The composite "black" wing of the MC-21-310 airliner turned out to be heavier than the metal one. It is likely that the power structure will still be redesigned, suggested Stanislav Ryzhakov, former director of the Ulyanovsk branch of "Tupolev".
According to him, the aircraft passed static tests normally, but it is still necessary to find out how it will perform under constant exposure to temperature and moisture.
Composites are afraid of kerosene, and even in a steel wing, kerosene passes through sealed seams. They rushed very much with their own composites, and I doubt that everything has been 100% checked. As far as I understand, the black wing will be redesigned.
Ryzhakov expressed doubt that the MC-21 will eventually reach a flight range of 5000 km. He noted that so far, weight reduction ideas mainly concern reducing the fuselage.
But the aerodynamics remain the same - I'm talking about the characteristic wide fuselage. Where will we put the fuel for these "extra" 1.2 thousand kilometers? The tanks are only in the wing; if you put additional ones in the fuselage, the weight will go up. Or reduce the baggage compartment. For now, I see that commercial operation of this aircraft is unlikely.
Viktor Gorbachev, head of the "Airport" association, also urged not to rejoice too much after the first flight of the serial MC-21. According to him, it is still necessary to establish real operation with passengers on board.
Aviation expert and blogger SkyExpert refuted the view that overweight wings caused the stated range of the MC-21-310 to be 3800 km.
Read more on the topic:
- Tu-214 is not the solution: MC-21 can develop for decades
- Brand won't save it: why the safety of Boeing, Airbus, MC-21, and SJ-100 depends on one factor
- Not a single MC-21 will be completed by the end of 2026 to replace the Airbus A320