The project to create the light multi-purpose turboprop aircraft "Baikal" (LMS-901), which is being developed to replace the outdated An-2 "corncob", has encountered serious design problems. At the same time, the Ministry of Industry and Trade stated that the project would not be frozen.
Due to these shortcomings, which may take up to five years to fix, the fate of the project is in question. Remotorization of the An-2 with a new engine is being considered as a temporary alternative, the production of which is estimated at 1.8 billion rubles.
The main problems with the "Baikal" concern stability at low speeds, excessive effort on the control stick, as well as the need to rework the tail and landing gear. These defects require significant modifications, which may cost at least 10 billion rubles, which is five times more expensive than the cost of modernizing the An-2.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade of Russia is considering possible solutions to the problem, including freezing the "Baikal" project or transferring it to the management of S7 Group. There are proposals to concentrate efforts on other projects, such as "Ladoga" and "Osveya", as well as restoring the production of the engine for the An-2, which will allow the continued operation of this aircraft, especially in remote regions.
At the same time, work continues on the certification of the An-2 in an updated modification with a new engine. Its certification may affect the future fate of the "Baikal" project.
The press service of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation later reported that the project would not be frozen.
The director of the Siberian Research Institute of Aviation named after S. A. Chaplygin, Vladimir Barsuk, told TASS that the information about the freezing of the project is unreliable.
No one is freezing the "Baikal", there is simply a threat of shifting the deadlines to the right due to the protracted certification periods.
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