Is the Sukhoi Superjet 100 Like the Tupolev?

With the lifting of sanctions on the aviation industry, many hope that Iran will import modern Boeing and Airbus aircraft after years. However, some reports indicate negotiations with the Russian company Sukhoi for the large-scale purchase of the Superjet 100. These reports have raised concerns among some Iranian aviation industry activists, as they fear that the extensive use of the Tupolev aircraft in Iran's airlines, along with its repeated crashes, may be repeated with another Russian product, the Sukhoi. However, some experts believe that the Sukhoi 100 is fundamentally different from other Russian aircraft. Milad Bastani, an aviation expert, states: "The first ultra-advanced commercial jet from the Sukhoi aircraft manufacturing company is another option for Iran's skies. Technically and in terms of certification, this Russian aircraft has received approval from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), but given the history of the Tupolev, Iranians are not fond of Russian aircraft." He believes that instead of the "Sukhoi Superjet 100," we could use the "Embraer" 190 and 195, which might cost about 4 to 5 million dollars more than the "Sukhoi Superjet 100," but is the safest aircraft in the world. Currently, many American companies use "Embraer" aircraft and confirm its safety. Considering that the average flight time in Iran is estimated at one hour and thirty minutes, the best capacity for domestic transport in Iran is a 100 to 150 passenger aircraft, including Boeing 737, Airbus 320, Embraer 195, Bombardier CRJ1000, and Sukhoi 100. But what has happened that Iran has turned back to using Russian aircraft among these options? Before the conclusion of Iran's nuclear negotiations, it was initially Russian news sources that reported on the Iranian side's negotiations to purchase Sukhoi aircraft. At that time, it was argued that Iran was negotiating with the Russians to have an option for renewing its air fleet in case the negotiations failed. However, after the agreement and the lifting of sanctions on Iran's aviation industry, allowing for the purchase of new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus, Russian sources published this news again. Initially, the Iranian Civil Aviation Organization denied this news, but it was eventually confirmed to be true. Sorena Sattari, the Iranian Vice President for Science and Technology, who visited the MAKS 2015 aerospace exhibition and negotiated with Russian officials in Moscow, pointed out the special attention of Iranian airlines to the Sukhoi Superjet 100 as one of the most modern aircraft in the world. However, Mohammad Asadi Samani, the secretary of the Association of Airline Companies, reacted to these statements by saying: "None of the airlines currently have plans to purchase the Sukhoi 100." Alireza Manzari, the former deputy of the Civil Aviation Organization, also stated: "What happened during the Vice President's visit to Moscow and his negotiations with the Russians were merely general discussions at a high political level, and certainly cannot be equated with the definite introduction of Russian aircraft into Iran's fleet." After some time, it became clear that one of the main reasons for cooperation with Sukhoi was the possibility of manufacturing this aircraft in Iran. Hamid Habibi, the deputy of flight standards at the Civil Aviation Organization, stated: "Negotiations have taken place for joint aircraft manufacturing between Iran and Russia, and there is a view that these two countries should cooperate." During Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's presidency, Iran had an ambitious plan to produce wide-body aircraft. However, this plan later changed to the construction of a medium-range aircraft with a capacity of 150 passengers. But technical problems and complexities led to this plan being shelved as well. Iran had previously attempted to manufacture the Antonov 140 in Iran, but the aircraft produced under the name Iran 140 faced numerous technical problems; the turbojet engine of this aircraft, which is similar to the Russian Mi-17 helicopter engine, is not compatible with Iran's high temperatures and loses efficiency in high temperatures. In 2002, the first accident of this aircraft occurred in Iran. The crash of the Antonov-140 near Ardestan resulted in the death of several Ukrainian and Russian aerospace experts who had come to open a production line for a similar model in Iran. In 2009, the passenger aircraft Iran 140 crashed near Shahin Shahr Airport in Isfahan. In 2014, another Antonov-140 that was flying from Mehrabad Airport in Tehran to Tabas crashed north of Mehrabad Airport, killing 39 passengers and injuring 9 others. These incidents led to the ban on the use of this aircraft. Now, the production of the Sukhoi 100 in Iran reminds some of the production of the Antonov 140 in Iran, especially since this aircraft crashed on one of its first flights. In 2012, a Sukhoi Superjet-100 crashed at the Jakarta Air Show in Indonesia. The crash of the Sukhoi Superjet-100, as the first passenger aircraft built in the post-Soviet era, was a significant blow to the Russian aerospace industry. This incident deterred many buyers from purchasing this aircraft. After this accident, the trend of Westernization of the Russian air fleet intensified. Currently, about 80% of Russia's air fleet uses Western aircraft such as Boeing and Airbus. How is the Sukhoi 100 technically? Before the construction of the Sukhoi 100, the company was primarily known for manufacturing military aircraft. Before the collapse of the Soviet Union, this company competed with its tough rival, Mikoyan, which produced MiG aircraft, and was somewhat behind in this regard. The MiGs had better commercial and operational successes. However, from the mid-1980s onwards, with the introduction of the Sukhoi 27 series, the story reversed. With this product, the company was able to outpace MiG and even act as a tough competitor to American aircraft, especially the F-15 and F-18. The Sukhoi 27 was upgraded to the Sukhoi 30, 33, and 34 with different operational capabilities. Ultimately, the company was able to design the Sukhoi 35, which is now considered one of the most important fighter jets in the world in terms of aerodynamics and maneuverability. However, the major problem for Russian companies remains radar and electronic issues compared to Western competitors. After the introduction of the F-22, Sukhoi had no competitor for this aircraft, which is the most modern and stealthy fighter jet in the world. The company has recently designed the T-50 model, which is a stealth model, to compete with the F-22. Some countries, including Iran and India, have expressed interest in purchasing this model. Sukhoi had previously designed a specific model of the Sukhoi 30 for the Indian army but had not been willing to provide the Sukhoi 35 model to any country, even China. Recently, Iran has requested to purchase the Sukhoi 30. Unconfirmed reports suggest that Russian officials have conditioned the sale of the Sukhoi 30 on the purchase of the Sukhoi 100. The Sukhoi 100 still exhibits the high aerodynamic design and maneuverability that is inherent in Sukhoi aircraft. This passenger aircraft has many capabilities in this regard. However, the important point in competing with Western companies is having high flight safety, lower fuel consumption, and less engine pollution, along with low maintenance costs and comfort. In terms of guidance and flight electronics, the Russians have lagged behind Western companies like Boeing for years. Therefore, the Russians have turned to Western companies, especially French and Italian ones, for the design of the Sukhoi. The engine of this aircraft, named SaM146, is produced by a joint consortium between the Russian company NPO Saturn and the French company Safran. NPO Saturn is the strongest manufacturer of engines for Russian military aircraft and has produced the engines for the Sukhoi 27, 30, 35, and T-50. Safran is also the manufacturer of the advanced French fighter jet Rafale's engine. This company has also collaborated with General Electric on the production of engines for Airbus and Boeing aircraft, the most famous of which is the Airbus 340 engine, in which the French company had a 50% share. The body design of the Superjet 100 was done by Sukhoi, but Boeing was a design consultant. The wing control system was designed by Liebherr of Germany, and the interior of the aircraft was designed by Pininfarina of Italy, with Alenia of Italy being Sukhoi's strategic partner in the construction of this aircraft. Most of the aircraft's avionics, electronics, and navigation equipment were also designed and manufactured by Thales of France. The Sukhoi Superjet family has a capacity ranging from 78 to 98 seats in various classes. The Sukhoi aircraft can reach a maximum speed of 0.8 Mach, which is similar to the Boeing 737 in this regard. However, in terms of flight range, the best model can cover 4,500 kilometers with a full load and a single refueling, which is 1,000 kilometers less than the Boeing 737 series 600. Nevertheless, this flight range covers all points in Iran and neighboring countries. One of the biggest advantages of Sukhoi over its Western counterparts is its lower price. Each Sukhoi 100 costs about 35 million dollars, while the cheapest Boeing 737 model costs 80 million dollars, and the Airbus 318 costs 73 million dollars. The two strong and high-quality competitors of Sukhoi, the Bombardier CRJ1000 model from Canada, costs 46 million dollars, and the Embraer E2 model from Brazil costs about 47 million dollars. So far, 343 Sukhoi 100 units have been produced or ordered, most of which have been purchased by Russia, Cuba, and former Soviet republics. Aside from Boeing and Airbus, which dominate most of the market, Bombardier from Canada and Embraer from Brazil are used by the most reputable airlines in the world, such as Lufthansa, Alitalia, and British Airways, while the Sukhoi Superjet 100 has not yet reached this level.