Antonov has introduced design changes to its An-148 regional twinjet aimed at improving performance and boosting reliability as it works towards the planned March 2004 first flight of the 70-seater.
Changes include a switch from the ZMKB Progress D-36-5AF powerplant to the same developer's 15,000lb-thrust (67kN) D-436-148. Antonov says the turbofan will be de-rated to provide extended and better reliability engine life, based on data from the D-436T1/TP-powered Tupolev Tu-334 and Be-200 flight-test programmes. Antonov is halfway through a noise-reduction programme aimed at achieving Chapter 4-7dB for the fly-by-wire An-148.
An initial plan to use the An-140's analogue cockpit has been dropped in favour of a two-crew glass cockpit design using five liquid crystal displays integrated by Russia's Aviapribor. Most of the avionics are Ukrainian and Russian, including satellite-based navigation, with a few Western components.
Antonov deputy general designer Victor Kazurov says several variants of the basic An-148 have been studied following the engine change, including a stretched version for 90 passengers. The basic An-148-100 has five-abreast seating for 70 passengers at 34in (86cm) pitch or 80 at 30in. It is offered with three different take-off weights providing ranges of 2,200-5,100km (1,190-2,760nm) with 75 passengers. "We continue evaluating a shrunk 50-seat variant, but less and less optimistically," says Kazurov. Aeroflot, Antonov Airlines, Odessa Airlines and Volga-Dnepr have expressed interest in the $17 million An-148-100 and first delivery from the Kharkov state aviation plant is targeted for 2005.
Source: Flight International
