The second Sukhoi SuperJet 100 (SSJ 100) prototype has successfully made its first test flight, according to a press release from the company.

The plane took off from a factory airport in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. After a two and a half hour flight, during which it reached a height of 6,000 metres, the plane landed safely.

Summing up the results of the first SuperJet’s test, the test pilot, Leonid Chikunov, reported that some changes had been made to the software.

The first SuperJets intended for service will be tested in the conditions of high and low temperatures in the near future.

The SSJ 100 project was launched in 2001. The total cost of the project is estimated at $US 1.4 billion. About 30 per cent of the cost will be covered by the government. The catalogue cost of each plane stands at $US 23.4 – 28.9 million, depending on modifications.

The SSJ 100 can carry from 78 to 98 passengers and cover a distance of up to 3,120 kilometres.

The company is planning to make 1,200 models of the SSJ 100 by 2025. The Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company had been expected to deliver the first SSJ to Aeroflot in November, but this was postponed until the end of 2009. Now Company has 98 orders for the plane.