“New Kid on the Block” Irkut MC-21’s Maiden Flight
On 28 May 2017, the first MC21-300 airliner made its maiden flight at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant in south-eastern Siberia. The flight lasted 30 minutes, with a maximum altitude of 1,000 metres and speed of 300 km/h, and included validation of in-flight stability and controllability, and also a range of engine response tests. The flight culminated with a planned go- around before landing, a technique typical for maiden flights of new aircraft types.
The aircraft was commanded by test pilot Oleg Kononenko with Roman Taskayev, as his co-pilot, both holding the title of ‘Hero of the Russian Federation,’ their country’s highest honour. Kononenko reported that the flight “was normal” and that there were “no obstacles” that should preclude further flight testing of the MC21. Taskayev noted that “the characteristics of the power plant are confirmed, and all aircraft systems operated without glitches.”
As Irkut Corporation President Oleg Demchenko stated, “today is a historic day for our personnel and the whole team that worked on the MC-21. We incorporated the most advanced technologies in our aircraft to provide enhanced comfort for passengers and improved efficiency for operators. I am happy to declare the maiden flight of the MC- 21 aircraft has been successfully accomplished. I congratulate all project participants!”
As Yury Slyusar, the President of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) then stressed, “the MC- 21 is created through broad cooperation, where together with Irkut, other enterprises of the United Aircraft Corporation are active participants, namely Aerocomposit, Ulyanovsk and Voronezh aircraft plants, and the UAC Integration Centre in Moscow. This is an important stage in the formation of a new industrial model at UAC. According to our estimates, the global demand in the MC-21 segment will be about 15,000 new aircraft in the next 20 years, and I am sure airlines will appreciate our new aircraft.”
Overview of the MC-21
The MC-21-300, with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers, targets the largest segment of the civil aviation market. The aircraft provides passengers with “a new level of comfort,” with the largest fuselage diameter among all narrow-body aircraft, significantly increasing space available to each passenger, ensuring free passage of passenger and service trollies in the aisle, and shortening airport turnaround time. Natural lighting of the passenger cabin is enhanced with larger windows, and more comfortable cabin pressurisation is maintained compared to legacy narrow- bodies. Demand for improved comfort and efficiency resulted in “implementation of advanced technical solutions in aerodynamics, propulsion, and avionics.” The MC-21 also features an innovative ergonomic flight deck, and incorporates both Russian and Western avionics and hardware.
The major contributor to the aircraft’s performance is its all-composite structure, the first such developed for narrow-body aircraft. The MC-21 utilises composites in over 30 per cent of its design, making it unique among single-aisle aircraft.
Importantly, and for the first time in the history of Russian aircraft manufacturing, the airliner is offered with two engine options : the Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared turbofan ( GTF) or the Russian United Engine Corporation PD-14. The former is integrated and powered the aircraft on its first flight, while the latter is still under development and is expected to be offered later in the product’s life. Both new engines, however, feature improved fuel consumption, low noise and improved emissions, allowing the MC-21 to meet a range of proposed environmental requirements.
The manufacturer estimates a reduction of direct operational costs at 12-15 per cent lower than for competitors and the initial backlog of 175 firm orders for the type provides for adequate utilisation of production capacity in the near future.