Irkut’s MC-21
Nonstop from Irkutsk to Zhukovsky
On 17 October 2017, the first test MC- 21- 300 aircraft flew from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the Flight Research Institute MM Gromov (Ramenskoye, Moscow Region), to continue flight tests, flying nonstop for 4,500 km over 6 hours at an altitude of 10,000 metres. Oleg Kononenko, the test pilot and flight crew commander, stated, “The flight went in standard mode. All aircraft systems operated without incident.”
Yuri Slyusar, the President of United Aircraft Corporation ( UAC) and Irkut Corporation stated: “Today we open a new milestone of the MC-21 programme. Ahead, there is a continuation of flight and ground tests, introduction of new aircraft, into test programme, certification and initiation of serial production. Together with Irkut Corporation, a number of UAC enterprises, our partners from Rostec Corporation and leading foreign companies are participating in the MC-21 programme and with this, the programme moves our enterprises to the a technological level and ensures the professional growth of our specialists.”
Oleg Demchenko, the First VicePresident and the Chief Designer of Irkut Corporation said, “Flight tests of the MC-21 aircraft performed at Irkutsk Aviation Plant, together with the long flight (from Irkutsk to Ramenskoye) proved declared aircraft characteristics. From today, tests will continue at the Flight Test and Development Facility of Yakovlev Design
Bureau. A new hangar with an up-to-date complex for collection, processing, and storage of testing information, has been built for MC-21 basing.”
The new generation MC-21-300 with capacity of 163 to 211 passengers targets the largest segment of the aviation market, providing passengers with a qualitatively new level of comfort, with the widest fuselage diameter of any narrow-body aircraft. This design decision significantly increases space for each passenger, ensures free passage of passengers and service trollies in the aisle, and shortens in airport turnaround time. The MC-21 also has an innovative ergonomic flight deck complete with advanced technical solutions in aerodynamics, engines and avionics.
The MC-21 “is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency. The major contributor to the enhancement of flighttechnical characteristics is the wing made of polymer composite materials, developed for narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of over 130 passengers. As a first, the airliner is offered to the customers with two options of power plant: PW1400G from Pratt & Whitney (USA) or PD-14 from United Engine Corporation (Russia). New-generation engines feature reduced fuel consumption, low noise and hazardous emissions. MC-21 aircraft meets prospective environmental requirements.” Projected reduction of direct operational costs for MC-21 is 12-15% lower than its counterparts. The initial portfolio of firm orders for 175 MC-21 aircraft provides utilisation of production capacity in the coming years. All firm contracts are prepaid for. For implementation of the MC- 21 programme, competence centres have been established in Russia for development and manufacturing of components made of composite materials. With the purpose of introduction of new technologies, the “radical modernisation” of manufacturing facilities of Irkutsk Aviation Plant ( the affiliate of Irkut Corporation) and a number of aviationbuilding and related enterprises has been implemented. Currently, the first test aircraft is undergoing flight tests, the second test aircraft is undergoing static tests at TsAGI. Four more examples are being built at Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Starting next year, they will be gradually introduced into the test programme.