TYPE: Light utility twin-prop transport.
PROGRAMME: Original (lightweight) Accord design began May 1991; first flew 18 April 1994. Production version is Accord-201; prototype flew 18 August 1997 at Nizhny Novgorod, initially with only VFR avionics and without floats. Demonstrations to prospective customers began December 1997; series of 12 flights from water, using floats, undertaken mid-1998. By early 1999, four more aircraft, including static test specimen, under construction and tooling in place for maximum possible production of 10 per month. Second prototype was due to fly in December 2001, but no evidence that this took place. Russian AP-23 certification anticipated October 1999, but delayed, eventually beginning on 20 April 2000. Experimental category certificate, granted mid-2000 with expiry date of 19 June 2001. Hartzell propellers received Russian certification in October 2000. Full certification expected mid-2002, using Becker avionics in place of original Bendix/King equipment. However, certification had not been completed by April 2003.
CURRENT VERSIONS: Offered for a variety of roles, including SAR (201P), aerial survey (201AFS), ecological monitoring (201EM), sigint (201RC) and jamming (201REP).
CUSTOMERS: First firm order received in May 1998 from Almazy Rossii-Sakha diamond mining company, which ordered two to be used for geomagnetic survey and exploration. Customers in Abu Dhabi and Liechtenstein by 2000; however, because of certification delays, former contract under renegotiation and latter cancelled by late 2001. No further sales reported.
COSTS: Standard aircraft US$298,000 on wheels; US$328,000 on floats. Operating cost US$44 per hour (2000).
DESIGN FEATURES: High-wing monoplane with single bracing strut each side; unswept, high-lift wing section and blown flaps; pod and boom fuselage; cruciform tail surfaces with sweptback fin and rudder; mainwheels at tips of short stub-wings that support bracing struts. Constant-chord main wing panels, with engines on leading-edge; tapered outer panels.
Service life 15,000 hours/15 years. Wing section CAHI (TsAGI) P-II, with 12 per cent thickness/chord ratio at root, CAHI (TsAGI) P-III at tip; tip sweepback 45o; no dihedral, incidence 1o, no twist.
FLYING CONTROLS: Conventional and manual. Ailerons and elevators 100 per cent balanced; twin horn-balanced rudders; all cable actuated. Three-axis electric trim. Two-section slotted flaps each side.
STRUCTURE: All-metal; D16 aluminium alloy and high-strength stainless steel. Fuselage based on welded rectangular-section cabin frame of steel tubing; remainder of airframe conventional light alloy construction.
LANDING GEAR: Non-retractable tricycle type; single wheel on each unit. Shock absorption by specially shaped rubber cushion between strut and wheel suspension lever. Cleveland wheels and brakes; mainwheels type 40-142 with 8.00-6 tyres; nosewheel type 40-140 with 6.00-6 tyres; type 30-127 disc brakes. Minimum turning circle 3.2 m (10 ft 6 in). Maximum nosewheel steering angle ± 60o. Optional floats (additional to, non replacing, fixed landing gear) retract upward electrically, outside mainwheels.
POWER PLANT: Two 157 kW (210 hp) Teledyne Continental IO-360-ES7B flat-six engines; Hartzell PHC-H3YF-2UF/FC7453 three-blade, constant-speed, fully feathering propellers. Fuel tank in each engine nacelle; total capacity 750 litres (200 US gallons; 165 Imp gallons). Total oil capacity 15.2 litres (4.0 US gallons; 3.3 Imp gallons).
ACCOMMODATION: Pilot and up to six passengers in 2-3-2 seating, at 80 cm (31.5 in) pitch. Alternatively, pilot and three passengers and cargo, or all-cargo. or one stretcher patient, one or two attendants and medical equipment. Optional dual controls. Two large upward-hinged side doors. Baggage/cargo hold at rear of cabin, with door.
SYSTEMS: SAU-201 autopilot. Webasto Air Top 32 cabin heater. Electrical system includes two 27 V Teledyne N653344 DC generators and one 19 Ah Gill G-247 battery. Elipos-3 pneumatic de-icing system for wing, fin and tailplane leading-edges; Goodrich electric propeller de-icing. Janitrol cabin heater.
AVIONICS: Mainly Becker equipment.
Radar: Weather radar optional.
