Source: Global Times
[Global Times Comprehensive Report] The Russian "MC-21" medium-range passenger aircraft experimental prototype equipped with domestically produced avionics, power supply systems, and air conditioning systems successfully completed its first flight recently. The flight lasted for 1 hour and 15 minutes, marking the beginning of factory adjustment tests. On April 29, this prototype took off from the airport of Irkutsk Aircraft Manufacturing Plant under Yakovlev Corporation (part of United Aircraft Corporation under Rostec State Corporation). During the flight, the prototype reached a speed of 580 km/h and climbed to an altitude of 3000 meters. The crew, including test pilot Aleksandr Guskov, Hero of Russia Roman Taskaev, and test flight engineers Aleksandr Popov and Aleksandr Solovev, successfully completed the flight mission. All aircraft systems, including the new domestic systems in Russia, operated normally without any issues.
The Russian "MC-21" medium-range passenger aircraft experimental prototype equipped with domestically produced avionics, power supply systems, and air conditioning systems completed its first flight in Irkutsk.
New Generation Medium-Range Passenger Aircraft
"MC-21" is a new generation of medium-range passenger aircraft that can carry 163 to 211 passengers. This aircraft is assembled at Irkutsk Aircraft Manufacturing Plant and completed its first flight on May 28, 2017, and its first flight using the domestically produced "PD-14" engine on December 15, 2020. Oleg Evtushenko, Executive Director of Rostec Group, said, "'MC-21' will replace Boeing and Airbus in Russia. It is an advanced aircraft, very modern, comfortable, with an excellent aerodynamic system and new-generation onboard systems. Combined with the 'PD-14' engine, it can significantly reduce operating costs and bring good economic benefits to airlines. Our aviation manufacturing team has made great efforts to replace about 80 foreign systems and components to avoid sanctions and the influence of foreign suppliers."
Rostec Group announced that the current "MC-21" is equipped with domestic onboard avionics systems, including calculators, switches, navigation systems, radio communication equipment, domestic auxiliary power units, air conditioning and pressure regulation systems, lighting equipment, and control panels. The power supply system, hydraulic system, and landing gear also incorporate domestic components. Vadim Badekha, General Manager of United Aircraft Corporation, said that this flight marks the start of factory adjustment tests for the new domestic version of "MC-21". He said, "We plan to fly to Zhukovsky for certification test flights. Meanwhile, we continue to assemble the fully domestic 'MC-21', which is currently located in the final assembly workshop and will join flight testing later."
The Russian new-generation medium-range passenger aircraft "MC-21", positioned in the most popular segment of the passenger market, belongs to one of the highest-demand models globally. Such aircraft can operate routes of four to five thousand kilometers. This range even exceeds the distance from Moscow to Novosibirsk, covering almost all domestic routes in Russia.
Planned Mass Production in 2026
The Russian-made "MC-21" passenger aircraft is planned for mass production in 2026. Rostec Group hopes to complete certification tests by 2025. This was stated by Chemezov, head of the group, to reporters. He said, "Mass production will begin next year." It is expected that all certification flight work for "MC-21" will be completed by 2025.
On May 7, the Russian-made Superjet experimental prototype equipped with the domestically produced "PD-8" engine successfully completed its tenth flight, testing maximum altitude high-speed flight. Vadim Lukashevich, former designer of Sukhoi Company, said that dozens more flight tests are still planned in the future, and the current progress is in line with the plan. The tenth flight of the Superjet lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes and flew at an altitude of 12.2 kilometers for 2.5 hours. United Engine Corporation announced that this is the first time the "PD-8" engine has been tested on an aircraft at such altitude, speed, and overload conditions, performing stably under all modes. Test pilots tested the main engine fuel efficiency at maximum altitude and evaluated the zero normal load engine performance at medium altitude, achieving weightlessness mode as per the test plan.
Good Start of Development
In an interview with Rossiyskaya Gazeta, Lukashevich said that certification test plans usually include dozens or even hundreds of flights covering different flight modes, climate zones, and weather conditions. He said, "The tenth flight is like the third day when a one-year-old child starts learning to walk. This is all a normal process. The aircraft still needs to be tested under high-altitude, desert, and marine conditions, land at snowy Norilsk and wet runways... The aircraft must be able to fly in all weather conditions, so there is still a lot of work to do."
The performance of the engine depends on flight speed and altitude, so testing takeoff and cruise modes, fuel consumption, and other performance indicators is crucial. Lukashevich stated that the current progress is in line with the plan. The engine not only performs well at conventional flight altitudes of 10 to 11 kilometers but also runs stably at 12 kilometers altitude. He said, "Developing an aircraft from scratch usually takes 5 to 8 years, and engines take 10 to 15 years. Therefore, engine development always precedes. In addition to existing 'PD-8' and 'PD-14', we are developing 'PD-35'. That is, we are developing a high-thrust engine whose application is unclear. It may be used for long-haul passenger aircraft or military transport aircraft. The successful test flight of the Superjet with a domestically produced engine is a good start, but more importantly, our country will form a complete series of domestic aviation engines, which can improve the performance of existing aircraft models and lay the foundation for the future."
At the end of April, "MC-21" began factory adjustment tests. On May 7, the experimental prototype equipped with domestic systems and "PD-14" engine completed the direct flight from Irkutsk to Zhukovsky near Moscow, initiating certification tests within the import substitution plan.
This article is published in the "Perspective Russia" special edition of Global Times, with content provided by Rossiyskaya Gazeta.
Original: https://www.toutiao.com/article/7508524528935485986/
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