Yak aircraft design office prepares a new Yak series

The aircraft designing open-end joint-stock company Yakovlev OKB has set to developing a new series of civilian and military planes, Director General Oleg Demchenko said at a briefing in Moscow on Monday.

One of them is the MS-21 medium-haul plane of the 21st century.

The design firm begins updating the Yak-42M model. "It will have a new engine with 20-percent better technical parameters meeting chapter four of the International Civil Aviation Organization rules. So, it will fly to European countries", said Demchenko. 128 out of the 165 Yak-42 machines will be updated.

The 30-seater Yak-48 will be designed to replace the outdated Yak-40, said Demchenko.

He also stressed that the Yakovlev Co. share participation in the creation of a new Russian regional aircraft is being considered. The Ilyushin and Sukhoi firms, as well as the American Boeing concern will be involved in the project.

The Yak-130 military trainer will also appear this year, said Demchenko. The state budget has allocated 150 million roubles ($1 approximately equals 30 roubles) for its design this year and the Yakovlev firm will get another 340 million roubles next year. A Yak-130 modification as an attack warplane will also be built.

The Yakovlev OKB will continue the production of a small unmanned plane model, Pchela. It will be used in hostilities in Chechnya. The Yakovlev Co. will also participate in the creation of a fighter plane of the fifth generation, said Demchenko.