The new small aircraft LMS-901 "Baikal" is not capable of replacing the Soviet An-2. An honored pilot of the USSR, member of the public council of Rostransnadzor, Oleg Smirnov, told "The First Technical" about the project's disadvantages.
He recalled the assessment of "Baikal" by the Plenipotentiary Representative of the President of Russia, Yuri Trutnev, regarding the non-compliance of "Baikal" with the initial requirements. But at that time, the Minister of Industry insisted on continuing budget financing for its refinement.
When they started to investigate, it turned out that at the exhibitions they were showing a plastic toy, exhibition material. Billions were spent, but it is exhibition material, unsuitable for daily operation.
Smirnov added that it is necessary to understand why small aviation in Russia still remains without a new aircraft and where exactly the billions of rubles went.
This problem still exists, with the engine and components. Therefore, small aviation still remains without an aircraft. The An-2, it ["Baikal"] will not replace it even closely. Firstly, it carries three fewer passengers. It lands outside airfields on wheels, skis, and floats. It is allowed to fly at temperatures from -50 to +50. Importantly, the An-2 only needs a 300-meter runway for takeoff, while the "Baikal" needs 1200 meters, which will require remote areas, where there are no railways or roads, to increase the runway at airfields, which is very expensive. And no local airline company will be able to afford the announced cost of the "Baikal".
Senator Sergei Muratov stated that the Ural Civil Aviation Plant has approached the final stage of production of the "Baikal", but the project needs to be provided with funding.
According to the idea, the LMS-901 project will specifically replace the outdated An-2. Designer Alexander Silin emphasized that the "Baikal" surpasses Soviet machines in speed and fuel efficiency.
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