Resuming serial production of An-38 and An-3 aircraft could quickly solve the problem of a shortage of aircraft for regional transportation, but these projects remain unsupported, despite having certification and ready documentation. This was stated by Yuri Petrov, Honored Polar Explorer of Russia, head of the aviation support sector for the Northern Sea Route, founder of the "Motor" aviation enterprise, and chief designer of the "Russkaya Arktika" aircraft.
According to the expert, when discussing the new comprehensive program for the development of the aviation industry, the main attention is paid to mainline passenger aircraft, while small and regional aviation actually remains off the agenda.
Petrov noted that the An-38 was already mass-produced and was originally designed for operation in northern conditions. The aircraft is capable of carrying up to 27 passengers or up to 2.5 tons of cargo over a distance of about a thousand kilometers. However, production stopped after the cessation of engine production, and today only a few aircraft remain in operation.
The specialist considers the An-3 no less promising. According to him, the aircraft has been modernized, certified, and all technical documentation has been preserved. At the same time, proposals from enterprises to resume its serial production, according to the expert, have not received support.
At the same time, the development of the light aircraft "Baikal" continues, but the issue with the serial VK-800 engine has not yet been finally resolved. Earlier, First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said that after the certification of the power plant is completed, the aircraft will primarily be used for the needs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations at the first stage.
No matter how much you ring the bells - nothing. We propose to resume the production of existing and certified aircraft, but there are still no decisions.
According to the expert, relying solely on new projects without restoring the production of already mastered aircraft can lead to a further reduction in the regional aviation fleet. He believes that for the northern territories, the issue of updating such aircraft requires more prompt solutions.