MC-21 Being Readied For Second Round Flight Testing

Maxim Pyadushkin August 22, 2017
Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

The first flying prototype of the Irkut MC-21 is being prepared for the second stage of the initial flight tests.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

Irkut says strain sensors are being installed on the MC-21 first flying prototype, needed to continue flight trials.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

The system installation is underway on the second MC-21 flying prototype at the Irkut facility in Irkutsk, in Russian Siberia.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

Three more MC-21 test aircraft are at various stages of assembly at Irkut.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

Using five flight-test aircraft is not untypical for a new program, even for Western manufacturers.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

MC-21 final assembly facility. Russia’s United Aircraft Corp., Irkut’s parent company, aims to assemble 70 aircraft annually from 2024.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

Since May 28, the first MC-21 prototype has completed nine test flights.

Credit: United Aircraft Corp.

The initial flight tests of Russia’s new MC-21-300 narrowbody airliner are expected to be completed in October. After that the aircraft will fly to Zhukovsky near Moscow for certification tests.

United Aircraft Corp.’s MC-21 flew for the first time on May 28. The aircraft is Russia’s best hope to reenter the mainline commercial aircraft market after the Superjet 100, an aircraft geared toward thinner regional routes. The MC-21 flew only three weeks after China’s C919, a competitor in the same segment, took off for the first time. Certification and entry into service of the MC-21 is planned for 2019, should testing continue smoothly.

Maxim Pyadushkin

In addition to writing for Aviation Week Network, Maxim holds a key position at Russia's Air Transport Observer magazine. In the past he was in charge of several ATO’s sister aerospace publications and earlier worked for Moscow-based CAST defense think-tank.

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