Design and Development
Designed by the Russian company Technoavia, the SM-92 Finist was developed as a short take-off and landing (STOL) light utility transport capable of operating from unprepared surfaces, including snow (via skis), water (via floats), and tundra. The aircraft first flew on December 28, 1993. Its robust high-wing, single-engine design was intended to provide a modernized alternative to older utility workhorses like the Antonov An-2. The airframe is highly modular, allowing the cabin to be quickly reconfigured to carry a pilot and six passengers, six parachutists, 600 kg of freight, or two stretchers and a medical attendant for air-ambulance missions. It can also be equipped with a 600 kg chemical hopper for agricultural crop-spraying.
Production History
Production of the SM-92 took place primarily at the Smolensk Aviation Plant in Russia. The first production aircraft, registered as RA-44485, was delivered to an operator in the United Kingdom in 1995. While a precise production timeline is not documented, evidence shows aircraft were being built as late as 2009 at the Smolensk plant. Total production is estimated at approximately 30 airframes, a figure that includes licensed production in Central Europe. Aerotech Slovakia produced the SMG-92 Turbine Finist for skydiving, while Moravan Otrokovice and Orbis Avia in the Czech Republic produced limited numbers of turboprop or alternative piston-engined variants.
Technical Specifications and Variants
The base SM-92 is powered by a Vedeneyev (VOKBM) M-14P nine-cylinder, supercharged, air-cooled radial engine producing approximately 270 kW (360 hp). This configuration yields a maximum speed of 230 km/h and a cruising speed of approximately 200 km/h, with a service ceiling of 3,000 m. The aircraft has a wingspan of 14.60 m and a maximum take-off weight of 2,350 kg.
Several specialized variants were developed: the SM-92P is an armed version used by the Russian Federal Border Service for patrol, featuring two fixed forward-firing PK machine guns, a doorway-mounted machine gun, and two under-wing rocket launchers. The first SM-92P flew in August 1995. Turboprop conversions include the SM-92T (Walter M601), the SMG-92 (GE Aviation Czech M601F producing 579 kW), and a 2017 Orbis Avia conversion using a 560 kW GE H75 engine. Additionally, one example was built by Moravan Otrokovice using an Orenda OE600 V-8 piston engine.
Service and Legacy
In civil service, the Finist has been utilized for air-taxi work, glider towing, and scientific air surveys, as well as power line and gas pipeline inspections. The turboprop variants, particularly those from Aerotech Slovakia, became recognized platforms for skydiving operations in Europe. In the paramilitary sector, the SM-92P provided the Russian Border Guard with a lightweight, armed patrol capability. While no exact number of surviving aircraft is recorded, examples remained active in Russia and Europe into the 2010s.