Russia’s Il-114-300 regional turboprop has completed hot-weather performance testing in Bukhara, Uzbekistan, where systems were checked in temperatures reaching 42°C. The campaign, led by specialists from JSC Il under United Aircraft Corporation and Rostec, is part of work to expand the aircraft’s type certificate.
The test programme covered 22 flights and more than 30 hours in the air, including five rejected take-offs. Engineers also used specially prepared brakes to simulate extreme brake-disc wear. After the trials, the aircraft flew non-stop back to Russia and landed at the Gromov Flight Research Institute airfield in Zhukovsky, near Moscow.
The hot-weather campaign follows earlier cold-weather testing in Yakutia, with the two sets of results due to be reviewed together by aviation authorities. Russian Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Gennady Abramenkov said the high-temperature work is an important part of broadening the aircraft’s certified operating range. Reports also indicate that the TV7-117ST-01 engines and digital avionics performed reliably during the Uzbekistan tests.