Tango Trainer PT.006 Prototype Completes First Flight with Variable Pitch Propeller
Why It MattersThe expanded three-aircraft test fleet signals accelerating development of a Russian-built light training aircraft aimed at reducing reliance on foreign training platforms.
The third flight prototype of the Tango light training aircraft, designated PT.006, has completed its first flight, flown by a test pilot from SibNIA named after S. A. Chaplygin. Unlike the two earlier test aircraft already in the flight program, PT.006 is equipped with a variable pitch propeller, a configuration intended to yield additional data on flight characteristics and various operating modes. With PT.006 now airborne, three prototypes are active in the Tango flight test program, enabling parallel testing and an expanded test volume.
The Tango project is developed by Spectra Aircraft, a company within the S7 Group. It is a four-seat light aircraft designed for initial pilot training, private flights, and aerial work, built from composite materials and powered by a Russian APD-520 "Lider" piston engine rated at 200 hp. The engine first flew on the aircraft in July, after which flight testing continued.
