In Russia, development continues on the new light four-seat Tango aircraft, intended for training aviation school cadets and preparing civil aviation pilots, according to the resource Tekhnosfera Russia. The developers reported the successful completion of static tests at the Chaplygin Siberian Aeronautical Research Institute: flight tests will take place in March 2026.
The aircraft is being developed by Spectra Aircraft, part of "Gruppa kompanii S7" (owner of the S7 airline). The project is notable not only for private initiative, but also for its high degree of localization. The design uses domestic composite materials, modern onboard equipment, and the Russian APD-520 Leader piston engine. For now, Tango flies with a foreign UL Power 520is engine, but flights with the Russian powerplant are expected to begin as early as 2026.
At SibNIA, they confirmed that the strength tests were successful. The flap, aileron, empennage, and engine mount confirmed their specified characteristics. The engine mount was tested in four stages according to airworthiness standards, and its strength was recognized as sufficient.
At the Spectra Aircraft enterprise, capacity is being prepared for serial production. At the end of 2025, the company launched its own workshop with CNC machines, manufactured 307 units of tooling (including composite tooling), approved the design documentation, and created a full "digital twin" of the aircraft.