In Russia, designers incorporate a twofold safety margin when designing aircraft, which is then gradually reduced during operation. The probable overweight of the new MS-21-310 may be precisely related to this, aviation expert Roman Gusarov told "Pervy Tekhnichesky".
According to him, in the West, they strive to immediately create the most optimal design with extreme characteristics, and then strengthen weak points that are identified during operation.
Our approach is fundamentally different. We incorporate a one-and-a-half or even twofold safety margin into the design, and then gradually start removing the excess. Because of this, at first, the metal is thicker somewhere, and there are more fasteners, but then the lightening process begins.
Gusarov admitted that he is not worried about the prospects of the MS-21 and is confident that in the near future the airliner will achieve better flight parameters.
And for a start and for a completely new aircraft, a range of 3800 km is a very good indicator.
Also, one of the most critical elements for the MS-21 was the "black" composite wing. Yakovlev engineers had to re-establish the school for calculating and designing structural elements from these materials.
The wings are considered the "main suspects" for the current flight range of the MS-21, approximately 3800 km. However, aviation blogger SkyExpert refuted the theory that the overweight is related to these elements.