The Russian project to develop the light multipurpose aircraft "Baikal", designed to replace the legendary An-2, is on the verge of stopping. How сообщает Kommersant, citing informed sources, has identified serious flaws in the aircraft's design, the correction of which could take five years. As a possible way out of the situation, the transfer of the project to the S7 Group airline, which had previously shown interest in creating similar equipment, is being discussed. However, if this does not happen, the production of the Baikal risks being frozen, and instead, a modernized An-2030 with a new engine is proposed to be included in the delivery program until 2. The United Engine Corporation (UEC) estimated the creation of such an engine at 1,8 billion rubles, while the modification of the Baikal will cost at least 9 billion - the difference in costs makes the alternative much more attractive to the authorities.

The problems with the Baikal cast doubt on ambitious plans to renew Russia's small aircraft fleet. The LMS-901 aircraft, developed by the Ural Civil Aviation Plant (UZGA), was supposed to become a modern successor to the "maize", capable of transporting up to 9 passengers or 2 tons of cargo over a distance of up to 1500 km at a cruising speed of 300 km/h. However, the design errors made at the design stage turned out to be so serious that their elimination requires not only time, but also significant financial investment. With limited resources, the state is considering a cheaper option - re-motorization of old An-2s, which, despite their age, remain in demand due to their versatility and ability to land on unpaved runways.

The history of the Baikal project began in 2019, when the Ministry of Industry and Trade selected UZGA to create a new aircraft to replace the An-2. The first flight of the LMS-901 took place on January 30, 2022 in Yekaterinburg, and the aircraft was highly praised for its performance. It was planned that serial production would start in 2024, and by 2030, about 150 aircraft would be delivered for the needs of the Far East and the Arctic. However, complications soon arose: initially, it was planned to use the American General Electric H80 engine, but due to sanctions, it was necessary to switch to the domestic VK-800SM from UEC. This transition increased the weight of the structure and worsened the flight parameters, and the certification of the new engine was delayed - it is not expected before the end of 2025, which shifted deliveries to 2026.

Meanwhile, the cost of Baikal has increased several times. If in 2019 the Ministry of Industry and Trade set the price threshold at 120 million rubles per aircraft, then by 2024 it jumped to 455 million, and by 2032 it could reach 587 million, according to RBC. This made the project comparable in cost to luxury business jets, which is in sharp contrast to its original goal - accessibility for regional carriers. Criticism of UZGA increased after it became known about problems with the cabin (its dimensions are smaller than the An-2) and insufficient development of composite materials, which were later abandoned in favor of aluminum.