RuAviation

The Russian aviation industry is rounding off April 2025 with positive news: On 23rd April, the first flight of the fully import-substituted SJ-100 aircraft took place, and equally significant news has emerged from Irkutsk. A prototype of the MC-21-310 medium-range airliner, tail number 73055, equipped with new Russian systems and components, made its maiden flight from Irkutsk Aviation Plant’s airfield.

The aircraft was piloted by a crew consisting of test pilots Alexander Guskov and Hero of Russia Roman Taskaev, as well as lead flight test engineers Alexander Popov and Alexander Solovyev. The flight lasted 1 hour 15 minutes. A speed of 580 km/h and an altitude of 3,000 m were reached.

The crew carried out checks of the domestic avionics suite, electrical power systems, air conditioning, and other systems. This flight was the first after the replacement of foreign systems. During the trials, the crew performed landing gear retraction and extension. This flight marked the start of factory fine-tuning trials; upon completion, the aircraft will return to Zhukovsky, where certification trials will take place.

“Two modified MC-21 prototypes [tail number 73055 serial number MS.0012 and tail number 73057 serial number MS.0013 – Ed. Note: Aviation of Russia] will participate in the flight trials under the import substitution programme. Previously, they were involved in certification trials with foreign systems. A number of imported systems have been replaced on the first aircraft, which made its first flight. It has received a Russian avionics suite. This includes computers, switches, navigation systems, and radio communication equipment. A domestic auxiliary power unit, air conditioning and pressure regulation systems, lighting, and aircraft systems control panels have also been installed. Russian components have been integrated into the electrical power system, hydraulic system, and landing gear,” the United Aircraft Corporation’s press service reported.

The aircraft was flown to Irkutsk from Zhukovsky on 7th July 2023. During the work to replace the foreign systems, the PD-14 engines, on which the aircraft had undergone certification flights, were removed. The engines were sent to Perm, where they were dissected to identify and eliminate any potential bottlenecks. New PD-14s have been installed on the aircraft. Resumption of flights for this aircraft was initially expected at the end of 2023, then in the summer and at the end of December 2024.

The first flight of the aircraft with Russian systems was only possible after specialists from co-operating enterprises were satisfied that all new systems were working reliably. The shifting of deadlines demonstrates the complexity of the tasks associated with import substitution in the aviation industry. Essentially, Yakovlev’s designers have created all the foreign onboard systems from scratch, and the same applies to the Superjet.

Previously, on 31st March, the third Il-114-300 prototype (54115), which also has no foreign components, joined the certification trials. All three types: MC-21, SJ-100, and Il-114-300, are expected to complete certification trials by the end of the current year, and deliveries to customers and commercial passenger operations will commence from 2026.