Certification flights of the new, almost completely import-substituted MC-21 airliner have resumed over the Moscow region. This refers to the aircraft with tail number 73057.
Flightradar indicates that the MC-21-300 returned from Irkutsk before the start of testing in Zhukovsky. Whether the flight was direct is unknown.
Two weeks ago, this same aircraft, during testing, performed flights in echelons, accelerating to maximum speeds. The crew decelerated the MC-21-300 to minimum speed and extreme angles of attack, and also accelerated to Mach number and maximum indicated airspeed.
As a reminder, the aircraft is already equipped with wings made of Russian polymer composite materials and PD-14 engines.
Former Sukhoi designer Vadim Lukashevich stated that the weight of the MC-21-310 turned out to be too high, as Russian composites are heavier than foreign ones. Honored test pilot Alexander Garnaev was even harsher, predicting that in reality this aircraft will not fly further than 3000 km.