MC-21 Aircraft Had Engine Generators Shut Down at High Altitude: Pilot Reveals Nuances of New Airliner Tests

The crew deliberately simulated system failures to confirm the aircraft's reliability

In flights on the promising MC-21 aircraft, test pilots deliberately take certain risks, performing dangerous but necessary elements for certification. During tests, the crew once shut down two of the three hydraulic systems, test pilot Oleg Mutovin revealed.

According to him, tests were carried out on the aircraft to assess the impact of failures on the safe completion of the flight.

At the same time, two of the three hydraulic systems or the generators of both engines were turned off. And this is on an aircraft with an electric remote control system! All the electrics "hung" on a small "windmill" released into the flow – an emergency wind generator with a two-bladed propeller.
Oleg Mutovin, test pilot

Mutovin recalled that if the wind generator fails, the aircraft may crash. Therefore, the risk during such tests is very high, but this is a necessary condition for obtaining a "type certificate" for the MC-21.

The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Anton Alikhanov, noted that the fully import-substituted version of the MC-21 will begin flight tests in the near future.

Earlier www1.ru reported that the assembly of the first under-keel compartment of the MC-21-310 aircraft began at the Sokol aircraft plant.

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