The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is the first passenger airliner developed in Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Designed by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, a Russian organization engaged in the development, marketing and maintenance of civil aircraft. There are several modifications of this aircraft that are in operation by a number of Russian and foreign airlines.
In this article, we will look at not only the technical characteristics of this aircraft, but also the cabin layout and the best seats of the Sukhoi Superjet 100. We will pay special attention to the reliability and safety indicators of this aircraft, as well as passenger reviews.
History of creation
]Aeroflot[/anchor] is the largest customer of these aircraft. Currently Aeroflot has 30 Superjet 100 models. Another 20 should enter service in the near future. The planes are used by domestic ones, Azimuth, and some foreign carriers. The development of the model involved: the Italian aircraft manufacturing company Alenia Aeronautica, the American corporation Boeing and other foreign manufacturers.
Production of the Superjet 100 began in 2003 . The first copy was presented 3 years later. Two years later it was presented to the world community at the Le Bourget aviation show. In 2012, the aircraft received the necessary aviation safety certificates. From this moment on, the aircraft received the right to fly to international European airports. Receiving a new certificate in 2014 significantly expanded the aircraft’s capabilities.
In 2016, it received EASA (European Aviation Safety Agency) certificate for the Long Range model (SSJ100LR) - an airliner with an increased flight range (up to 4500 km).
In 2022, the corporation introduced a model with a short takeoff and landing runway—this aircraft is equipped with engines with more powerful takeoff thrust. New wing mechanics and changes in avionics algorithms made it possible to reduce the takeoff and landing distance by 1,425 m.
Announced for release in 2022, the new SSJ75 model with 75 seats should become a new word in the domestic aircraft industry. The use of the latest Russian technologies and components (for example, the PD-14 engine or a heavy-duty wing made of composite materials) should not only solve the problem of import substitution, but also improve the aircraft’s reliability rating, which was shaken after the plane crash at Sheremetyevo on May 5, 2022 and other accidents.
The Sukhoi Superjet 100 is a short-haul airliner. By its design, it is a narrow-body, twin-engine, low-wing aircraft with a swept wing and a single fin . The aircraft is equipped with two PowerJet turbofan engines.
Superjet 100.
Aircraft operation
Today, Superjet 100 is operated by Russian airlines and government agencies: Aeroflot, Gazprom Avia, Yakutia, Yamal, IrAero, Azimuth, Severstal, Ministry of Internal Affairs of Russia, Ministry of Emergency Situations, SLO Rossiya , RusJet - as well as in foreign Interjet (Mexico) and the Royal Thai Air Force.
:: Aeroflot
ATO special project: Domestic aircraft in the service of Aeroflot
Technical characteristics and design features
As for the technical characteristics of the aircraft, they vary depending on the modification. Here are the SS 100-95 data:
- length - 29.8 m;
- height - 10.3;
- wingspan is 27.8 m;
- maximum take-off weight - 42,500 kg;
- flight range with maximum load reaches 3,050 km;
- speed 100-950 km/h;
- engines - two engines of 7.9 tons each;
- number of passenger doors - 4;
- crew - 2 pilots + 2 flight attendants.
A distinctive feature of the airliner: a “sidestick” is installed in the cockpit instead of a steering wheel. You can read about what it is and how it helps you control an airplane here.
The aerodynamic performance of the SSZh-100 was calculated in laboratory conditions at TsAGI (Zhukovsky Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute). The shape of the fuselage and other structural details were calculated using computer modeling - a special program determined the behavior of aircraft elements under conditions of increased loads.
The main task of the designers was to create a machine that was convenient for users - passengers and flight crews. This was reflected in the interior of the cabin and the arrangement of the cabin. The creators did not forget about the requirements of airlines, taking care of efficiency, flight capabilities and ease of use.
The most important advantage of the airliner is the ability to fly in automatic mode with an economical fuel consumption program.
The increased safety of the airliner is due to the algorithm for protecting against accidental piloting errors built into the control system. For the first time in the Russian aircraft industry, a system was installed on an aircraft to prevent the aircraft from touching the runway. This option allows you to get rid of massive shock absorbers and increase the payload.
The modular design of the equipment used in the aircraft made it possible to reduce the number of onboard units by 15%. The airliner's designers abandoned the use of a traditional steering wheel to control the aircraft and, for the first time in Russian practice, used a joystick-type handle.
Many experts call the SSJ-100 aircraft “the hope of the Russian aviation industry.” There is every reason for this.
Among the advantages of the liner:
- increased level of comfort;
- use of modern technologies in project development and production;
- economical fuel consumption;
- environmental friendliness;
- variety of models.
comprehensively supports its products - eliminates identified deficiencies, provides detailed technical documentation, and conducts flight crew training.
The SSJ family of aircraft includes the following models:
- Sukhoi Superjet 100 is the first model in the Superjet series, the basic version.
- SSJ 100 LR is a modification with an increased flight range and increased take-off weight.
- Sukhoi Business Jet and 100LR-VIP are corporate versions for transporting VIPs. They have a higher level of comfort.
The corporation plans to develop a new model with an extended fuselage, which will increase the number of passengers to 125 people.
Quality complaints
Many buyers and operating organizations think about the low value of the average flight time. Thus, Aeroflot, having the largest fleet of SSJ 100s, reports that the airliners fly only 3.3 hours a day versus 5-6 hours for competing models.
At the beginning of 2022, Irish CityJet, the only one who used Superjet in Europe, abandoned operation of the SSJ 100.
The Mexican InterJet was forced to dismantle several aircraft for parts so that at least some of them remained in working order.
SaM146 engines from the French company Powerjet have a built-in defect. Premature destruction of the combustion chamber. Instead of 7500 - 8000 hours of operation, they provide 1000 - 2000 hours before major repairs.
The problem with the engine forces operators to keep a pool of replacement engines or dismantle their other SSJ 100 airliners for spare parts. Powerjet admitted the design flaw, but is not going to take drastic actions, because SaM146 engines are installed only on the Sukhoi airliner. The French simply modified the combustion chamber so that it wears out more slowly.
On the other hand, Russia plans to release a new modification of the airliner - SSJ-SV with a domestically produced engine.
Powerplant SaM146
The SaM146 engine is produced by PowerJet, a joint venture between Snecma (Safran Group, France) and NPO Saturn (Russia) with equal shares, and provides economical operation of the Superjet 100 family of aircraft.
The concept of an optimized aerodynamic layout formed the basis for the development of the modern SaM146 turbofan engine. In the regional jet market, specially designed engines are in demand that are designed for frequent flights and are designed to quickly turn around at the destination airport without downtime.
The new SaM146 modular engine combines the proven track record of the world's most successful commercial engine, the CFM56, with state-of-the-art technology and a 20% reduction in component count to significantly reduce operating and maintenance costs and achieve superior performance and reliability.
:: GSS
Aeroflot Superjet 100 interior diagram
The passenger compartment is located in the middle part of the fuselage between the cabin and the tail compartments.
It is sealed and ensures optimal temperature, humidity and pressure support. Options:
- width - 3.2 m;
- height - 2.1 m;
- The width of the seats for passengers is 46.5 cm.
The doors to the cabin are located at the front and rear of the aircraft.
These aircraft have two types of cabin configurations - AA and AF . They are similar, but they have one difference. In both, the first three rows are occupied by Business Class. The remaining 17 are for Economy. Toilets are located in the nose and tail of the aircraft. From the photo of the interior of the Sukhoi Superjet 100, you can form your opinion about its features.
In the first configuration, the cabin accommodates 98 seats with a distance between them of 81.2 cm. The aisle width is 51 cm. In a more compact version, part of the furniture is dismantled, the distance between the seats is reduced, and the number of passengers increases to 108 people.
The seats are installed in 19 rows of 5 in each. On the left are double chairs, on the right are triple chairs. Each seat is equipped with individual lighting and ventilation system. Above the seats there are spacious niches for hand luggage.
Superjet 100 aircraft interior
The interior has calm LED lighting. The windows are oval in shape and the largest size among aircraft of the same class. The salon has a wardrobe for outerwear. Each passenger has access to media materials - watch movies, listen to music during the flight.
The first row is less comfortable, as it is limited in front by a partition. Behind it are emergency exits and a toilet. This means you'll have limited legroom. The other two rows of Business are quite comfortable.
The first row of the Economy is the most comfortable in this class. You can stretch your legs freely without fear that they will rest against the neighboring chairs. You can even stand in this space without disturbing anyone.
Superjet 100-95 interior layout.
Rows - from 7 to 19 - are quite standard and do not have any special characteristics.
The last one, the 20th row, has a difference depending on the interior configuration. If it's an AA, there are toilets and a utility room right behind it. Therefore, a queue will constantly accumulate near these places. Unpleasant odors and extraneous sounds will constantly disturb you during the flight.
In the AF configuration, the toilets are located far away from the seats, making this a fairly standard row for travel.
Advice. If you do not know exactly which plane you will fly on, choose row 20 only if there are no other options.
Aeroflot. Own equipment
As a key operator of the Superjet 100, Aeroflot receives these aircraft in a specification made according to its special requirements - in the so-called full version.
The full configuration differs from the standard one in the updated flight management system (FMS) and the presence of a weather radar with a function for detecting wind shear. In addition, according to Aeroflot’s requirements, the number of CCTV cameras was increased, separate lighting control was made in the economy and business class cabins, and another flight attendant workplace was added, equipped on the wall of the optional galley in the rear service area.
As for passenger comfort, the extended configuration includes personal airflow for each passenger. The aircraft is equipped with three toilets equipped with changing tables. Each block of three passenger seats has an additional oxygen mask. The number of pantry-kitchen modules has increased from three to four; two stoves have been added to one of them. There is additional space for attaching a baby cradle.
:: Aeroflot
Plane crashes involving Sukhoi Superjet 100
The most recent crash involving an SSJ-100 occurred on May 5, 2022 . The plane crashed during a hard landing at Sheremetyevo. At the time of writing, 41 deaths are known.
SU1492 (Aeroflot) Moscow - Murmansk
The facts of the incident are as follows : a fire broke out on the airliner that made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo, which could not be extinguished immediately. The plane was flying SU1492 Moscow - Murmansk. A few minutes after takeoff, it began to descend, and during landing, according to eyewitnesses, it hit the surface of the earth twice and then caught fire. The flames quickly engulfed the rear of the plane. There were 73 people and 5 crew members on board. Passengers had to leave the plane via two inflatable slides.
The final cause of the incident has not been identified at the time of writing. There are several versions: a malfunction of the vessel, errors by the pilot or dispatcher, unfavorable weather conditions.
Experts of the Interstate Aviation Committee pointed out several mistakes of the pilots: they decided to fly through a thunderstorm front, refused to run out of fuel before an emergency landing, and were unable to land manually, which indicates their poor pilot training.
The pilots tried to push the nose of the plane toward the ground instead of stabilizing it in a landing position. This caused the plane to bounce off the runway, making the situation worse. The passengers sitting in the rear section received serious injuries during the “jumps” of the liner, so they were unable to get out of the cabin on their own and died.
The crew made an emergency landing exceeding ground speed by 30 kilometers per hour. When approaching the runway, “the crew began to increase speed for an unknown reason,” which is why the plane landed closer to the middle of the runway. In addition, as the plane passed through a thunderstorm front, allegedly, “a power surge occurred in the generator, followed by a series of failures of the aircraft systems.”
Important! Once the official investigation is completed, the information in this section will be updated.
Indonesia 2012
Another disaster occurred in 2012 in Indonesia . The Superjet airliner crashed into a mountain during a technical flight. 45 people died; the cause of the disaster was recognized as an error by the pilots and dispatchers.
Minor situations
Other recent incidents involving Superjet:
- in March 2022, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 plane made an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo (the reason was a cracked windshield);
- in February 2022, when landing at Domodedovo, the plane hit a lamppost with its wing;
- the plane flying Moscow-Khanty-Mansiysk returned to Sheremetyevo for technical reasons;
- in October 2022, in Yakutia, the plane skidded off the runway;
- in June 2022, a liner flying from Irkutsk to St. Petersburg made an emergency landing in Barnaul (the reason was a false fire alarm).
Experts believe that the main reason for frequent accidents is the low quality of components that fail before the time stated by the manufacturer. There are especially many complaints about premature engine failure.
Fuel consumption for different aircraft
Soviet aircraft
OKB Tupolev
- Tu-134A 3500 kg/h
- Tu-154A/B/B-2 6200 kg/h
- Tu-154M 5500 kg/h. for the first hour of takeoff and climb, the next hours at 4200-4700 kg/h.
- Tu-204-100 3600 – 4000 kg/h.
- Tu-204-120 3300 kg/h.
- Tu-214 3200 kg/h.
- Tu-334 1st hour 2200 kg, next hours 1600 kg/h.
OKB Ilyushin
- IL-62 1st hour 8000 kg, next 7000-6000 kg/h, last 5000 kg
- IL-76 8000 kg h
- Il-86 10800-11500 kg/h
- Il-96-300 1st hour 8300 kg, next 7500 kg/h, last two 5000 kg
- Il-96-400 1st hour 8600 kg, next 7900 kg/h, last two 5500 kg
- IL-114 1st hour 650 kg, next 550 kg
OKB Yakovlev
- Yak-40 1150 kg/h
- Yak-42 2350-3150 kg/h
OKB Antonov
- An-3 250 kg/h
- An-12 2500 kg/h
- An-22 ~ 9500kg/h on takeoff, NK-12MA engine
- An-24 1st hour 1200 kg/h, then 800 kg/h
- An-26 1000kg/h
- An-32 1000 kg/h
- An-38-100 360 kg/h
- An-38-200 350 kg/h
- An-74TK-200 1714 kg/h
- An-74TK-300 1565 kg/h
- An-124-100 approximately 17000 kg/h the first hour of flight, each subsequent 12600 kg/h
- An-140 560 kg/h
- An-148-100 1500 kg/h
Foreign aircraft
USA
Boeing
- Boeing 757—200 4200 l/h Engine Rolls Royce RB211-535R4
- Boeing 737—500 3000 l/h Engine CFM56-3
- Boeing 767-300- 4500 kg/h
- Boeing 727-200 – 5.018 kg/h
- Boeing C-17 Globemaster III Engine F117-PW-100 0.33/kgf ~ 4700 kg/h Pratt & Whitney F117-PW-100
- C-5 Galaxy Engine TF39-GE-1C 0.715/kgf ~ 10000 kg/h Modification C-5M Engine CF6-80C2 0.307 – 0.344/kgf Model CF6-80C2
McDonell Douglas
- MD-83 3400 l/h Engine Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219
Lockheed Martin
- C130K ~ 2300 kg/h Allison T56-A-15 engine
- C130-E taxiing ~ 1370 First hour ~ 3250 kg/hour then ~ 2230 kg/hour
European Union
- Fokker 50 Fuel consumption 800 l/h Engine P&W 125 B
Airbus
- A310 4000-5008 kg/hour
- A320 - 2200 kg/hour
| Characteristic time | Screw pitch >>> |
Passenger reviews
A review of the airliner would be incomplete without passenger reviews of the Superjet 100 aircraft.
Anastasia : “I fly often for work, almost every week. I always feel uncomfortable if I have to fly on a Sukhoi-100. Although I may be biased towards the modern domestic aviation industry. So far there have been no incidents.”
Victor : “I recently flew on one of these from Tyumen to Moscow. The takeoff went well, but during the flight the plane shook sharply twice and shifted to the side. The feeling was not pleasant, and judging by the frightened face of the flight attendant, the situation was not at all normal. Still, I hope the plane is not as bad as they are now shouting in the media. First we need to understand the causes of the accident, then draw conclusions.”
Roman : “I can say that the plane is good, but like any new model it has shortcomings, which, I hope, will be eliminated in the future. In any case, Sukhoi is no worse than similar class foreign airliners, I say this as a professional.”
"Sukhoi civil aircraft"
The SSJ 100 was designed and manufactured by Russia. The company was founded in 2000 to create new types of civil aviation equipment; is located in Moscow, and its branch is represented in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, where the final assembly of aircraft takes place.
SuperJet International (SJI) is located in Venice (Italy) and provides international support to the SSJ 100 program. In coordination with SCAC, SJI is involved in marketing and sales, supply and customization for Western markets, EASA certification, flight test support, flight and maintenance training, and after-sales services worldwide.
:: Safran
Production of liners.
In total, since the start of production of the Superjet 100, since 2008, 122 aircraft have been manufactured, including 8 for testing and 103 delivered to customers. Some of the manufactured machines are at the transfer stage. The largest number of aircraft was manufactured in 2014 - 36 aircraft. The largest sales volume of SSZh-100 was in 2014 and amounted to 27 units. Since the beginning of 2022, 4 vehicles have been produced and 7 have been delivered to customers.
SSZh -100 is Aeroflot . At the beginning of 2022, Aeroflot operates, is in production and has ordered 37 SSZH-100 aircraft.
Among the Russian companies that actively use the services of SSZH-100 are: Gazpromavia - 10 cars, Yamal Airlines - 9 cars, Yakutia Airlines - 5 cars. Some of the vehicles were purchased by Russian federal structures (Ministry of Internal Affairs, Ministry of Emergency Situations, Ministry of Defense).
The main foreign buyer of SSZh-100 aircraft is the Mexican airline Interjet, which operates 22 aircraft. The Irish company Cityjet purchased 3 vehicles, the Royal Thai Air Force - 3 vehicles and the Border Guard Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan 1 vehicle. A total of 92 SSZh-100s are currently in operation. The total number of SSG-100 routes includes 70 airports in 23 countries.
First flight of Superjet 100
For different types of engines
A gasoline engine is capable of converting only about 20-30% of the fuel energy into useful work (efficiency = 20-30%) and, accordingly, has a high specific fuel consumption. A diesel engine usually has an efficiency of 30-40%, diesel engines with turbocharging and intercooling - over 50%. For example, the MAN B&W S80ME-C7 diesel engine with an efficiency of 54.4% spends only 155 g of fuel for useful work of 1 kWh (114 g/(hp h))[1].
Diesel engines
- Belarus-1221 - the tractor is equipped with a six-cylinder in-line diesel engine with turbocharging. Specific fuel consumption at rated power - 166 g/(hp h);
- K-744 (tractor) - specific fuel consumption at rated power - 174 g/(hp h);
- Wärtsilä-Sulzer RTA96-C ( Wärtsilä-Sulzer
Series of two-stroke turbocharged diesel engines) - 171 g/(kW h) (126 g/(hp h) (3.80 l/s))
Gas turbine engines
- MZ gas turbine unit with a reversible gearbox (36,000 hp, 0.260 kg/(hp h), resource 5000 h) for large anti-submarine ships;
- second generation engines M60, M62, M8K, M8E with increased efficiency (0.200-0.240 kg/(hp h)) [2].
Aircraft engines
- ASh-82 - specific fuel consumption 0.381 kg/(hp h) in cruising mode;
- AM-35A - specific fuel consumption 0.285-0.315 kg/(hp h);
- M-105 - specific fuel consumption 0.270-0.288 kg/(hp h);
- ACh-30 is an aircraft engine, specific fuel consumption is 0.150-0.170 kg/(hp h).
Prospects
The government's policy of gradually removing foreign aircraft from the Russian fleet opens up great prospects for the SSZh-100 in the domestic market. Currently, 15 vehicles are at various stages of flight testing and in production for Russian customers, and another 6 vehicles have been ordered. 9 SSZh-100 aircraft are being prepared for delivery to foreign customers, including 3 for Argentina and 6 for Ireland.
Russia remains the main sales region; in addition, sales are expected to the CIS countries, China, India, Southeast Asia and the Middle East. This will allow the SSZh-10 aircraft to gain a significant share of the global aviation market in its class.
In March 2022, the new southern Russian airline (Rostov-on-Don) expressed a desire to purchase a batch of 12 SSZH-100 aircraft. Sukhoi's company plans to develop a version of the airliner with an extended fuselage, which will increase the number of passengers from 110 to 125 people. The creation of such an aircraft is planned to be completed by 2022. The new airliner will require the development of a different wing with better aerodynamic characteristics.
