MOSCOW, October 13. /TASS/. Design engineers from the Moscow Aviation Institute (MAI) National Research University and Tupolev JSC have begun working on modifications to flight controls of the Tupolev Tu-214 medium-range passenger aircraft in order to reduce the cockpit crew from three to two, the university’s press office told TASS.

The Tu-214 is a Russian twin-engine medium-haul airliner with a flight range of up to 4,500 kilometers.

"The designers face a challenge that is crucial for commercial viability: to make changes to the aircraft’s control system that will reduce the workload on the crew and cut the number of people in the cockpit from three to two by eliminating the flight engineer position. Specialists have already begun analyzing the onboard equipment system and have identified the components that require optimization or replacement. At the same time, they're trying to keep costs to a minimum for the work and subsequent certification procedures. The solution must fit within the project’s strict deadlines," the statement reads.

Participants in the MAI continuing education program will prepare a preliminary cost estimate, a work schedule, and a roadmap for collaboration with industry partners. The design of an integration test bench for the avionics suite - necessary to prepare the upgraded system for ground and flight testing - will also be considered. The S.P. Gorbunov Kazan Aviation Plant, a subsidiary of Tupolev JSC, where the Tu-214 is currently in serial production, will serve as the production base for the program.

"We see that our partners are interested and ready to actively participate in this project. In the near future, work will be carried out to develop a roadmap, a cooperation framework, and the structure of the team that will be responsible for the design and integration of the complex," said the program director, MAI Rector Mikhail Pogosyan, whose remarks are quoted in the press release. In addition to technical specialists, Tupolev JSC is represented by Managing Director Yury Abrosimov and his deputy, Chief Designer Yevgeny Deyanov.

The program is expected to run through the end of October and conclude with a final evaluation. The leadership of MAI and Tupolev JSC will summarize the results of the work and assess the impact of the proposed organizational and technical solutions on the project’s economics.