Aircraft industry in Russia: overview, history, prospects and interesting facts

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 10:16

Aviation industry in Russia has a long and glorious history. The industry has experienced moments of triumph and deepest crises. However, at all times, despite the difficulties and the economic situation, domestic aircraft manufacturers and designers have been able to amaze the world by creating high-quality and advanced aircraft. Today, hundreds of thousands of people are involved in the aircraft industry in Russia. Cities that have factories producing helicopters and planes are sometimes built around these factories and thrive on them.

The aircraft industry is gradually recovering from the dashing 90s and is increasing its production capacity, currently ranking third in terms of the number of aircraft produced after the US and the EU. Once again, the Russian aircraft industry is forced to catch up with competitors. It first happened over a century ago.

Tsarist Russia

The history of aircraft construction in Russia began in 1910-1912, when the first aircraft factories appeared. The industry developed rapidly, by 1917 there were already 15 factories in the country,employing about 10,000 people. Aircraft were built mainly under foreign licenses and with foreign engines, but there were also very successful domestic devices, for example, the Anade reconnaissance aircraft; flying boat M-9 designer Grigorovich; famous bomber Sikorsky "Ilya Muromets". By the beginning of the World War, the Russian army had 244 aircraft - more than other participants in the war.

After the revolution

The revolution broke out, followed by the civil war. The state began a global reorganization. In 1918, by decree of the Soviet government, all aviation enterprises were nationalized. But aircraft production had already come to a virtual h alt due to the dire economic environment and political uncertainty. The new government had to establish the aircraft industry in Russia practically from scratch.

Moreover, they restored the industry in harsh conditions: war, devastation, lack of funds, resources and personnel, because many Russian aircraft manufacturers immigrated, many died in civilian life or were repressed. The Germans helped a lot, who, after the Treaty of Versailles, were forbidden to have a full-fledged army and produce weapons. In cooperation with Russia, German specialists got the opportunity to build and design new aircraft, and Soviet engineers gained invaluable experience and knowledge.

Already in 1924, the first all-metal aircraft ANT-2, designed by the legendary Andrei Tupolev, took to the skies. Just a year later, Soviet aircraft manufacturers createdadvanced for its time monoplane ANT-4. The bomber's engines were placed along the wing, this arrangement became a classic for all future heavy bombers during the next world war.

In the 30s, the era of airships irrevocably ended, there was a qualitative leap in the aircraft industry in Russia. Factories producing aircraft and engines, metallurgical enterprises and design bureaus appeared in dozens. In 1938, aircraft production increased by 5.5 times compared to 1933 figures. In the pre-war years, the industry developed and produced such well-known aircraft as the ANT-6, ANT-40, I-15 and I-16.

WWII

Despite the impressive achievements and productive power of the Soviet aircraft industry, at the end of the 30s there was a technical lag behind the German aircraft manufacturers. The best domestic I-16 and I-15 fighters, which were actively used during the Spanish Civil War, performed well at first, but towards the end of the conflict they began to noticeably yield to German aircraft.

The catastrophe of the first days of the Great Patriotic War, when hundreds of Soviet aircraft were destroyed on the ground, further aggravated the advantage of the German pilots. The Germans reigned supreme in the sky, which largely explains their success in the first months of the war. Without air support, the Red Army was unable to stop the Wehrmacht's tank spearheads, which covered entire armies.

Again, the aviation industry found itself in a critical situation: everything around collapsed, the statedestruction threatened, and the leadership demanded not only to increase the production of aircraft, but also to design new, more advanced modifications. The assigned tasks were brilliantly accomplished. The Soviet aviation industry made an impressive contribution to the future victory. Straining all their will and strength, Soviet aircraft builders did the impossible, as often happened in Russia.

Aircraft manufacturing centers were promptly evacuated to the east of the country, all design bureaus worked around the clock, women and children worked at the factories. The result of these efforts was the creation of such outstanding aircraft as the simple and tenacious La-5 fighter, which made a significant contribution to the Battle of Stalingrad; universal Yak-9, which was used as a fighter of enemy aircraft, bomber, reconnaissance, escort; Pe-2 bomber; the Il-2 attack aircraft that terrified the Germans.

Without these aircraft, a turning point in the war, and then a great Victory, would not have been possible. However, it was obtained not only by the technical improvement of aircraft, but also by an amazing increase in production capacity. The Soviet aviation industry in 1941 gave the army about 7,900 aircraft, and in 1944 this figure exceeded 40,000. In total, during the war years, over 150,000 aircraft were produced in the USSR, and about 120,000 in Germany, although the entire European industry worked for it.

Dawn period

The aircraft industry, put on a war footing, did not slow down after the war, until the very collapse of the USSR, it continued to produce and improve aircraft equipment. ATAt the peak of its development, the Soviet aviation industry produced about 400 helicopters and 600 military aircraft per year, as well as about 300 helicopters and 150 civil aircraft. The industry included 242 enterprises, 114 factories, 72 design bureaus, 28 research institutes. Before the collapse of the Union, more than two million people worked in the aviation industry.

In the post-war period, the USSR was not going to allow the technical backlog from the Western powers. The era of jet aircraft has begun. Already in the early 50s, the transonic and supersonic MiG-15 and MiG-19 took to the air, in 1955 the Su-7 fighter was tested, and in 1958 the serial production of the MiG-21 was launched, which for a long time turned into a symbol and the main power of the fighter aviation of the USSR.

In the Soviet period, the aircraft industry in Russia and the Union Republics was a single mechanism that non-stop created magnificent helicopters and aircraft that were ahead of their time. Moreover, the Union produced aircraft not only for its own needs, it was its largest exporter together with the United States and provided almost 40% of the world's fleets of allied states.

The best Soviet aircraft for the army were: MiG-27, MiG-29, MiG-31, Yak-38 fighters; attack aircraft Su-25 and Su-27; bombers Tu-95 and Tu-160. For civil aviation, such high-quality aircraft as Tu-104, supersonic Tu-144, Tu-154 were created; Il-62, Il-86; Yak-40; An-24. Domestic helicopter manufacturers did not lag behind, giving the army and civil aviation the most massive Mi-8 helicopter on the planet, the largest - Mi-26,hybrid helicopter Mi-24, unique helicopter Ka-31, attack military all-weather vehicle Ka-50.

The Long Fall: The 1990s

The collapse of the USSR was naturally followed by the collapse of the Soviet aviation industry. Established industry ties between enterprises were torn apart, which suddenly ended up in the newly independent states. The industry was rapidly privatized, only 3% of airlines remained under state control. Aeroflot broke up into many private airlines.

The volume of orders of the defense department fell catastrophically, and the civil aircraft industry in Russia was on the verge of destruction. Air carriers preferred to replace aging Soviet aircraft with foreign used aircraft rather than order them from a domestic manufacturer. The figures for 1999 are very eloquent, during which the Russian aviation industry produced 21 military and 9 civil aircraft.

Time of Hope: 2000

Russia entered the beginning of the third millennium with new people in power and new hopes. The country was recovering from a decade of redistribution of property, troubled times of privatization and defaults. Oil prices were rising, the economy was getting stronger, funding for the most important industries, including the aviation industry, increased. For its effective development, the authorities united aviation enterprises, creating the Russian Helicopters holding company, which is responsible for the production of helicopter equipment, and the United Aircraft Corporation.

Military aircraft industry in Russia was recovering faster than civil aircraft due togrowing domestic and export orders. Foreign states were happy to buy MiG-29, Su-30, Su-27. In civil aviation, the situation has not changed dramatically: in the 2000s, more than 250 foreign aircraft were purchased.

On the road to former strength: 2010

From 2010 to the present, the course taken to restore the industry has been maintained, despite the consequences of the global economic crisis of 2008 and the sanctions imposed on the Russian Federation by Western countries. Thanks to the increased purchases of the Russian Ministry of Defense, the factories are operating at full capacity, bringing the production level to hundreds of military aircraft per year. Serial production of the Su-30M and Su-35 fighters, the Il-76MD military transport aircraft has been launched, the Il-78M tanker and the latest Su-57 fighter are undergoing flight tests.

The civil aviation industry is also reviving. Serial production of the new Russian aircraft "Superjet 100" has been launched, and the development of the main aircraft passengers and jointly with China is underway. The best illustration of positive trends is statistics. In 2010, more than 100 military aircraft of various types were produced, in 2011 domestic aircraft manufacturers produced more than 260 helicopters, in 2014 they built 37 civil and 124 military aircraft.

Foundation of the industry

The revival of the aircraft industry complex took place on the foundation of factories and design bureaus that were created back in the USSR. The Soviet authorities were well aware that for the efficient operation and development of the industry, it is necessary to take into account suchthe most important factors in the location of the aircraft industry in Russia and the republics, such as the availability of qualified personnel and convenient transport links between enterprises and design bureaus. Therefore, design bureaus were set up in the capital or in the Moscow region, and factories were built in large cities with a developed transport infrastructure.

Currently, this state of affairs does not change. The famous design bureaus of Yakovlev, Sukhoi, Mil, Tupolev, Ilyushin, Kamov continue to successfully develop new types of aircraft, and their head offices are located in Moscow or near it. The largest enterprises engaged in the production of helicopters, aircraft and engines for them are located in Moscow, Smolensk, Kazan, Ulan-Ude, Novosibirsk, Irkutsk, Voronezh, Nizhny Novgorod, Saratov and other cities.

Prospects for the aircraft industry in Russia

If the authorities continue the adopted program for the development of the aviation industry and leave funding at the same level, then the prospects for the domestic aircraft industry are quite optimistic. In 2017, Russia produced 33 SSJ100s, 214 military helicopters and 139 military aircraft. In 2018, the serial production of the Mi-38 helicopter and the MS-21 passenger liner should begin. It is planned to resume production of the Il-96-400M long-haul passenger liner, start production of the Ka-62 helicopter, and modernize the Tu-160M aircraft.