RuAviation

In 2022, Nizhny Novgorod aircraft plant Sokol was included in the program of cooperation for the production of the aircraft MC-21. Some of the work previously performed by other contractors was transferred to the plant. The decision to create a duplicate site in Nizhny Novgorod for the production of door and tail cone was made due to the heavy workload of Ulyanovsk Aviastar under the state defense order.

Until recently, Ulyanovsk produced panel sets for the fuselage compartments F1-F5, tail cone and airborne compartment, all 11 doors, as well as together with AeroComposite – tail plumage: keel and stabilizer complete with rudders and altitude rudders. However, the main production task of Aviastar is the production of Il-76MD-90A military transport aircraft for the interests of the Russian Ministry of Defense; the plant plans to increase the production rate up to 18 aircraft per year. For this purpose it is necessary to modernize production and expand the area for assembly shops.

The vertical and horizontal plumage are being installed on the tail cone. Stamping, mechanical assembly, metallurgical, forging and press forging, as well as foundry and machine assembly shops will be involved in the production of the tail cone. To organize production of the MC-21 tail cone, Nizhny Novgorod aircraft builders have mastered the shot-blast method of surface hardening of products. This technology allows to significantly increase the life of parts experiencing high loads during the aircraft operation.

“The specialists of the plant have studied and analyzed in detail the tooling, materials used, as well as assembly and riveting processes, after which it was decided to divide the course of mastering the subject into two stages. At the first stage, it is planned to dock the hermetic bottom of spar 60 with the rim, final assembly of the compartment from the upper and lower sections received from the adjacent enterprise. Off-stage work includes installation of systems, final assembly, docking seams and subsequent transfer of the compartment through the chain of cooperation,” said the press service of the United Aircraft Corporation.

The first stage of the preparation of the production of the ASB at the plant has already been completed, a number of tasks have been solved to prepare the area for the assembly of the compartment, as well as the technical re-equipment of the enterprise. At the same time, Sokol’s technical service has carried out work on the creation of tooling for the production of the tail cone.

At the second stage, the company will switch to a full cycle of the tail cone assembly, which, in accordance with the design documentation, requires the availability of special equipment for automatic riveting at the plant, its creation is being carried out jointly with TsAGI. The UAC representative emphasized that the complex for automatic riveting will be the first such equipment for the aviation industry, developed in Russia.

UAC emphasized high manufacturability, automation and accuracy of assembly tooling in the preparation of production. The coordinated work of various services and departments of the plant during the creation of the tooling allowed to prepare the assembly section of the tail cone of the MS-21 aircraft in the aggregate assembly shop within the planned timeframe. “The section is ready to work and is waiting for deliveries from cooperators for the first stage of assembly,” UAC added.

Sokol is currently working on the second stage of mastering the technology for the production of tail cone. The factory workers have designed and put into production the tooling for the assembly of panels, upper and lower sections, the company has started manufacturing slipway doublers to ensure growth in aircraft production.

In addition, Sokol is producing parts of MC-21 door opening mechanisms, including mechanical components of locking systems, emergency opening systems and others. The plant is also completing preparations for the production of the stabilizer repositioning mechanism attachment unit, one of the most complex and critical units of the aircraft.