[NYTr] Cuba Takes Delivery of first Russian-made cargo airplane

[All the News That Doesn't Fit]

Ria Novosti, Russia - Aug 3, 2007
http://en.rian.ru/business/20070803/70301726.html

Cuba Takes Delivery of first Russian-made cargo airplane

Russia's Ulyanovsk-based Aviastar-SP has delivered the first of four
Tu-204SE transport airplanes it is building for Cuba's flagship carrier,
Cubana de Aviacion, the company said Friday. 

The second plane will be transferred to the Cuban airline later in
August, while the remaining two, including one passenger jet, will be
delivered in the fourth quarter of this year. 

The Tu-204SE is a modernized version of the Tu-204 medium-haul
airliner. It features a higher lifting capacity - five metric tons more
than its predecessors - and fully meets Russian and international
aviation standards.

Last year, the Cuban carrier bought two Il-96-300's, powered by PS90A
engines, as part of a contract between the Russian leasing company
Ilyushin Finance Co. and Cuba's state-owned Aviaimport SA. 

The new planes were equipped with an explosion localization system,
which can absorb the explosive force of 0.4-0.5 kilograms of TNT
equivalent on board the aircraft.