Russia’s first MC-21 receives Rossiya livery

Several photos of the first Irkut MC-21 narrow-body airliner painted with Rossiya livery surfaced online ahead of the aircraft’s delivery.  

The aircraft, registration 73054, was painted in a hangar at Spektr-Avia in Ulyanovsk, Russia.  

The exact delivery date remains unclear.  

In late 2021, after long delays, it was announced that delivery was scheduled for September 2022. However, in September 2022, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said the delivery had been pushed back to 2025 due to the necessity to “fully Russify” the aircraft by removing all foreign-made parts.  

The new photos were first posted by Stewardess_Notes Telegram channel in the evening of November 23, 2022, and likely to have been taken after November 10, when the aircraft flew from Moscow (MSK) to Ulyanovsk (ULY).  

First of many  

Even before some of the harshest sanctions in the world were placed on Russia, the country’s aviation industry had high hopes for the MC-21.  

Intended to compete with the likes of the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo, the latest iterations of the most mass-produced airliners in the world, the MC-21 was poised to become the flagship of Russian aviation.  

It received its first orders soon after being announced in 2010, with Aeroflot becoming the launch customer.  

In 2021 Aeroflot’s subsidiary Rossiya signed an agreement to receive the first shipment of MC-21s.  

The initial order was soon expanded several times over. Furthermore, in September 2022 Aeroflot went on to announce its largest-ever order of Russian-made aircraft, opting to purchase 339 Russian-made jets, 210 of which were MC-21s.  

Aerotime

 

MC-21-310 flight-test aircraft equipped with Russian PD-14 engines arrived in Zhukovsky to continue flight tests

June 7, 2021 MC-21-310 flight-test aircraft after being painted at “Spektr-Avia” arrived from Ulyanovsk in Zhukovsky.

The aircraft was operated by the crew of 1st class test pilot Vasily Sevastyanov, 1st class test pilot Andrey Voropayev, flight test engineer Anton Kuznetsov.

According to Vasily Sevastyanov, the aircraft equipped with new Russian PD-14 engines performed well in flights Irkutsk – Ulyanovsk and Ulyanovsk – Zhukovsky.

MC-21-310 aircraft will continue the flight test program at the airfield of the Gromov Flight Research Institute.

Irkut PR Department

The MC-21-300 wing panel, made of Russian composite materials, delivered to the Irkut Corporation plant

The MC-21-300 wing panel, made of Russian composite materials, was delivered to the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Irkut Corporation (part of UAC, Rostec State Corporation).

The wing panel will be installed on the MC-21-300 aircraft intended for delivery to the first customer. Earlier, this aircraft was equipped with a center section, also made of domestic composites.

Wing panel 17,5 m long was delivered from Ulyanovsk to Irkutsk by road. Specialists of Irkut Corporation and AeroComposite have developed special equipment with a system of fasteners and sensors to prevent structural damage during transportation.

Leading Russian chemists and technologists, including experts and academics from Moscow State University and Rosatom, participate in development and production of domestic composite. The technology used to produce large-scale wing box panels based on infusion technology was developed by AeroComposite and patented in Russia. Design experience and many tests of composite units carried out within the MC-21 program allowed Irkut Corporation to start building production aircraft.

The use of strong and lightweight composite materials resulted in the development high aspect ratio wing and improving the aircraft aerodynamic performance and at the same time increasing the fuselage diameter. The wide passenger compartment provides greater comfort for the crew and passengers, reduces airport turnaround time of the aircraft due to accelerated boarding and disembarkation.

Video: MC-21-300 wing panel delivery

IRKUT
 

A third MC-21 prototype joins the flight test programme

The latest aircraft – MSN73054 – will be the first MC-21 fitted out with a passenger cabin and will be premiered at the MAKS-2019 air show (Irkut)

The third iteration of Russia’s MC-21-300 test aircraft completed its maiden flight on March 16, performing for a duration of 1:30 hours, reaching an altitude of 3,500 metres and achieving a speed of up to 450 km/h. The aircraft – designated MSN73054 – is the first to be fitted out with a passenger cabin and will be debuted publicly at Moscow’s MAKS-2019 air show in August.

The latest test flight took off from the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, which is an affiliate of Irkut Corp (an aircraft manufacturer and a member of United Aircraft Corporation), thus entering the flight test programme of the delayed Russian advanced narrow-body. According to the report of the crew made up of test pilots Andrey Voropayev and Roman Taskaev: ”The task was performed completely. The flight was in normal mode.”

The maiden test flight of the initial MC-21 took place in May 2017 and currently two prototypes are also involved in flight tests, with another undergoing static checks. At the end of February, Yury Borisov, Russia’s vice-premier who is responsible for overseeing the country’s aircraft interests, stressed that the fourth and the final MC-21 flying prototype should be airborne by July of this year. Yesterday though, Yuri Slyusar, president of UAC and the Irkut Corporation, cautiously noted that the fourth prototype “will join the flight tests in 2019.”

Russian certification of the basic version of the MC-21-300 powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G GTF engines is expected in 2020. Deliveries should start in 2021. UAC has now logged 185 firm orders for the MC-21, mainly from Russian state-owned leasing companies.

Although the first operator of the type is expected to be the nation’s flag carrier Aeroflot, which has ordered 50 units, it recently became known that the Russian government has advised state-controlled Aeroflot’s low-cost subsidiary Pobeda Airlines to consider replacing its 30-aircraft B737MAX potential order with the MC-21 instead. The MC-21 is set to compete with the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX aircraft types, as well as the COMAC C919, a new jet aircraft currently being developed by China.

But the biggest challenge for the Russian advanced narrow-body project, which is now several years behind its initial schedule, is not the delay itself (which is understandable given the complexities of creating an entirely new modern airliner), but the uncertainties connected with the international political environment.

In a recent development, the Russian government urged UAC to come up with a proposition to replace as many foreign-made components as possible with locally-made aircraft parts, after US sanctions interfered with the deliveries of materials for the MC-21’s composite wing, which prevented the USA’s Hexcel and Japan’s Toray from supplying composite materials for the MC-21.

So far, the aircraft’s baseline engine, the PW1400G, is unaffected. “We are not rejecting the partnership with Pratt & Whitney. We won’t take any steps to upset that partnership,” Yury Borisov assures.

According to Denis Manturov, Russia’s minister of industry and trade, it has been decided to hold the premiere public debut of the MC-21-300 aircraft with a passenger interior at Moscow’s international aviation and space salon MAKS-2019 exhibition in August.

by ES in Aerospace,

Irkut rolls out its third flying prototype of the MC-21

A third flight-test MC-21 prototype was rolled out from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Irkut, on 25 December 2018 (UAC)

Russian corporation Irkut, which is part of the United Aircraft Corp (UAC), has completed the assembly of a third flight-test MC-21-300 aircraft, the country’s advanced narrow-body airliner. During the production of the latest prototype, flight test results and recommendations were taken into account from two previous aircraft tests.

The third prototype was rolled out from the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Irkut, on 25 December and Denis Manturov, Russia’s Minister of Industry and Trade, had earlier this year revealed that this latest aircraft is scheduled to take to the air in March 2019. 

The assembly of the fourth MC-21 prototype is being carried out, with a planned initial flight scheduled for mid-2019. “Adding more aircraft to flight test programme and the revitalisation of the production of serial aircraft are the main tasks for 2019,” insists said Yury Slyusar, president of United Aircraft Corporation.

Meanwhile, the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) is continuing to perform static tests on the MC-21 aircraft. Currently, the fuselage of the second static test MC-21 is being prepared to launch endurance tests, which are aimed at proving the viability of the fuselage design in terms of fatigue strength and operational survivability.

Currently, two Pratt & Whitney PW1400G-powered MC-21 units are taking part in flight certification tests. It is planned that this variant of the MC-21 will be certificated in 2020, a date recently re-postponed from its original schedule. The second variant of the MC-21 – one powered by Russia’s PD-14 engines – is expected to fly by the end of 2019. 

by ES in Aerospace, Russia

• 
  
  

A second MC-21-300 prototype joins flight test programme

The findings of the first prototype’s flight tests were taken into account during the construction of the second (Andrey Tsipan)

The second prototype of Russia’s new MC-21-300 airliner made its first flight in Irkutsk today (May 12), one year after the maiden flight of the first.

The latest derivative (registration number 73053) flew from the aerodrome of Irkut Corp’s production facility at Irkutsk, eastern Siberia. During the one-hour, seven-minute flight the aircraft climbed to an altitude of 3,000 metres and reached a speed of 400 km/h, Irkut Corp (a member of UAC) reports.

Today’s flight programme included an assessment of the aircraft’s stability and controllability under various wing configurations, with the retraction and extension of the landing gear, as well as the testing of on-board equipment.

The experimental flight, which was handled in normal mode by test pilots Vasily Sevastyanov and Andrey Voropayev, was a fully accomplished mission, according to Sevastyanov.

“The flight of the second aircraft is a significant milestone that will ensure the timely progression of flight certification tests,” states Denis Manturov, acting Minister of the Russian Federation’s Industry and Trade.

With the second prototype flying, there are now three MC-21-300s involved in the test programme: two of them flying, and one in static tests at Russia’s Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).

“Three more prototypes are currently in production at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. In parallel with the flight and static tests, active preparations are now being held for the deployment of serial production of the new airliner,” Manturov adds.

In the meantime, the first MC-21-300 prototype has been continuing its flight testing programme at the Gromov Flight Research Institute’s airfield at Zhukovsky, near Moscow. The aircraft has been undergoing rigorous testing for stability and controllability, the monitoring of its take-off and landing characteristics, the various modes of operation of its powerplants, including engine re-start in flight, and the characteristics of the aircraft during withdrawal from deep bank situations.

A large number of ground tests are due to be conducted within the test programme. Strength tests of the MC-21 are being carried out at TsAGI and the composite wing box tests, completed at the end of 2017, have already confirmed sufficient strength for flights operating on the limit. Tests of composite units of mechanisation have also confirmed their endurance at the maximum possible loads under the most aggressive of operating conditions.

ES in Aerospace,

Irkut assembles second MC-21-300 test aircraft

The second MC-21-300 prototype has been transferred from the final assembly shop to the flight test station (Irkut Corporation)

Construction of the second MC-21-300 flight test aircraft has been completed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Irkut Corporation, part of UAC. The aircraft is expected to embark on a flight test program in May, one year after the initial aircraft commenced its maiden flight on 28 May, 2017, according to Irkut sources.

The second MC-21-300 prototype was transferred from the final assembly shop to the flight test department on March 25, the findings from the first test aircraft having been taken into account in the production of the latest version.

“The completion of the second aircraft assembly is an important stage in the implementation of the MC-21 program. Sending the new machines for flight testing this year will achieve key milestones in the project: completion of the certification of the MC-21 in a timely manner; the launch of mass production; and presentation of the first airliners to the customer,” Denis Manturov the Russian Minister of Industry and Trade has advised.

In total, four MC-21-300 aircraft will be involved in flight tests. At present, the fuselage of the third MC-21-300 is being assembled at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, and the components and units of the fourth are being assembled. The production of aircraft parts and components intended for endurance testing is underway.

The initial MC-21-300 has its flight tests carried out at the Gromov Flight Research Institute airfield in Zhukovsky, near Moscow. Static testing takes place at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).

Russia’s new generation MC-21 narrow-body was officially rolled out in June 2016, six years after the initial program was launched. Irkut is aiming to commence serial production of the MC-21, which will be initially powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines, in 2019.

Russian Aviation Insider

MC-21 prototype arrives at Zhukovsky for certification tests

The flight from Irkutsk lasted six hours (Irkut Corporation)

The first flying prototype of the Irkut MC-21 single-aisle passenger airliner landed at Zhukovskiy airfield outside Moscow on October 17, Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) said in a statement. The aircraft arrived for certification tests.

It took the airliner six hours to fly to Zhukovsky from Irkutsk in Siberia (a distance of about 4,500 km). The aircraft flew at an altitude of 10,000 meters.
A second prototype will join the flight test program in December (Irkut Corporation)

During the certification tests the prototype, which is representative of the MC-21-300 baseline versionn, will be kkept in a dedicated hangar on the territory of Yakovlev Design Bureau’s engineering center. Oleg Demchenko, first vice-president and general designer of Irkut Corporation, says the hangar is equipped to acquire, process, and store flight information.

The certification tests follow two stages of factory flight tests. The first stage continued from early May to the end of June this year; the second one began in September. During this period the prototype was tested in various flight modes, its performance envelope was expanded, and minor changes were introduced into the aircraft’s software and systems.
The first flying prototype will be joined by a second one in December. Both are equipped with US-built Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines. The Russian Aviadvigatel PD-114 is expected to be made available as an option later on. The baseline MC-21 variant is to be certified in 2019. The manufacturer has landed 175 orders for the type so far.


by Russian Aviation Insider

Russia’s MC-21 airliner made first flight

The MC-21 first flight took 30 min at the altitude of 1,000 meters and at the speed of 300 km/h

Russia’s new MC-21-300 airliner had made its first flight in Irkutsk today, on May 28. The first flight took 30 min at the altitude of 1,000 meters and at the speed of 300 km/h, reported Irkut Corporation, the aircraft designer. The flight plan included the aircraft in-flight stability and controllability checks.

During the first flight the aircraft has also performed go-around maneuver followed by a flight over the runway, climbing and turning.

The MC-21 crew commander Oleg Kononenko reported that the flight went in the normal mode. “There are no obstacles revealed preventing the tests continuation”. The copilot Roman Taskayev confirmed that the characteristics and operational modes of the power plant were confirmed and all aircraft systems operated without glitches.

The MC-21 took off powered by Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines. The alternative Russian powerplant – Aviadvigatel PD-14 is to be certified in 2018.

MC-21 is the first Russian-made narrowbody commercial passenger aircraft designed in the post-Soviet era. The program was launched in 2007 and is headed by Irkut, a subsidiary of Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation. The flight prototype was rolled out in June 2016.

MC-21-300 is a baseline variant that has maximum take-off weight of 79,250 kg and can carry up to 211 passengers for a distance of up to 6,000 km. The shorter, 72,560 kg MTOW, variant — MC-21-200 with 165 passenger capacity is at design stage.

Irkut says that MC-21 aircraft is superior to existing counterparts in terms of flight-technical characteristics and efficiency. Its major contributor to the enhancement of flight-technical characteristics is the composite wing. The share of composites in MC-21 design exceeds 30%. According to the designers, calculated reduction of direct operational costs for MC-21 is 12-15% lower than for counterparts.

MC-21 certification in Russia is now planned for 2018 with the EASA certificate to be obtained a year later.

The MC-21 backlog stands at 175 firm orders and more than 100 commitments. Russia’s largest carrier Aeroflot is expected to become the launch operator with first airframes to be delivered in 2019.
Russian Aviation Insider 

First MC-21-300 prototype in taxi trials

The aircraft is being readied for its first flight (Irkut)
The first flying prototype of Russia’s Irkut MC-21-300 single-aisle airliner has completed the first low-speed taxi trial in the run-up to the maiden flight.
The tests are being conducted at Irkut Corporation’s Irkutsk Aviation Plant flight testing facility.
Preparations for the first flight are on schedule, the company says. Ground checks are being run on the airliner’s systems, powerplants, and auxiliary power unit. The aircraft has yet to complete high-speed taxi tests.

All systems being checked in the run-up to the MC-21-300’s maiden flight (Irkut)

The first MC-21-300 flying prototype was rolled out on April 28. It is expected to perform its maiden flight before the end of May.

Russian Aviation Insider 

MC-21-300 Prototype in Final Assembly Line

Six months after a public roll-out ceremony on June 8, 2016, Russian manufacturer Irkut has completed installing a modular final assembly line for the MC-21-300 airliner and made progress in ground testing.Irkut revealed several pictures of the first MC-21-300 prototype (0001) on Tuesday, saying "MC-21-300-0001 airliner in the final assembly shop

The single-aisle MC-21, designed for 163 to 211 seats, is scheduled to take its first flight from Irkutsk early 2017. Deliveries are slated to begin in late 2018 at a list price of about US$90 million per plane.