Irkutsk Aviation Plant - the legend of the domestic aircraft industry

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

The Irkutsk Aviation Plant (former Plant No. 39) produces military aircraft from the Sukhoi Design Bureau, including fighters for China, India, Malaysia, Venezuela, Algeria and Indonesia. Systems and units for the Airbus concern are being produced, and a project for the production of a passenger aircraft is underway. The enterprise was incorporated by the Irkut Corporation. The Irkutsk Aviation Plant specializes in military and civil aircraft manufacturing, modernization of military equipment, as well as warranty and post-warranty maintenance of aircraft after the sale. Over the past 3 years, the company has been steadily demonstrating an increase in production and sales volumes.

Irkutsk Aviation Plant has an active personnel policy. The number of jobs for city residents is increasing every year. One of the pride for their city among the residents of Irkutsk is the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. How to get to it, tell anyone you meet. From the airport there is a bus route number 43.

History of the aircraft factory

In 1932, by order of the People's Commissar of Heavy Industry, the construction of a plant for the production of aircraft No. 125 near Irkutsk began. And after 3 years, the first-born of the enterprise, the I-14 fighter, which was developed by the department of P. Sukhoi from the Tupolev Design Bureau, rose into the sky. In the fall of 1941, the Moscow Aviation Enterprise No. 39 named after Vyacheslav Menzhinsky was evacuated to the territory. There was a merger of two plants, and from 1941-19-12 the enterprise became known as "Plant No. 39 named after Joseph Stalin." In May 1975, the enterprise received its current name - the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. In 1976, the company was awarded the Order of the October Revolution.

Products of the enterprise in Soviet times

Irkutsk specialists collaborated with all design bureaus of the USSR. High-speed SB bombers of the Tupolev Design Bureau, Pe-2 and Pe-3 of the Petlyakovsky Design Bureau, ER-2 of the Ermolovsky Design Bureau, TU-2 and TU-16, ILs, YaKs, several models of ANs, MIG-23UB and MIG27, SU-27UB and SU30. All products of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant are 20 types of aircraft and their modifications. In total, until 1992, 6.5 thousand units were produced. Deliveries were made to 37 countries around the world.

The history of the aircraft factory in the new Russia

In 1992, the company went through the process of privatization. Further - corporatization and registration, and the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (OAO) appeared in the industry. In 1997In 2009, the enterprise received a conclusion on the conformity of the quality of its products with the ISO-9202 standard. And 10 years later, the plant became a division of the Irkut corporation. Contracts were signed for the supply of SU-27-UB and SU-30-MK abroad. Successful fulfillment of obligations opened wide opportunities for the company in the international market. Contracts have been signed for deliveries abroad until 2015 of military equipment, amphibious aircraft and A-002 gyroplanes. Today, the company's products are supplied to Russia, India, France, Germany, Algeria and Malaysia.

Accidents of the new time

During the period since 1992, aircraft produced from the stocks of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant suffered 2 crashes. The first took place in December 1997. A TU-124-100 transport aircraft belonging to the Russian Air Force was taking off from the runway of the enterprise. The equipment failed 3 out of 4 engines. The plane crashed on the area where the company's employees lived. The accident killed 72 people. A church was erected on the site of one of the houses.

Another disaster occurred in December 2007. The AN-12 cargo plane followed the Novosibirsk-Irkutsk route. There were 6 crew members and 3 passengers on board. The plane crashed into the warehouses of the Ministry of Defense. All people on board were killed.

Technical capabilities

The Irkutsk Aviation Plant is annually re-equipped for tens of millions of dollars. The enterprise has modern equipment, end-to-endtechnologies that have numerous unique developments. The production processes use original methods for processing titanium alloys. Large-sized panels are produced using shot-forming, high-speed machining, lume control, galvanized parts, and much more. Irkut Corporation was recognized as the best Russian exporter in the Aircraft Building nomination for three years in a row. It is among the leading companies in the industry. The Irkutsk Aviation Plant carries out all stages of work on the creation of aircraft: design, preparation of production facilities, manufacture, testing and maintenance of equipment throughout its life cycle.

The future of the Irkutsk aircraft manufacturing enterprise

The company is gradually diversifying its products, focusing on the civil aircraft industry. Today, a project for the production of the MS-21 mainline aircraft is being developed. He is destined to replace the TU-154. 2 design bureaus are working on the project - Yakovleva and Ilyushin. It is with this aircraft that the Irkutsk Aviation Plant and the Irkut Corporation associate their most distant prospects. Each year, the company spends about 30 million rubles to improve the skills of its employees: workers, engineers, managers and technicians. The Irkutsk Aviation Plant is the youngest in the industry. The average age of the staff does not exceed 39 years. The portfolio of contracts, including those abroad, is growing every year. The position of the enterprise is stable and extremely stable, which makes it possible to make plans for the long-termperspective.