Yak-242: The MC-21's Predecessor That Could Have Revolutionized Russian Aviation, But Never Saw the Sky

The Yak-242 was intended to be the most economical and modern aircraft of the Soviet Union - a direct competitor to the Boeing 757 and the "gravedigger" of the Tu-154. But the airliner's story ended before it even began."Perviy Technicheskiy" tells why this aircraft remained on paper and how its ideas later were embodied in the MC-21.

The Aircraft That Never Was

In the late 80s, the USSR was looking for a replacement for the voracious Tu-154 and Il-62. The world was already flying on economical Boeings and Airbuses, and Soviet industry needed its own response. This was to be the Yak-242 - a project by the Yakovlev Design Bureau, which decided to enter the mainline level for the first time.

The new airliner was conceived with two ultra-economical NK-93 turbofan engines, which could provide a 25-30% reduction in fuel consumption compared to the Tu-154M. The cabin was planned to be spacious, with wide aisles and unprecedented silence - the engines were located in the tail, like modern airliners.

Why It Didn't Take Off

The main enemy of the Yak-242 was not aerodynamics at all, but politics. A war for state orders broke out between the Tupolev, Ilyushin, and Yakovlev Design Bureaus. The Tupolev designers lobbied for the Tu-204, and the NK-9 engine, the main trump card project, was never brought to the serial stage.

Then came 1991. The USSR collapsed, and with it - the program. Funding ceased, and airlines survived on old aircraft. The project was frozen, and the Yak-242 remained on mock-ups forever.

Predecessor of the MC-21

The design developments of the Yak-242 did not disappear. It was they thatformed the basis of the future MC-21, which became a direct heir to the ideas of "Yakovlev". A lightweight airframe, high efficiency, and attention to passenger comfort.

The Yak-242 became a symbol of unfulfilled hopes - an aircraft that could have changed the history of the domestic aircraft industry but did not have time to be born.

Earlier www1.ru reported that UAC showed the Su-57 in the paint shop for the first time.