Russian RJ cockpit on show

Here at the Paris Air show on Monday, Sukhoi unveiled a mockup of its Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) forward fuselage section, including the new flight deck supplied by Thales. The RRJ is the first Russian-made commercial aircraft with fly-by-wire side-stick controls and has Category IIIa landing capability as standard; Category IIIb is optional. Mikhail Pogosyan, general director of the Russian-based aircraft manufacturer, insisted the cockpit design was “almost frozen,” as remarks from airlines can still be taken into account. First flight is pegged for early 2007.