LMS-901 aircraft takes off for the first time
The LMS-901 aircraft, from Russian manufacturer UZGA, took off a few days ago, as shown in videos posted on social networks.
The single-engine aircraft did not complete a maiden flight, only briefly lifting off the ground by a few feet and then landing on the runway.
Equipped with a GE H80 turboprop engine, the LMS-901 is a multi-role aircraft developed as a replacement for the legendary An-2, produced by Antonov since the 1940s.
The assembly of the prototype, which was presented at MAKS 2021, was carried out by Baikal Engineering, but production of the aircraft is expected to take place in Komsomolsk-on-Amur (KnAAZ), a facility belonging to the United Aircraft Corporation.
The LMS-901 was supposed to make its maiden flight last year, but the program has been delayed for unexplained reasons.
UZGA intends to start its series production in 2023 or 2024 at an annual rate of 30 aircraft. The single engine has high wings, fixed landing gear, a speed of up to 300 km/h and a range of 3,000 km.
The LMS-901 can carry up to nine passengers or 2 tons of payload. The manufacturer intends to offer a variant equipped with a Russian VK-800S engine.
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