MC-21 Turned Out Too Heavy: Major General Revealed the Real Reason

Designers Built in a Sevenfold Safety Margin

Strict requirements for the strength of Russian airliners make the design of the MC-21-310 heavier than foreign aircraft. This opinion was expressed by retired Major General, military pilot Vladimir Popov of the Russian Federation.

MC-21 in assembly
MC-21 in assembly
Image source Aviadrive

According to him, domestic developers traditionally build in a multiple margin for forces, which increases the overall weight.

For example, if we take American aircraft, then one or another element in them must be two to three times stronger in relation to the calculated one. And Russian designers usually lay down a force of 5-7 times, or even 10 times. Therefore, we get some structures or aircraft in general that are heavier.
Vladimir Popov, retired Major General

A lighter aircraft is required for operation within the country. The developers found a simple way - to reduce the length of the fuselage.

As a result, theMC-21-210 version will receive a shortened cabin and will be able to carry about 140 passengers instead of the current 175 in a two-class configuration. This will reduce the weight and improve the fuel efficiency of the aircraft on Russian routes.

Earlier www1.ru reported that "Yakovlev" is capable of producing up to 36 MC-21 aircraft per year in the future.

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Sources:
Ircity
2025-11-20 08:57:46 Maksim Borisov Aviation PAO «OAK» MS-21-310
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