Belarus, Russia begin designing Osvei light aircraft - Belarusian PM

MINSK. July 9 (Interfax) - The Ural Works of Civil Aviation and the 558th Aircraft Repair Plant in Baranovichi, in Belarus's Brest region, have begun designing the Osvei light plane.

"The Ural Works and the Belarusian entity signed an agreement to design the plane just a month ago. A technical assignment was issued, and specialists got down to work. We are on schedule," Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said at a meeting with Sverdlovsk region Governor Yevgeny Kuivashev.

The Belarusian government's press service released footage of the meeting.

Belarusian Deputy Prime Minister Pyotr Parkhomchik said earlier that a prototype of the Belarusian-Russian Osvei plane is due to be made in Belarus in 2026. "A small, 19-seat plane is called Osvei. We are working together with Russian partners on the plane's design. Hence, we will have the right to manufacture this plane," Parkhomchik said in April.

Consistent with the intergovernmental agreement, Russia, in designing the Osvei light multirole plane together with Belarus, will order production of at least 178 fuselages and 50% of Osvei planes to be delivered under the Russian comprehensive aviation development program, but no less than 89, by the Belarusian 558th Aircraft Repair Plant before 2038.

According to the agreement, the project will be regulated by Russian legislation and the plane will be certified by federal aviation rules endorsed by the Federal Air Transport Agency. Russia and Belarus are funding the plane's development and certification on a parity basis.

The Ural Works of Civil Aviation was designated as the Russian lead research and developer in the Osvei project, and its partner is the Belarusian 558th Aircraft Repair Plant. The developers aim to make the plane competitive with foreign analogues, such as Cessna-408 SkyCourier, L-410NG, Indonesian Aerospace N-219, and DHC-6 300 Twin Otter.