Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) flew the first production Sukhoi Superjet 100–S/N 95007–for the first time today from the site of the company’s final assembly plant in Komsomolsk Upon Amur, Russia. The aircraft, scheduled for delivery to launch customer Armavia next month, flew for three hours, during which time SCAC test pilots Alexander Ivanov and Alexander Kochetkov checked overall engine, systems and equipment performance and confirmed flying characteristics within the airplane’s operational envelope.  

“The premier flight of the first serial aircraft Sukhoi Superjet 100 is an important milestone of the program,” said SCAC president Vladimir Prisyazhnyuk. “We are now really starting the ramp-up of production. There are 17 serial aircraft in production, five of which are at the final assembly shop.”

Plans call for S/N 95007 to fly to Moscow for operational route-proving tests after a series of factory checks. SCAC expects route-proving tests to confirm the reliability of onboard systems in an operational environment and the compatibility of the aircraft with standard airport handling equipment.