The Yak-18T aircraft, which is powered by an engine based on the Aurus car engine, will go on its first flight in late 2021 or early 2022. This was announced on Wednesday, September 1, by Mikhail Gordin, General Director of the Central Institute of Aviation Motor Engineering named after P. I. Baranov.
"The engine has been created in the constructive form of two, in the fall we will install it on the Yak-18T and start jogging. Then the approaches. At the end of this or the beginning of next year, the plane will perform its first flights, "RIA Novosti quotes him as saying.
At the same time, the designers are developing a version of this engine — the APD-500— for light aircraft of the acrobatic category according to the "Circus Man"project. According to Gordin, initially such a model will be assembled on the ground and tested on ground stands. Air tests on the flying laboratory of the Yak-52 aircraft will begin next year, the specialist noted.
"Further on the APD-500 engine, we have a choice — to give it to piece production or to work out a serial version. The latter will require the organization and conduct of development work lasting up to two and a half years, " Gordin said.
He added that after passing all the procedures for production, it will be possible to put the engine on serial aircraft.
Serial production of Aurus Senat cars started on May 31 at the enterprise located in the special economic zone "Alabuga" (Tatarstan).
The cost of investments in the project amounted to about 2 billion rubles. In total, the company plans to assemble up to 5 thousand cars per year. The cost of the Aurus Senat in the basic configuration will be 18 million rubles. The cars of the first production batch are presented only with a high level of optional performance. Their price starts from 22 million rubles.
At the existing capacities, it will be possible to assemble not only a car in the sedan body, but also a Komendant crossover. It is also possible to install light and medium armor on the car at the request of the client.
The Russian project " Cortege "( market name Aurus), which develops luxury cars, was launched in 2014. The manufacturer intends to create a series of cars based on a single platform — a sedan, a limousine, a convertible, a minivan and an SUV.
