Diamond Aircraft has signed an agreement with Ural Works of Civil Aviation to jointly design and produce diesel-powered light utility airplanes in Russia. Russian market demand for the commuter airplanes is estimated to exceed 200.
The 19-seat composite light twins will help connect remote communities in Russia, the companies said at a joint signing ceremony at the Paris Air Show.
“Today, local aviation in Russia is undergoing a severe crisis, as there are no state-of-the-art quality light airplanes of affordable prices,” said Sergey Chemezov, CEO of Ural Works parent company Rostec. “The An-2 and L-410 currently in service have low fuel efficiency and high operating costs. Creating a principally new aircraft will fulfill this niche and allow us to replace the obsolete fleet.”
The airplanes and engines will initially be entirely assembled in Austria. Later, partial component production will be moved to Russia, with the components and diesel engines eventually being manufactured exclusively in Russia at Ural Works’ facilities. The first Russian light utility airplane is expected to enter service in 2016.
The agreement also provides for the eventual local manufacture of 190 hp rotary engines for UAVs, as well as diesel aviation engine production.
