B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 - September 27, 2007 - (Page 36)

N B A A 2 0 07 Russia’s Capital Avia Invest is transforming former Soviet-era Tu-134UBL bomber trainer aircraft (left) into remade Tu-134B-3 biz-jets for the local market (right). Bombers Behind a Bizjet Revolution The “Backfire menace” sent chills through NATO planners in the 1970s. When western intelligence services first learned of Tupolev’s mighty Tu-22M “Backfire” bomber, they assessed its nuclear-armed arrival as a huge upset in the East-West power balance. Those assessments were later proved to be almost entirely wrong—but the Tu-22 was, and is, a formidable warplane nevertheless. The Backfire remains in service with Russia’s strategic bomber forces. One unique element in its story is the fleet of dedicated combat training aircraft that was built to make Backfire crews proficient in their main mission of sinking the U.S. Navy (and any other navies that got in the way). Tupolev Tu-134 airliners were modified into Tu-134UBL trainers and fitted with the distinctive needle-nosed radar of the Tu-22M3 Backfire-C—the most modern of the Tu-22 variants. Now these same Tu-134s are finding an entirely new role as sleek, chic corporate jets in a changing Russia. The ever-rising demand for business aviation in Russia is difficult to satisfy. Many obstacles—such as high import duties, a lack of infrastructure and idiosyncratic clientele—make life tough for operators there. In a country spanning ten time zones there is a preference for larger aircraft that can cover those distances in comfort. This has lead to a burgeoning market in Russian airliner conversions to VIP standards, but with Russian airliner production effectively stagnant 36 the number of available, suitable airframes grows ever fewer. Enter Capital Avia Invest, which identified the Russian Air Force’s fleet of Tu-134UBLs as ideal candidates for biz-jet conversions. Many Tu-134UBLs are no longer flown as combat trainers and are already used as transports by the military. The UBL variants were among the very last Tu-134s off the production line and so, dating from the 1980s, they remain relatively y o u n g . C a p i t a l Av i a I n v e s t acquired three UBLs and says that another 26 remain in Air Force service, plus four in the Republic of Ingushetia. At August’s Moscow Air Show (MAKS 2007) and again at this month’s Jet Expo event Capital Avia Invest displayed its first Tu-134B-3 VIP conversion. Utterly transformed from its military configuration the T-tailed Tupolev now shines in an Akzo Nobel Aviox Super Sparkle paint finish. Following a specialist overhaul at Minsk the Tu-134B-3 is equipped with weather radar, TAWS, TCAS, GPS, new flightdeck displays and is fully RVSM compliant. Additional fuel tanks extend its range to about 2,500 miles. A new cabin layout— finished in leather and wood—can accommodate up to 46 passengers in two VIP-class and one businessclass sections. Airshow, Globalstar satellite communications and multimedia entertainment systems are also fitted. Capital Avia Invest is now offering its first Tu-134B-3 for charter services—but is also prepared to sell the aircraft on to a final customer if one emerges. Two if its three UBLs have now been reconfigured to VIP standard. While the company won’t say how much each completion cost, the aircraft themselves were acquired at auction for just $117,000 making them an extremely attractive option for the Russian market. The conversion and completion process takes from nine to 12 months. According to the company, it has interested customers not only in Russia but also in the Middle East. If interest remains high, Capital Avia Invest says it is ready to acquire additional aircraft and carry on with its most remarkable conversion program. —Robert Hewson A TBM turboprop at Horseshoe Bay conclave earlier this month. EADS Socata Courts TBM Owners The TBM Owners and Pilot Association (TBMOPA) held a record breaking annual convention earlier this month which brought a large number of TBM 700 and TBM 850 owners to Horseshoe Bay, Texas. “This was my first visit to the TBMOPA annual convention,” said Jean-Michel Léonard, TBM manufacturer EADS Socata’s recently appointed chairman and CEO. “I was really impressed by the professionalism of the organization and our customers’ interest in our aircraft and its development.” EADS Socata North America is at Booth 3871 and in the static display at NBAA. September 27, 2007 www.aviationweek.com/shownews http://www.aviationweek.com/shownews

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Why Buy Columbia? Too Much of a Good Thing? The User Fee Fracas Big Toys for Big Boys Honeywell for RNP High Miles Air Taxi Bombardier at Your Service NARA Names Officers Learjet’s Racier Image ILA 2008 in Berlin Gulfstream Hangar Opens Anti-Runway Incursions Like ReallyLarge Cabins? Sentient-Jet Direct

B/CA Show News - NBAA 2007 - September 27, 2007

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