In April 2024, as a result of the reorganization of PJSC Yakovlev, the Flight Test and Development Complex (LIIDC) of the Yakovlev Design Bureau in Zhukovsky became part of it, and all employees of the Design Bureau, who previously worked in LIIDC, became employees of Yakovlev.
“The change in the structure of the company will make it possible to build a more flexible and operational system of flight test management, the LIIDC itself now reports to the first deputy general director Anatoly Gaidansky. Nikolay Fonurin, who supervises the MS-21 project, and Dmitry Panchugin, who is responsible for military and general aviation, have been appointed as deputy heads of LIIDC; he will also act as head of LIIDC,” Yakovlev commented.
The Yakovlev Engineering Center has started work on the MS-21-210 aircraft project. This was announced on April 24 by Andrey Boginsky, Director General of PJSC Yakovlev, during a meeting with the heads of the company’s divisions during the presentation to the staff of the Engineering Center of its new head Andrey Barbin, who received this appointment in connection with the retirement of Konstantin Popovich, Director of the Yakovlev Engineering Center, Chief Designer of Yak-130 and MS-21 aircraft.
The MS-21-210 will be a medium-haul aircraft with a capacity of 132 to 165 passengers with 12500 kgf thrust engines and a range of up to 6400 km. The -210 index indicates that the machine is an import-substituted version of the previously developed MS-21-200 airplane.
In July 2021, Irkut CEO Ravil Khakimov spoke about the corporation’s plans to further develop the MS-21 family of aircraft. “Design documentation has been developed for the MS-21-200 and MS-21-400. As soon as the MS-21-300 version starts flying in airlines, depending on the demand we will most likely take up the MS-21-400 project, i.e. it is a medium-range airplane that can carry up to 260 passengers. And depending on the demand, we will look at launching the MS-21-200,” the Irkut CEO said at the time. He explained that it will happen not earlier than 2024-2025.
Rostec reported a possible delay in the start of commercial operation of the MS-21 aircraft
At the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, a prototype of the MS-21-310 aircraft b/n 73055 (MC.0012) has been put under current. At this stage, the correctness of connection of switchgear to onboard batteries and ground power supply is being checked. Upon completion of these checks, the specialists of the final assembly shop will continue to test the aircraft systems. Upon their successful completion, the machine will be transferred to the flight test station, where the airplane will be prepared for resumption of flights.
Another experimental aircraft MS-21-310 b/n 73057 will perform its first flight after the replacement of imported equipment by the end of November this year. It will be a fully import-substituted machine. Now foreign systems and a number of design units have been dismantled from the airplane, as it arrives at the plant it is being equipped with Russian components. Two PD-14 engines have already arrived at the IAZ for this airplane. The Yakovlev team and equipment suppliers will have to perform a large amount of work to equip the airplane with domestic systems to bring it to a flying condition.
In addition to the two prototypes, the final assembly shop of the IAZ has the airframes of four more MS-21 serial airplanes. As explained in the editorial office of the Vzlet magazine, the first and fourth machines are being finalized in accordance with the documentation for the import-substituted version of the aircraft, the eighth – in April, the wing and fuselage were joined, and the ninth is assembling the fuselage.
The multifunctional indicator in the cabin of MS-21 is powered by JetOS developed by GosNIIAS
According to Anatoly Gaidansky, the first flight of the 73055 in partially import-substituted form will take place by June 30. Currently, the main work on the power supply system is underway, the software is being finalized in terms of interaction between the power supply system and onboard equipment. It is planned that in May, upon completion of finalizations, a delegation of designers will be sent to the aircraft factory in Irkutsk to prepare the machine for presentation to an independent inspection and its transfer to the flight test station.
“Another five already completed airframes of serial aircraft have temporarily left the assembly shop and, pending their equipping with domestic onboard systems, which are currently being tested, in order not to stop the assembly line, have been transferred to the recently erected new hangar of the flight test division of the plant, designed for ground testing and customization of MS-21. Upon receipt of kits from suppliers, these airframes will be returned to the final assembly shop to equip them with Russian systems, and starting from the 14th airplane, all airplanes will be manufactured, moving sequentially along the assembly line,” the magazine said in its TG-channel.
Alexander Veprev, General Director of the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant, explained to Vzlet that the current capacities and equipment of the assembly and final assembly shop are designed to produce up to 36 MS-21-310 airplanes per year. The production cycle of future airliners moving between the stations of the in-line assembly line is ten days. To ensure such a production volume, work is currently underway to expand and modernize the blanking and stamping, machining and galvanizing production facilities.
Import substitution of MS-21: technological breakthrough and its impact on the aviation industry
RATA Aviation Training Center (ATC) in Skolkovo completed training of the first group of 22 MRO specialists to operate MS-21-310 aircraft. The trainees were mainly selected from the employees of the Yakovlev Aviation Technical Complex in Zhukovsky, who are currently engaged in the maintenance of SSJ100 aircraft. Employees of Red Wings Airlines and the aviation training center Academy 033 were also trained. The training of technical personnel is being carried out ahead of schedule so that by the time the MS-21-310 in its Russian form is certified, the specialists will be prepared to service the new Russian aircraft.
The Kamensk-Uralsky Metallurgical Plant (JSC KUMZ) is preparing for the transition from 2025 to large-scale production of aluminum alloy cladding sheets used in aircraft construction. As part of this program, KUMZ received approval from the All-Russian Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM) to produce cladding sheets for MS-21 aircraft.
VIAM’s approval of production of 2xxx series aluminum alloy sheets on the continuous heat treatment line opened up promising opportunities for the company in the market of products for civil aircraft construction. The expected growth of domestic aircraft production in the coming years is possible only if the demand for aluminum alloy sheets is met.
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Izhavia intends to replenish its fleet with MC-21-310 aircraft by the end of 2032, the carrier’s General Director Alexander Sinelnikov said. Now the company’s fleet is represented by Yak-42D and Boeing 737-800 aircraft. “Finally signed an agreement of intent between JSC Izhavia and PJSC Yakovlev for the delivery of eight MC-21-310 aircraft in the period from 2029 to 2032. The letter of intent or LOI (Letter of Intent) is declarative, but at the same time a binding part,” Sinelnikov wrote in his TG channel.
Systems certification testing continues in Zhukovsky under the certification program for the MS-21-310rus version of the aircraft. In April 2024, Flight 73053 (MC.0003) performed six flights totaling 21 hours and 25 minutes. Import-substituted avionics elements and new software of the complex as a whole were tested.
