Oleg Demchenko, chairman and president of Yakovlev Design Bureau (Hall 1, E8), was at the show on Monday to report officially the maiden flight of the first production Yak-130 jet trainer for Russian Air Forces trials, but interest has already strayed to what is next for the design bureau, now that it has been incorporated into the Irkut manufacturing group. Yakovlev has confirmed rumors that its personnel have visited China to discuss joint a venture, and it now emerges that this is not the Yak-130, but a "new, supersonic trainer," which ShowNews presumes to be the Hongdu L-15. Models of the L-15 concept were shown in 2001; since then, the design has undergone significant refinement. Furthermore, although Yakovlev's connections with what became the Aermacchi M-346 have been severed, the company has been linked to reports of a potential recombination of efforts. All that Yakovlev will admit is, "This is a possible step."
