat 44 passengers and will be used for regional services. The collaborative production effort includes companies from Smolensk, Samara, Taganrog, Komsomolsk-on-Amur, and Nizhny Novgorod. For the Russian aerospace industry, the TVRS-44 is a key project intended to replace ageing An-24/26 aircraft and foreign-manufactured turboprops on regional routes.
It was previously reported that the Aviakor plant in Samara is nearing completion of the fuselage for the first Ladoga prototype. According to the plant’s Director General, Alexei Gusev, the first fuselage will be handed over to the customer in the first quarter of 2025. Aviakor aims to be a key participant in the final assembly of the aircraft.
Final assembly of the TVRS-44 will take place at the Urals Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA) in Aramil, Sverdlovsk Oblast. Other companies are also participating in the collaboration: the Smolensk Aircraft Plant is responsible for producing the wing boxes, UZGA in Nizhny Novgorod is assembling the empennage (tail assembly), and ODK-Klimov from Saint Petersburg is supplying the TV7-117-ST-02 engines. This division of responsibilities allows for optimisation of the production process and will accelerate the aircraft’s entry into service.
It is anticipated that, provided the contributing companies adhere to the delivery schedules for components, systems, and avionics, the first Ladoga prototype could be ready by the autumn of this year. The first flight of the prototype aircraft is anticipated in late 2025 or early 2026.
In accordance with the Comprehensive Programme for the Development of the Russian Aviation Industry to 2030, the first series deliveries of the TVRS-44, consisting of 35 aircraft, are scheduled for 2028.
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