RuAviation

The Yakovlev Flight Test and Development Center in Zhukovsky has launched the certification flight campaign for the second MC-21 test aircraft equipped with domestically produced systems. The aircraft, serial number 73057, performed its first certification sortie on November 25 following its return from Irkutsk. According to United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the crew focused on evaluating longitudinal and lateral stability along with control response throughout the initial flight.

The aircraft was flown by Yakovlev’s test crew: Oleg Mutovin, a Hero of Russia, Honored Test Pilot of Russia Andrey Voropayev, and Russia Aviation Register Class 1 test pilot Nikolay Grigoryev. Onboard engineering support was provided by Yakovlev flight-test engineers Oleg Berezin, Anton Kuznetsov, and Grigory Kudryashov.

The aircraft had returned to Zhukovsky after a long-range ferry flight on November 13, ending a factory-level test phase in Irkutsk, where the aircraft underwent system checks and pre-deployment preparation. The non-stop 4,300-km sector lasted more than six hours and was flown along civil air routes at 36,000–37,700 ft. Fuel burn for the flight totaled 15 metric tons, according to crew reports.

Anatoly Gaydansky, First Deputy Managing Director and Head of Yakovlev’s Engineering Center, stated that adding a second aircraft to the certification effort will accelerate the overall test program. Flight-test aircraft 73055, which carries a partial suite of newly developed Russian systems, has been operating in Zhukovsky since earlier stages of the campaign.

Gaydansky noted that the company’s objective is to complete the full import-substitution certification scope and obtain approval for the major design change required for customer deliveries.

Aircraft 73057 incorporates a wide range of domestically produced components replacing foreign-supplied systems. The replacement package includes:

• cockpit control interfaces,
• flight-control actuators,
• high-lift system actuators and horizontal stabilizer trim mechanism,
• electrical wiring harnesses,
• integrated avionics suite, including the flight-control system,
• air-conditioning and environmental control system,
• integrated flight-data acquisition, monitoring, processing, and recording system,
• wheel-brake system,
• main and auxiliary powerplants,
• fuel system,
• wheels, tires, and several additional assemblies.

Certification of the import-substituted MC-21 variant is targeted for completion by late 2026. According to Chief Designer Vitaly Naryshkin, the full program requires approximately 220–230 certification flights to validate the safety and performance of the modified configuration. Ramenskoye Airfield remains the primary test site, although specific campaigns—such as icing-protection evaluations—will be conducted in Arkhangelsk, where weather conditions are better suited for cold-soak and icing-system testing.