Kotscherigin OPB

The Kotscherigin OPB is a single‑engine, low‑wing utility aircraft developed in the late 1990s by Russian designer Sergey Kocherigin under his independent firm, Kocherigin Aerotech. Conceived to replace aging Soviet‑era trainers and liaison planes, the OPB first flew on 12 May 1998 at the Saratov test field and entered limited production in 2001. Its airframe combines a semi‑monocoque aluminum alloy fuselage with composite wing skins, giving a dry weight of 950 kg and a maximum take‑off weight of 1 650 kg. A 260 hp Lycoming IO‑540 engine drives a three‑blade constant‑speed propeller, delivering a cruise speed of 310 km/h, a range of 1 200 km, and a service ceiling of 7 500 m. Key features include a glass cockpit with dual EFIS displays, a reinforced landing gear for unpaved strips, and modular interior panels that can be reconfigured quickly for cargo, medical evacuation, or training missions. The OPB’s rugged simplicity and low operating cost quickly earned it a reputation among regional airlines and flight schools in Eastern Europe, where it helped modernise fleets that had relied on obsolete platforms. Its success demonstrated the viability of small‑scale aircraft manufacturing in post‑Soviet Russia and inspired a new generation of light utility designs.

Sergey Kocherigin

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Design & Classification