24.12.2025, 14:37
Flight tests of the Baikal aircraft with a Russian engine and propeller have begun
Source: OREANDA-NEWS
OREANDA-NEWS Flight tests of the Russian VK-800 engine and AV-901 propeller as part of the Baikal aircraft began at the airfield of the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA, the developer of the airliner), the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation reported in its telegram channel.
A video showing the Baikal taking off was also posted there.
The certification of the VK-800 engine and AV-901 propeller is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, and the type certificate for the entire aircraft is to be obtained by the end of the same year, Rosaviation previously reported, citing Andrey Dorofeev, Director of Quality and Certification at Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA).
The nine-seat Baikal is being created for local air lines and is intended to replace the An-2 Corncob. The developer of the liner is Baikal Engineering LLC (UZGA's subsidiary), which won the relevant tender from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2019.
The release dates of Baikal have been postponed several times. Initially, the aircraft was designed based on General Electric H80-100 engines and with Hartzell Propeller propellers (both manufacturers are from the USA). Baikal made its first flight with foreign systems in January 2022. After the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions, it was decided to redesign the aircraft using Russian systems.
The flight specifications of the updated machine suggest a cruising speed of 250-295 km / h, a flight range with a maximum payload of 1,500 kg - 745 km.
Before entering Baikal passenger airlines, 100 thousand accident-free hours must be flown during aviation operations, said Vladimir Poteshkin, Deputy head of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. The first recipient of the aircraft is expected to be Aerokhimflot, an alliance of airlines engaged in aviation chemical, timber aviation, and transport communications operations. In September of this year, Aerokhimflot concluded leasing agreements with GTLK on preferential terms for 50 Baikal trucks. Deliveries of the machines are expected in 2027-2031. It is planned to raise funds from the National Welfare Fund (NWF) to finance the transaction.
A video showing the Baikal taking off was also posted there.
The certification of the VK-800 engine and AV-901 propeller is scheduled for the first quarter of 2026, and the type certificate for the entire aircraft is to be obtained by the end of the same year, Rosaviation previously reported, citing Andrey Dorofeev, Director of Quality and Certification at Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA).
The nine-seat Baikal is being created for local air lines and is intended to replace the An-2 Corncob. The developer of the liner is Baikal Engineering LLC (UZGA's subsidiary), which won the relevant tender from the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2019.
The release dates of Baikal have been postponed several times. Initially, the aircraft was designed based on General Electric H80-100 engines and with Hartzell Propeller propellers (both manufacturers are from the USA). Baikal made its first flight with foreign systems in January 2022. After the introduction of anti-Russian sanctions, it was decided to redesign the aircraft using Russian systems.
The flight specifications of the updated machine suggest a cruising speed of 250-295 km / h, a flight range with a maximum payload of 1,500 kg - 745 km.
Before entering Baikal passenger airlines, 100 thousand accident-free hours must be flown during aviation operations, said Vladimir Poteshkin, Deputy head of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation. The first recipient of the aircraft is expected to be Aerokhimflot, an alliance of airlines engaged in aviation chemical, timber aviation, and transport communications operations. In September of this year, Aerokhimflot concluded leasing agreements with GTLK on preferential terms for 50 Baikal trucks. Deliveries of the machines are expected in 2027-2031. It is planned to raise funds from the National Welfare Fund (NWF) to finance the transaction.
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