The maiden flights of the partially import-substituted prototype aircraft MC-21, tail number 73055, followed by the fully import-substituted 73057, did not take place. This could be the highlight of the year.
The reason was delays from subcontractors in developing domestically produced components and assemblies. Both aircraft remain grounded: airframe 73055 has been transferred to the flight test department of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAZ), where it’s undergoing preparations for its first flight; airframe 73057 is in the final assembly hangar, where components are being fitted.
Meanwhile, at varying stages of completion, there are at least 20 MC-21 aircraft at the IAZ. The decision to “stockpile” planes aims to accelerate production after the certification of the import-substituted version, the MC-21-310rus. This information comes from a report in the publication Vedomosti, citing an unnamed representative from the UAC (United Aircraft Corporation).
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ONPP Tekhnologiya has successfully carried out strength tests on the new cockpit glazing for the MC-21. The product withstood a bird strike at speeds exceeding 600 km/h. These certification tests of the cockpit glazing are being conducted due to the replacement of imported components with products from Russian manufacturers.
“By 2028, we plan to increase the delivery of glazing for the MC-21 by more than 11 times,” said the company’s CEO, Andrei Silkin. The high strength of the glazing is ensured by the technology of ion-exchange strengthening of silicate glass, allowing the creation of glazing with complex geometry that is 6-8 times stronger than conventional glazing. This means the cockpit can withstand potential bird strikes in flight.
The windshield of the MC-21 cockpit is a seven-ply structure – four silicate glass layers bonded together with a polymer film. It features electric heating, preventing the glazing from fogging up during temperature fluctuations and ensuring high optical properties at all times.
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A shortened version of the MC-21 aircraft (MC-21-210) is in the preliminary design stage, according to Russian Minister of Industry and Trade, Anton Alikhanov, speaking to TASS news agency. The Minister noted that the active phase of work on the shortened modification should align with the certification stage of the MC-21-310rus version, as the shortened version is essentially a continuation and development of it.
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In December, the prototype MC-21 aircraft (73055) was transferred to the flight test department of IAZ. The fuselages of production aircraft are being manufactured in the factory’s workshops. As part of investment projects to technically upgrade the plant, the construction of a mould-making facility has been completed, and the installation of paint booths is nearing completion, with work underway to install the wastewater treatment equipment.
Airframe 73054 completed four flights with a total duration of 13 hours and 55 minutes. On 20th and 27th of December, flights were carried out to evaluate the aerodynamic characteristics of the wing with modified high-lift devices. On 24th-25th December, the aircraft flew to Ulyanovsk and back to Zhukovsky, assessing the accuracy of the inertial and radio navigation systems during flights along air routes.
Airframe 73051 remained grounded. Specialists from the Yakovlev Flight Test Centre, along with the Gromov Flight Research Institute, have commenced a ground-based lightning protection test programme on this prototype aircraft.
In total, during 2024, the MC-21 prototype aircraft completed 52 flights, with a total duration of 10,915 minutes, or 181 hours and 55 minutes.
2025
2025 marks the completion of the import substitution programme for the MC-21 aircraft. Airframe 73055 is in a high state of readiness for its first flight in the guise of the MC-21-310rus. It is fitted with PD-14 engines, a domestic electrical system, including the on-board wiring harness, navigation and radio-electronic equipment, however the wing is made from imported polymer composite materials.
Following the first flight will be a programme of factory development tests to assess the performance of the domestically produced systems. After completing the factory testing, the aircraft will be ferried from Irkutsk to Zhukovsky to undergo certification trials.310 ожидается не ранее последних чисел декабря 2025 года.