18:24 GMT, January 29, 2010 Dear Collegues, the first flight of the experimental example of the fifth generation combat aircraft that took place from the KnAAPO factory aerodrome brings evidence that today the history of the world aviation is being written in Russia: in Komsomosk-on-Amur, Moscow, Novosibirsk, Rybinsk, Ufa, Remenskoye, Zhukovsky and other cities where indigenous design houses and aviation plants, their partners and suppliers are located.

Starting from the times of Mikhail Lomonosov, Aleksandr Mozhaisky and Nikolai Zhukovsky, who laid the foundation of aeronautics in this country, Russia has been at the edge of progress in aeronautic technologies and development of flying vehicles.

The flight with duration of 47 minutes opens a new horizon for the Russian aviation for the rest of the XXI century and, hopefully, even further. Successful beginning of flight trials on the next-generation aircraft stimulate us for new achievements and sparks up our desire to create.

Let me congratulate all participants of the next-generation combat aircraft project and all those who facilitate the project with its hard work, experience and knowledge.

Alexey Fedorov
President, Chairman of control board, United Aircraft Corporation


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