The 95-seat Sukhoi Superjet 100 made its debut at Sukhoi Civil Aircraft's (SCAC) plant in Komsomolsk on 26 September, as plans for a stretch derivative gather pace.
The airframer has been studying a stretched 110- to 130- seat derivative of the twinjet. Sukhoi Aviation Holding deputy general director Dmitry Matsenov says that a launch decision is planned "this year".
The Superjet 100 rolled out at the ceremony last week is one of six pre-production examples to be built, of which two will be used for ground testing and the remainder in the flight-test programme.
SCAC president Viktor Subbotin says the twinjet will fly before year-end, "maybe even in October". He adds that "certification flights should be over within a year so that we can begin aircraft deliveries in November 2008".
Aeroflot is the launch customer for the Superjet 100 with orders for 30 aircraft, plus 15 options. SCAC will assemble nine production series Superjet 100s at KnAAPO in 2008, 30 in 2009 and 60 in 2010.
Source: Flight International
