RuAviation

Russia continues advancing the certification campaign of its new-generation narrowbody airliner, the MC-21, as prototype aircraft undergo intensive testing of key domestically developed systems. The program, led by Yakovlev Design Bureau under the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), aims to complete certification of the fully Russian-equipped MC-21 by 2026. Recent flight and ground trials focused on verifying the performance and reliability of critical avionics, power, and protection systems produced in Russia following the withdrawal of Western suppliers.

On October 17, aircraft 73055 (MC.0012) and 73051 (MC.0001) carried out test flights to evaluate the performance of systems and equipment produced in Russia as part of the localization program.

During the flight of aircraft 73055 along standard air routes from Zhukovsky (ZIA, Ramenskoye Airport) to Vorkuta (USUV), the crew verified the operation of the Inertial Navigation System (INS) in standalone mode. The performance of the radio altimeter was also assessed under different high-lift device configurations and across the full range of roll and pitch attitudes in all flight phases. This flight marked the aircraft’s return to the flight test program after completing ground-based High-Intensity Radiated Fields (HIRF) testing.

In November 2024, aircraft 73051 underwent four flights to validate the operation of the wing Ice Protection System (IPS), including reconfiguration under various failure scenarios. Afterward, specialists from the Yakovlev Flight Test and Development Center and the Gromov Flight Research Institute prepared the aircraft for lightning strike testing, which began in January 2025. The tests concluded in July 2025, and the aircraft is now being readied for certification trials.

Lightning strike tests measure induced voltages in the aircraft’s wiring harnesses and evaluate the resilience of onboard systems to strong electromagnetic fields. These assessments help engineers identify and eliminate potential vulnerabilities in the electrical architecture, ensuring safety and reliability during thunderstorm operations. One key outcome of the program was the approval of a major redesign of the power supply system. Aircraft 73051 became the first MC-21 fitted entirely with domestically developed wiring and electrical power distribution systems.

A second MC-21-310 prototype, tail number 73057 (MC.0013), is expected to join the flight test campaign in Irkutsk by the end of October 2025. Acceptance procedures are in their final stages.

Development of the domestically equipped MC-21 variant began in 2022 following restrictions on imported components. According to Dmitry Yadrov, head of Rosaviatsia (Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency), five key systems for the MC-21 are now in the final stage of development: the Ice Protection System, Water-Vacuum System, Traffic Collision Avoidance System (TCAS), weather radar, and electrical power system. These are currently undergoing certification on the prototype fleet.

Representatives of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) report that certification of the all-Russian MC-21 is expected to be completed by the end of 2026. In May 2025, Anatoly Gaidansky, Deputy General Director and head of the Yakovlev Design Bureau Engineering Center, said that full certification of the domestically equipped MC-21 should be achieved by late summer 2026.