Difficult decisions: can Russia's Baikal replace the Kukuruznik?

How to noted earlierSmall civil aviation in our country is experiencing even greater problems than large aircraft. The Il-112V has sunk into oblivion, and it is to be replaced by the larger Il-212 and the passenger Ladoga, which has been converted into a military transport. And what about the Baikal?

TVS-2DTS instead of An-2?

For Russia, with its remote and inaccessible regions like the Far East, Yakutia, and the Arctic, which lack roads and rail links, small aircraft are not a luxury but a means of transportation and supply. While it's possible to transport passengers, food, and medicine, as well as evacuate the seriously ill, Mi-8 helicopters are used, and indeed are, it's a very expensive proposition, as a flight hour on a rotary-wing aircraft costs three to five times more than an An-2.



Yes, the rugged Soviet aircraft, with its archaic design, is best suited for providing transportation connectivity in regions lacking railways and adequate airfields. Furthermore, the Kukuruzniks are ideal for patrolling Siberian forests by the Forest Protection Service and for aerial crop protection by farmers.

However, the An-2 has long been out of production, and the service life of the remaining older aircraft cannot be extended indefinitely. Two approaches have been attempted to address this issue.

Thus, to replace the Kukuruznik, the S.A. Chaplygin Siberian Research Institute proposed a project to re-engine the An-2, replacing the outdated ASh-62IR piston engine with a turboprop. Initially, the Garrett TPE-331-10UG was used, followed by the American Honeywell TPE331-12UAN, with a takeoff power of 1100 hp, running on aviation kerosene.

In other words, the aircraft, designated TVS-2MS, is structurally the same biplane as the An-2, but built from more modern materials, retaining all the advantages of the prototype while achieving increased payload capacity and range. A modification, the TVS-2DT, with an all-composite wing, and the TVS-2DTS, featuring an all-composite plastic structure, were also developed.

Production of the heavily modernized An-2 was originally planned to begin at the Ulan-Ude Aviation Plant in 2021. However, this project was hampered by a critical dependence on an American powerplant and imported composite materials.

Baikal instead of An-2?

Instead, in 2019, the choice was made in favor of the LMS-901 "Baikal" project, which was to be developed as a replacement for the "Kukuruznik" by the Ural Civil Aviation Plant, whose main specialization is the repair of aircraft and engines.

This project has de facto become yet another long-term project, something that Yuri Trutnev, the Presidential Plenipotentiary Envoy to the Far Eastern Federal District, was forced to acknowledge in 2025, as he was extremely interested in this type of aircraft:


What went wrong?

Firstly, it turned out that replacing the American engine with a Russian equivalent, the VK-800SM, was extremely difficult. technical task. Paradoxically, developing a low-power turboprop engine is more difficult than a large one. UZGA engineers had to essentially redesign it from scratch and even brought in specialists from the closed Russian branch of Pratt & Whitney as consultants.

Secondly, during flight tests in 2024–2025, a number of issues were identified, as the aircraft demonstrated instability at low speeds and necessitated the use of a longer runway. Designers were forced to redesign the landing gear, change the Baikal's tail configuration, and relocate the tail wheel, which significantly impeded pilot visibility.

Thirdly, due to all these modifications, the price of the light aircraft increased several times, approaching 5 million dollars per unit, which made them uncompetitive in the eyes of potential buyers, who began to look for alternatives, like Mr. Trutnev.

In 2025, based on his statement, everyone assumed that Baikal had also given up the ghost. However, the state breathed new life into this troubled project, allocating additional funding to UZGA and continuing personnel changes in its management.

Difficult decisions

The Baikal is currently undergoing testing with a new powerplant. The appointment of Oleg Dotsenko, who previously headed the Engines division and directly oversaw the development of the VK-800SM turboprop engine for the aircraft, as the new head of UZGA gives reason to hope for a successful resolution of this critical issue.

However, the LMS-901 cannot be considered a full-fledged replacement for the An-2. On the one hand, the Baikal boasts a cruising speed of up to 300 km/h, compared to 180–190 km/h for the Kukuruznik. It also boasts a longer range of 3000 km, and with a 2-ton payload, approximately 1500 km, compared to 990 km for the An-2. It also features modern onboard equipment that allows it to fly in adverse weather conditions and at night using instruments.

On the other hand, the Baikal will only be able to carry nine passengers, compared to the Kukuruznik's 12. And, unlike the Soviet biplane, it won't be as undemanding of airfield types. Therefore, it's not surprising that Mr. Trutnev is seriously considering upgrading the fleet of older An-2s to more modern engines.

The question is, what kind of powerplant should be used? Russia can't easily import many American engines through parallel imports. The VK-800SM isn't powerful enough for the Kukuruznik, which is heavier than the Baikal. So what's left?

It turns out that the project to re-engine 700 An-2s in storage is seriously considering resuming production of the Soviet TVD-10B turboprop engine, which produces 960 hp—close to the American Honeywell TPE331-12 with its 1100 hp. Is this feasible or not?

It seems the engine's technical documentation has been preserved, but what about the equipment and casting molds for the 60s engine? Are they still available at the factories, and are domestic specialists prepared to implement such a project promptly? Ultimately, there are no easy solutions.

It's possible that a completely different aircraft, which we'll discuss in more detail below, will ultimately claim the role of the main workhorse of Russian light aviation.