Russia's MC-21 Production-Standard Airliner Completes Maiden Flight
en.Wedoany.com Reported - The first production-standard MC-21 airliner, developed by Yakovlev under Russia's United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), has completed its maiden test flight. Positioned as a narrow-body twin-engine mainline airliner, the aircraft directly competes with the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A320neo family, and shares the same market segment as China's COMAC C919.
The MC-21 was originally designed with Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines as its powerplant. Following the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in 2022, Western sanctions forced Yakovlev (a UAC subsidiary) to turn to domestic suppliers, leading the production-standard variant to be fitted with Russian engines, with the full designation set as MC-21-310.
The first production-standard aircraft completed its maiden flight at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, taking off and landing at Irkutsk Northwest Airport (UIIR). Flight test data disclosed by The Moscow Times shows the aircraft flew for 1 hour and 23 minutes, reaching a maximum altitude of 19,700 feet and a speed of 600 km/h (372 mph).
This test flight marks a critical milestone before the MC-21-310 enters service. The Irkutsk plant is currently producing the first batch of 18 serial-production airliners, and Russian President Vladimir Putin visited the facility last month. The test flight was piloted by test pilot Roman Taskaev, who stated after the flight that the first production-line aircraft performed well and that the entire flight plan had been completed.
Delays in new aircraft development programs are not uncommon in the industry—the Boeing 777X widebody airliner is already several years behind its original schedule. The MC-21's development journey has been even longer: the program was launched in 2009, 17 years ago. The project was initially named the Irkut MC-21 before being renamed the Yakovlev MC-21.
The MC-21-300, fitted with Pratt & Whitney engines, received Russian type certification in late 2021, and the program's prospects once looked bright. However, just months later, the Russia-Ukraine conflict severed ties between Russia and the West, bringing the MC-21-300 to an end. The program's future now rests on the MC-21-310, which is powered by Russia's Aviadvigatel PD-14 engine.
Air Data News notes that the PD-14 is one of several Russian-made systems replacing the imported equipment originally selected for the program. The outlet also believes that this test flight validated multiple flight procedures, helping to shorten the interval between certification and entry into service, thereby accelerating deliveries to customers.
The MC-21 has secured 384 firm orders, according to data from aviation data service provider ch-aviation. Aeroflot—Russia's flag carrier, which has been expelled from the SkyTeam alliance—leads with 198 orders; another 99 orders have not been publicly disclosed by the customer. Rossiya Airlines has confirmed purchases of 61 aircraft, Red Wings Airlines 16, and IrAero 10.
In terms of cabin configuration, ch-aviation fleet data shows that the prototype with registration number 73054 features 16 business-class seats (4 abreast) and 147 economy-class seats (6 abreast).
