Last month’s MAKS air show held just outside Moscow provided a glimpse of several Russian electric aviation projects that have not yet received much attention outside the country. The fact that both projects enjoyed the attention of Russian President Vladimir Putin during his visit to the event provided evidence of the government’s commitment to advancing technology to make aviation more environmentally sustainable.
Two older aircraft are being used as flying testbeds for Russia’s Electrolyot (electric aircraft) program. The Side 48986 project (with “Side” being the Russian term for a non-commercial aircraft registration) has involved fitting eight electric motors beneath the lower wing of a piston engine Antonov An-2 biplane. The separate Side 87251 project is making use of a Yakovlev Yak-40 trijet to evaluate an electric propulsion system developed by Russia’s SuperOx company, featuring electric engines, superconductors, and a cryogenic cooling system. Both aircraft were available for close inspection on the ground and also took part in the MAKS flying display.
