Yeysk-based designer Sergei Borisenko, co-founder of Tekhnoregion, intends to hold the first demonstration of the TR-303 light multi-purpose aircraft prototype in the coming months. A special feature of the project is the non-standard power plant consisting of three opposed Subaru EJ255 gasoline engines, widely known in the automotive industry.
We are preparing the An-2 fuselage and welding the engine mounts. This engine [Subaru EJ255] is the best in the world for us, 100 percent reliability, minimal noise and vibration. The gasoline consumption is half that of the An-2.
According to the developer, the main goal of the project is to offer the market an affordable and economical replacement for the aging An-2, the operation of which may become impossible in the coming years due to a shortage of spare parts and the service life of standard piston engines. Borisenko emphasizes that his initiative is purely commercial: he does not consider himself an aviation enthusiast, but sees the TR-300 as a business solution for the regional and agricultural air transportation segment.
According to Borisenko's forecast, in just three to five years, the An-2 fleet will begin to fail en masse precisely because of the exhaustion of engine life, which will open a window of opportunity for new models.