NPO Avia has received CIS multilateral Interstate Aviation Committee type certification for the twin-engined ST-265-Accord-201 light aircraft, one of the few general aviation types to be awarded approval by the authorities in the last few years.
The five-seat Teledyne Continental IO-360ES7B-powered aircraft is targeted at passenger, cargo and training markets. The original Accord prototype first flew in April 1994, but the programme suffered setbacks caused by the under-developed 160hp (120kW) VAZ-4133A rotary piston engines. NPO Avia redesigned the aircraft, which flew for the first time four years later.
The new design incorporates a larger cabin, to accommodate two extra passengers and the more powerful 210hp TCM-engines, and to increase range from 1,200km (650nm) to 3,400km. NPO Avia says it will focus for the remainder of the year on extending the Accord-201 flight envelope and says it is planning to offer a diesel-fuelled and amphibious version. To date two aircraft have been built at OAK's NAZ Sokol plant, out of a first batch of five.
MAK has awarded only a handful of type certificates to lightweight fixed-wing general aviation aircraft. The last approval was granted in July 2005 to the Sukhoi Su-31M aerobatic single-piston and M-101T Gzhel seven-seat single-turboprop.
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The Accord-201 is targeted at passenger, cargo and training markets |
Source: Flight International
