Rostec Says SJ-100 Superjet Control System Passed 1,500 Tests, Including 1,500-Volt Lightning-Surge Pulses
Why It MattersQualification of a domestically built flight-control system, with some 40 foreign component categories replaced, shows how far Russia's regional-jet programme has moved toward independence from Western suppliers.
Rostec, Russia's state-owned corporation, says the integrated control system developed for the SJ-100 Superjet has undergone 1,500 tests over three years. The system was developed by enterprises of the Radio-Electronic Technologies Concern (KRET) and transmits pilot commands to the aircraft's flight controls. The qualification program covered 500 components and more than 30 categories of external-impact testing.
In lightning-protection tests, the equipment was subjected to voltage pulses of up to 1,500 volts to assess its ability to withstand short-duration electrical disturbances that could disrupt onboard systems. The system was also tested at temperatures from -55°C to +85°C, although its specified operating range is -40°C to +70°C. Other assessments covered vibration, humidity, icing, electromagnetic interference, voltage surges, salt fog, sand and dust, fire and flammability.
A key safety feature is four-channel redundancy, including four distinct rudder-control channels, designed to preserve controllability if individual components or channels fail. Rostec says the system is designed to meet a maximum failure probability of one in a billion (10⁻⁹). KRET chief executive Alexander Pan said the system's performance was comparable to foreign equivalents.
According to Rostec, the system is now in the final stage of certification. KRET is producing approximately 650 components for the Superjet program, involving 11 enterprises. The SJ-100 is designed to carry up to 103 passengers, and Rostec says more than 40 categories of foreign components have been replaced with Russian-made alternatives. The completion of testing does not mean final certification has been granted.
