Russia’s newest training aircraft UTS-800 will be showcased for the first time at a foreign exhibition at the International Defence Exhibition and Conference IDEX 2025 in Abu Dhabi (UAE), February 17 – 21.
The information is provided by the official representative of The Ural Works of Civil Aviation (JSC UWCA) which designed and manufactures the aircraft.
The UTS-800 training aircraft is a Russian turboprop aircraft for initial flight training and professional selection for pilots.
The aircraft is designed for training in piloting techniques, performing a spin and recovering from it, basic navigation, actions in an emergency, instrument piloting and piloting as part of a group. The crew of the UTS-800 aircraft consists of two persons arranged in tandem: the trainee in the front cabin, and the instructor in the rear cabin. The aircraft can also be piloted by a single pilot without the need for an aircraft balance weight.
Simplicity and predictability of the aircraft were among the main requirements during the design process. Thanks to the aerodynamic characteristics of the UTS-800 aircraft, this was achieved. The UTS-800 aircraft is characterized by high maneuverability and low operating costs. It is equipped with a turboprop engine, ejection seats, standard oxygen system, air conditioning system, anti-icing system and other onboard equipment.
To ensure the pilot’s increased tolerance to aerobatic g-loads, an anti-g suit is used. Permissible g-loads on the UTS-800 aircraft are from +7 to -4. The aircraft has a high power-weight ratio and manoeuvrability, a high level of speed and rate of climb, and is also capable of operations day or night. The range of operating temperatures is from -30 °C to +45 °C. The maximum speed of the aircraft is 460 km/h, the flight range is 1200 km, and the maximum permissible flight altitude is 6000 m. It can take off from paved and unpaved runways.
The UTS-800 aircraft airframe is made from Russian composites. The UWCA is competent in manufacturing composite units and has developed repairability technologies. The selected material is guaranteed to be produced in the coming decades, as it is used and in demand in projects of other Russian aviation enterprises.
The maiden flight of the very first UTS-800 aircraft took place in October 2023. The flights demonstrated the correctness of the adopted main technical and ergonomic solutions. According to the pilots who performed the flights, the aircraft is stable and controllable, easy to fly, and “overlooks” mistakes in piloting technique. Based on the test results, the main flight and technical characteristics are confirmed: landing speed, liftoff speed, and an assessment of stability and controllability was also carried out. To speed up the tests, more aircraft are involved in the process.
The first two aircraft were handed over to the Russian Ministry of Defense at the end of 2024. They are currently involved in the testing program. Now the mock-up of the export version of UTS-800 is presented as part of the joint Russian exposition at IDEX 2025. “The UTS-800 training aircraft has good performance characteristics and is unified in terms of its components and ergonomics with Russian-made combat aircraft. If foreign countries prefer Russian military aircraft and choose UTS-800 for training it may significantly facilitate their pilot’s training. The UTS-800 training aircraft with a turboprop engine will allow for the most cost-effective training of a large number of pilots. Depending on the volume of purchases by a potential foreign customer and the capability of financing the R&D work, it is possible to modify the aircraft and adapt it to specific units at the request of the buyer” — notes the official representative of JSC UWCA.
JSC UWCA is a Russian aircraft manufacturing company specializing in the development, production, testing, repair and maintenance of aircraft equipment, assemblies and components.
