Yakovlev has started manufacturing the first prototype of the MC-21-210, a shortened derivative of the MC-21-310, with the aircraft scheduled to make its first flight in August 2028.
The MC-21-210 is being developed under a three-year research and development contract signed by Russia’s Ministry of Industry and Trade and Yakovlev in May 2026. The programme covers design documentation, prototype construction and preparation for flight testing by the end of 2028.
The shortened variant is intended to complement the MC-21-310 rather than introduce a separate aircraft architecture. The two variants are expected to share the main airframe systems, propulsion installation and flight deck, while the MC-21-210 will accommodate fewer passengers and provide greater range.
Yakovlev intends to build the prototype alongside series-production MC-21-310 aircraft at its Irkutsk plant. The factory expects to produce 10 series aircraft for customers in 2028, in addition to the MC-21-210 prototype.
Following flight testing and certification, the MC-21-210 is expected to enter series production on the same final assembly line. Its output would form part of the plant’s targeted production rate of 36 MC-21 aircraft a year, rather than require a separate production stream.
The variant is being positioned for routes where lower passenger demand is combined with longer stage lengths. Yakovlev has described the aircraft as a 140-150-seat addition to the MC-21 family, while retaining a high degree of commonality with the larger MC-21-310.
The programme therefore adds a second capacity option to the MC-21 family while allowing Yakovlev to use the same production infrastructure. The prototype’s 2028 first flight will be followed by the flight-test and certification programme required before series production.
(No Ratings Yet)
Loading...