Anatoly Gaidansky, Deputy General Director of Yakovlev Company (part of the United Aircraft Corporation of Rostec), spoke about the progress of certification tests of the MC-21 medium-range passenger airliner. Two prototype aircraft are participating in the program, one of which has already completed its first flight.
The partially localized sample with serial number 0012 first took off on April 29 from the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant of the Yakovlev Corporation. This aircraft is equipped with new Russian systems and units. During the test flight, the aircraft spent 1 hour 15 minutes in the air, reached a speed of up to 580 km/h and climbed to an altitude of 3,000 meters. It was on this aircraft that the first domestic PD-14 turbofan engines were installed back in 2020.
The second participant in the certification flights is a fully Russian airliner with serial number 0013. The assembly of this aircraft is in the final stages. Specialists are completing the adjustment of all systems. The first flight is scheduled for mid-summer, after which the aircraft will be connected to the certification program.
The MC-21 certification program is a key stage in promoting the new Russian aircraft to domestic and international markets. Successful completion of flight tests will confirm the design's compliance with modern safety and operational reliability requirements.
Earlier, www1.ru reported that the developer of the MC-21 will make more than 200 test flights before transferring the airliners to customers.
Read more on the topic:
Revolution in aviation: composite wings of the MC-21 will provide an advantage in fuel efficiency
The MC-21 aircraft received a unique power supply system: there are almost no analogues in the world
