First test flight of MS 21. Russian Aviation
In 2017, UAC and the Irkut Corporation presented the practical implementation of the 21st Century Long-Range Aircraft project - the new Russian MS-21 airliner. The plane took off for the first time on May 28, 2017, opening a new era in Russian civil aviation. The presentation of one of the four aircraft built up to this point was successful and was highly appreciated by specialists.
The new MC-21 aircraft is in direct competition with the American Boeing 737 Max and the European Airbus A320neo. In addition to the fact that it has taken its rightful place on the list of desirable acquisitions for international air carriers, it has also become a serious solution in import substitution for the domestic industry.
If by the beginning of the century the Russian military aviation industry was already at the level of world achievements, then the need for modernization was long overdue for the civil aviation industry. The Airbus began to be developed at the beginning of the 2000s at the A.S. Design Bureau. Yakovleva. The design of the Yak-242, which was created back in 1995, was taken as the basis. Already in 2004, the Yakovlevites joined Irkut, where, over time, a separate division of the famous OKB was formed. Taking into account modern trends, design engineers developed a new family of passenger aircraft. The first flight of the MS-21 was a real triumph for Russian aircraft designers.
In the current work on a new revolutionary model for Russian civil aviation, the designers used the potential of such well-known Russian enterprises as TsAGI named after N.E. Zhukovsky, UAC, North American and European corporations. The Ulyanovsk and Voronezh branches of the Irkut Corporation played their role.
A special place was given to the selection of the power plant. In 2012, Irkut and Pratt & Whitney agreed to cooperate, thanks to which the base MS-21 engine was supplied - PW1400G, which in the future will replace the PD-14, created by the domestic company UEC. At the beginning of the summer of 2016, the creation of the MS-21-300 model aircraft was completed. And this historical photo of the MS-21 Irkut aircraft, taken on June 8 of the same year, captures the moment of its rollout.
Presentation of MS-21
Main design features of MS-21
The designers managed to introduce a number of innovations and thereby ensure the excellent qualities of the MC-21 in aerodynamics, efficiency, reliability and environmental friendliness. Note that the new airliner consists of forty percent composite materials, which has significantly reduced its weight. The modern on-board maintenance complex, which can be seen in the photo of the MS-21 cockpit in the gallery above, allows for 100% control over the technical condition of the aircraft and its reliable navigation.
In the new aircraft, the designers, listening to the opinions of future consumers, used the innovative possibility of rearranging the cabin by increasing the diameter of the fuselage. In the photo of the MS-21 interior, you can see how comfortable the world’s largest Airbus interior looks. Specially designed chairs are designed for people of various configurations, as well as for people with disabilities. It was this key feature that made it possible to present the airliner in two modifications MC-21-200. The first was designed for 165 passengers in economy class. The second MS-21-300 could accommodate 200 passengers in a compact cabin version.
The designers tried to make the interior lighting more natural through large windows. Not the least role is given to control systems for pressure, microclimatic conditions and temperature conditions in the cabin. The implemented technologies allow the aircraft to be operated in all climatic zones, regardless of the season.
Particular attention was paid to the safety of the aircraft. Flight tests of the MC-21 confirmed all parameters of compliance with international safety standards for civil aircraft. By the way, a new bench base was specially created for these tests in Russia.
Flight and technical characteristics of the MS-21 300 aircraft
The aircraft received one of the most advanced airframe designs of all existing today. In terms of the volume of composite materials used, it is inferior to the Airbus A350 XWB, which consists of polymers by more than half.
For the first time in Russia, the so-called black wing, a technology using carbon composite materials, was used in the construction of the airliner. It helped to significantly reduce the weight of the aircraft wing while maintaining strength indicators, and the aerodynamics only improved. The tail unit and a number of other aircraft parts are designed using the same principle. In the near future, this aircraft will remain the only one in its class to use such technology. The Aerocomposite concern and ONPP Technology took part in the creation of this know-how. The fuselage is based on traditional aluminum alloys. It was developed and created by the Irkut Corporation and the Yakovlev Design Bureau.
The basic installation is equipped with paired jet engines of different thrust. These are the most modern units today, which are used by the world's leading aircraft manufacturers in the latest aircraft developments. Russian analogues - PD-14 are being tested today. After receiving certification, they will be launched into mass production by the Aviadvigatel concern. This is also a revolutionary development for the Russian aviation industry. For the heaviest presented series MS-21-300, a modification of the PD-14A engine with a thrust of 14,000 tf will be developed.
The “glass” cockpit has also become a new concept in the civil aircraft industry. It is made up of several (or rather, five) multifunctional displays. Pilots are equipped with electronic tablets to connect to a common interface. Side handles are used for control. The cabin can be additionally equipped with:
- Indicators displaying current flight data on the windshield directly opposite the pilot's face.
- Synthetic vision, capable of forming a current virtual image of the airliner if visibility decreases to unacceptable levels.
The cockpit and the main part of the avionics were designed at KRET with the assistance of Rockwell Collins. To date, two modifications of the MS-21 have been developed and implemented, and one modification will be prepared in the near future.
The fuselage of this model is 8.5 meters longer than that of the 21-200. At a presentation in May 2017, a new Russian MS-21 aircraft of this modification was shown. Serial production of the MS-21 will begin with this model.
The promising model MS-21-400 will become an even more strengthened version of the 300. The modification will receive the following characteristics:
- capacity: 230 passengers;
- take-off weight: maximum 87.2 tons;
- derated engine PD-14M with a thrust of up to 15.6 tf.
In the real future, more powerful modifications of the M-21 family aircraft will be prepared with the expectation of obtaining the maximum possible flight range, cabin capacity and other useful characteristics.
Prospects for the development of the MS-21 project
Taking into account the cost of the MS-21, estimated at $91 million, the aircraft becomes a direct competitor to Airbuses of its class. In 2017, the Irkut Corporation signed more than one hundred and seventy contracts for the supply of these aircraft, a third of which were ordered by the national air carrier Aeroflot. The first deliveries are planned for 2018.
Already in November 2017, Irkut's subsidiary, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, will complete the commissioning of new stations for aircraft final assembly lines. In the near future, parts will be manufactured for the next five aircraft in the series. The line will have a production capacity of 20 airliners per year and will reach full capacity within a few years.
It is necessary to take into account a number of advantages that became possible thanks to Russian engineers. Thus, for the first time in the world, infusion technology using automatic lines was used in the production of large liner parts. Previously, the prepreg-autoclave method was used for these purposes, which was significantly more expensive.
The MS-21 project is a promising investment site. Taking into account the costs from the state budget, which amounted to one hundred billion rubles, experts foresee a planned five-year payback for the project. In any case, the creation of aircraft of the MS-21 family was a breakthrough in the Russian civil aviation industry and opened a new era of domestic aircraft construction. In the context of the sanctions blockade of the Russian economy by Western countries, this step will certainly further strengthen the independence and authority of the Russian economy in the world market.
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Did you know that in recent years the aviation industry has not designed or assembled new models of passenger aircraft (not counting long-haul aircraft), limiting itself to modernizing old ones. Boeing and Airbus not long ago began making the curved ends of their wings, which are shown in the photo. This design allowed saving 1-1.5% of fuel. A gearbox with interesting design inventions was also invented, which made it possible to reduce the weight of the engine and also save 15% of fuel during operation.
Russia shocked the aviation industry by announcing a successful test flight of the new MC-21 medium-range passenger aircraft, according to the world's leading business television channel CNBC. On Sunday, the new Russian passenger aircraft MS-21 made its first test flight in Irkutsk. The flight duration was 30 minutes, it took place at an altitude of 1000 m at a speed of 300 km/h. The airliner was flown by test pilots, heroes of Russia Oleg Kononenko and Roman Taskaev.
“The flight mission was completed completely. The flight went as usual. “No comments were identified that would prevent the continuation of the tests,” the Irkut press service quotes Kononenko as saying.
As CNBC notes, the Russian aircraft, with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers and a maximum flight range of 6,000 km, will try to compete with the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320. The TV channel also quotes the Russian manufacturer as saying that the new aircraft is superior to existing competitors.
In particular, the widespread use of polymer composite materials and a new generation engine, which reduces fuel consumption, is emphasized. Direct operating costs will be 12-15% lower than those of direct competitors.
Irkut already has an initial portfolio of 175 “firm orders” that will support production capacity “in the coming years,” the TV channel notes.
It is no secret that the MS-21, due to a fortunate combination of circumstances, is noticeably superior to its Western competitors in almost all technical characteristics. And all because five years ago the giants of the world aircraft industry - Airbus and Boeing - did not dare to develop fundamentally new aircraft and limited themselves to deep modernization of existing models.
This is how the projects of the Airbus A320NEO and Boeing 737MAX families appeared. More recently, these aircraft have begun to enter airline fleets. Their main difference from their predecessors is the new PurePower series engines from Pratt & Whitney and the Leap-X series from CFM International (owned by GE and Snecma). These engines are almost 15% more economical than all other power plants, including those on the current Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families. Their developers managed to achieve such indicators through the use of a number of revolutionary technologies in the design of new engines. For example, in the case of Pratt & Whitney, these are special gearboxes that enable turbines to spin faster and fans to spin slower. This innovation made it possible to reduce the number of blades by about one and a half thousand and dramatically reduce the weight of the new engines, which, in turn, made them less noisy. True, engines are only one, albeit a very important aspect. Improved European and American airliners also received new wingtips in the form of shark fins, which can reduce fuel consumption by another 1–1.5%.
Thus, the total fuel savings when operating modernized Western aircraft will be about 16%. But for MS-21 this figure will almost certainly exceed 22%. And this is not only a matter of a specially created modification of the Pratt & Whitney engines that power the MC-21. Much more important is that the airframe of our new airliner consists of almost 40% composite materials, and the wings are almost 100%. The so-called black wings are a revolutionary innovation for narrow-body aircraft. Their use significantly reduces the total weight of the aircraft structure and promises truly fantastic benefits during operation.
Now the technologies for manufacturing all-composite wings are from Boeing, the Canadian Bombardier and our UAC. But since Airbus and Boeing did not make completely composite wings for their NEO and MAX families, but decided to leave aluminum ones, their next programs to create new narrow-body aircraft using this technology will not be launched earlier than in ten to fifteen years.
First flight of MS-21
Marina Lystseva writes:
On May 28, 2017, the first flight of the new MS-21-300 passenger aircraft took place at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of PJSC Irkut Corporation (as part of the UAC).
The flight duration was 30 minutes, it took place at an altitude of 1000 meters at a speed of 300 km/h. 
We arrived the day before yesterday morning and immediately rushed to the plant. The MS-21 was being prepared for taxiing. 
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The weather was just right for #lyscing. 
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The plane ran along the runway, at the end of which technicians ran up to it and inspected the landing gear. 
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We went for a run and looked, everything was fine. 
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He turned around and drove back to the hangar. 
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By the way, while we were standing and waiting for the run, it began to rain, under which everyone got pretty wet. 
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Yesterday morning we arrived at eight o'clock in the morning, but still did not have time to remove the rollout from the hangar.
The film crew rehearsed how they would film the pilots' exit to the Irkut flight, and the photographers ran around the plane for a bit. 
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Tokunaga flew in for one day from Japan with a transfer in Khabarovsk. 
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Heel to protect the fuselage from tail-strike (literally “tail strike”). 
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Why 51? I have no idea. 
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For the first time in the history of domestic aircraft manufacturing, the airliner is offered to customers with two types of engines – PW1400G from Pratt & Whitney (USA) and PD-14 ODK (Russia). 
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New generation engines have reduced fuel consumption and low noise levels and emissions of harmful substances. 
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The PD-14 is not ready yet, so the first flight took place with American engines. 
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The flight was scheduled for 11 am, 2 hours before we were taken to a field so as not to interfere with the plane. 
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The Yak-130 escort plane was the first to take off. 
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And at 11:15 MS-21 soared into the sky. 
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Yeah.... I thought... I should have taken a point in the middle of the strip, and not at the end... 
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If you estimate visually, the MS-21 takeoff run was about 900 meters.. 
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The Yak-130 was flying parallel at the moment of takeoff, and video footage was taken from it. 
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The flight plan included checking the aircraft for stability and controllability, as well as engine control. 
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In accordance with the program, during the flight a simulated approach was performed, followed by a pass over the runway, a climb and a turn. This technique is typical for the first flight of new types of aircraft. 
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The first test flight always takes place with the landing gear extended. 
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After takeoff, we jump on the bus and rush to the hangar in time to climb onto it. Along the way we see people outside the area. 
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We go up to the hangar. 
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Everyone is waiting to pass. 
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Two days before this, there was a rehearsal for the flyby, only instead of the MC-21, an An-12 Irkut flew over the runway. 
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I came in low, I had already decided that there would be a landing. 
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But no, I gained altitude again. 
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And beautifully passes us by... 
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At this time, applause can be heard from all sides... 
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How do you like the cabin glazing? 
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Beauty. 
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Turned around for landing approach. 
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A few more minutes of waiting... 
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There is a video circulating online of how someone filmed the takeoff from the territory of those warehouses over there. 
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Plop! 
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It arrived, and we ran down from the hangar in order to have time to film the pilots leaving. 
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Spectators are not yet allowed onto the plane, only a few photographers and video cameras. 
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And here it is, the exciting moment. Door opened. 
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And to thunderous applause, the test pilots walk out onto the ramp.
The plane was piloted by test pilots, Heroes of Russia Oleg Kononenko and Roman Taskaev. 
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Report to the President of the Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko.
Oleg Kononenko: “The flight mission was completed in full. The flight took place as usual. No comments were identified that would prevent the continuation of testing.” 
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And the unofficial part began. 
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Yuri Slyusar, head of the UAC. 
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The pilots took off into the sky several more times. 
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Deputy Chief Designer Vitaly Naryshkin was also torn from the ground. 
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Roman Taskaev: “The characteristics and operating modes of the engines were confirmed, all aircraft systems worked without failures.” 
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Oleg Demchenko: “Today is a historic day for our team and the entire large team working on the creation of MS-21.” 
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“We have invested in our aircraft the most advanced technical solutions that will provide increased comfort to passengers and attractive economic characteristics to airlines. And today I am happy to announce that the first flight of the MC-21 was successful! I congratulate all participants in the program on our common holiday!” 
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President of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar:
“The MS-21 was created in broad cooperation, where, along with Irkut, other UAC enterprises are actively involved: AeroComposite, Ulyanovsk and Voronezh aircraft plants, UAC Integration Center. This is an important stage in the formation of a new industrial model of the UAC. 
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“According to our estimates, in the next 20 years, global demand in the MC-21 segment will be about 15,000 new aircraft. I am confident that airlines will highly appreciate our new aircraft.” 
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MS-21-300 is a new generation passenger aircraft with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers, aimed at the most popular segment of the air transportation market. 
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The MC-21 aircraft will provide passengers with a qualitatively new level of comfort thanks to the largest fuselage diameter in the class of narrow-body aircraft. This solution will significantly expand the personal space of each passenger, allow them to avoid the service cart and provide airlines with a reduction in turnaround time at airports. 
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Thanks to the installation of large windows, the natural illumination of the passenger compartment has been increased. The aircraft will maintain comfortable air pressure for passengers and an improved microclimate. 
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An innovative ergonomic cockpit has been developed for pilots of MC-21 aircraft. 
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High demands on the comfort and economic efficiency of the aircraft required the introduction of advanced technical solutions in the field of aerodynamics, engine engineering and aircraft systems. 
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In terms of its flight performance and efficiency, the MC-21 aircraft is superior to existing analogues.
The main contribution to improving the aircraft's performance characteristics will be made by a wing made of polymer composite materials, the first in the world created for narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of over 130 passengers. The share of composites in the structure of the MS-21 aircraft - over 30% - is unique for this class of airliners. 
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The MC-21 aircraft meets future environmental protection requirements. 
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The estimated reduction in direct operating costs when operating the MC-21 aircraft will be 12-15% compared to analogues. 
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The initial portfolio of firm orders for 175 MS-21 aircraft ensures the utilization of production capacity for the coming years. Advance payments have been received for firm orders. 
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The main Russian participants in the program: the main contractor is the Irkut Corporation (part of the UAC), leading enterprises of the UAC, and the Rostec State Corporation. 
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Flight characteristics of MS-21-300
Capacity in a two-class layout: 163 seats (16 business + 147 economy)
Capacity in a dense arrangement of 211 seats
Maximum take-off weight 79,250 kg
Maximum payload 22,600 kg
Maximum flight range 6,000 km
Main Dimensions
Aircraft length 42.2 m
Wingspan 35.9 m
Height 11.5 m
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This is such beauty.
On May 28, the new Russian narrow-body aircraft MS-21 made its first flight at the IAZ airfield in Irkutsk.
The flight duration was 30 minutes, it took place at an altitude of 1000 meters at a speed of 300 km/h. The flight plan included checking the aircraft for stability and controllability, as well as engine controllability. In accordance with the program, during the flight a simulated approach was performed, followed by a pass over the runway, a climb and a turn. This technique is typical for the first flight of new types of aircraft.
President of PJSC Irkut Corporation Oleg Demchenko said: “Today is a historic day for our team and the entire large team working on the creation of MS-21. We have invested in our aircraft the most advanced technical solutions that will provide increased comfort for passengers and attractive economic characteristics for airlines. And today I am happy to announce that the first flight of the MS-21 was successful! Congratulations to all program participants on our common holiday!”
President of PJSC United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) Yuri Slyusar emphasized: “MS-21 was created in broad cooperation, where, along with Irkut, other UAC enterprises are actively involved: AeroComposite, Ulyanovsk and Voronezh aircraft plants, UAC Integration Center. This is an important stage in the formation of a new industrial model of the UAC. According to our estimates, in the next 20 years, global demand in the MC-21 segment will be about 15,000 new aircraft. I am sure that airlines will highly appreciate our new aircraft. This is not just the flight of a new aircraft, this is the appearance of a new product that will determine the shape of the Russian civil aircraft industry for the next 50 years.”
The plane was piloted by a crew consisting of test pilot, Hero of Russia Oleg Kononenko and test pilot, Hero of Russia Roman Taskaev / Photo (c) Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation
Oleg Kononenko said: “The flight mission was completed in full. The flight went as usual. “No comments were identified that would prevent the continuation of testing.”
Roman Taskaev noted: “The characteristics and operating modes of the engines were confirmed, all aircraft systems worked without failures.”
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin informed the head of state about the successful first flight of the MS-21.
“Vladimir Putin congratulated the President of the Irkut Corporation, General Director - General Designer of the OKB im. A. S. Yakovlev" Oleg Demchenko, the team of the manufacturing enterprise and all industry workers with this significant event," noted the press service of the President of the Russian Federation.
First flight, full version, provided (with) Irkut Corporation:
First flight, amateur filming:
Photo (c) Andrey Zakharchenko (http://russianplanes.net/id210232)
A significant event took place in Russian civil aviation. The first new long-haul aircraft since the times of the Soviet Union, the MS-21, took to the skies. The success of this project is of utmost importance for the country, as it will allow Russian aviation to soar to new heights. Moreover, to climb higher than the world aircraft manufacturers Boeing and Airbus.
The first news about the successful test flight of MS-21 on Sunday, May 28, 2017, was spread on its Facebook page Russian Vice President Dmitry Rogozin, who also published photographs of the plane in flight.
“For Russia, the first flight of the MS-21 is not just the birth of a new aircraft. This is the development of modern, advanced technologies, which Russia did not have until recently.”
Russia did not make a huge show of the first flight with a live broadcast, as they like to do in the West. MS-21 first took flight in a quiet “family” circle. However, about the successful flight, of course, Russia to Vladimir Putin. Rogozin called him, and the president had already dialed the head of the Irkut corporation, the general designer of the Design Bureau named after. Yakovlev Oleg Demchenko and congratulated him and the enterprise team on this important event.
However, after a series of test flights, there may be a public flight of the MC-21 with the participation of journalists and cameras.
In the meantime, the Irkut Corporation is talking about the first flight of the MS-21-300 airliner. It went smoothly, all systems of the machine worked without failures. The flight lasting 30 minutes took place at an altitude of 1 thousand meters at a speed of 300 km/h. The flight plan included checking the aircraft for stability and controllability, as well as engine control. “In accordance with the program, during the flight a simulated approach was carried out, followed by a pass over the runway, a climb and a turn. This technique is typical for the first flight of new types of aircraft,” the press service of the Irkut Corporation reported.
The MS-21 was piloted by a crew consisting of test pilot, Hero of Russia Oleg Kononenko and test pilot, Hero of Russia Roman Taskaev. According to Kononenko, “the flight mission was completed in full.” “The flight went as usual. “No comments were identified that would prevent the continuation of testing,” the pilot noted. “The characteristics and operating modes of the engines were confirmed, all aircraft systems worked without failures,” Taskaev added.
Flight tests were planned to begin in April, but were then postponed to the end of May. At the beginning of May, it became known that the airliner was being prepared for a test flight after the first copy left the workshop on May 4. The head of the Ministry of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov said then that the first flight is a matter of several weeks.
24 days passed from the moment it left the workshop to the first test flight. However, rolling out an aircraft from the workshop does not mean that the airliner must fly immediately. “First, work takes place in the open air: the plane is refueled, the tightness of the tanks is checked, the operation of the entire complex fuel supply system and other systems is checked, and the engine is started. A photograph appeared on the Internet where a fire truck stood next to MS-21. This is also normal practice: the fire department is needed when the engine is first started, because it has never been started. This is a safety precaution – that’s all,” says Roman Gusarov, head of the Avia.ru portal.
“After checking all the systems, the plane begins to slowly taxi around. The next stage: they begin to set the takeoff mode and accelerate the plane along the runway, first simply by braking, then by raising the front strut. And only after everything has been checked a thousand times—hurry only hurts here—the first flight is carried out,” adds the interlocutor.
This is a revolution
For Russia, the first flight of the MC-21 is not just the completion of a multi-year phase of work by a huge team and the birth of a new aircraft. This is also the development of modern, advanced technologies, which Russia did not have until recently, notes Gusarov.
However, there can be no talk of any lag between Russia and China. In addition, the Russian airliner is much more revolutionary than the Chinese one. And in many respects, as the developer states, the MC-21 will be much better than its classmates from the world giants Airbus and Boeing, namely the Airbus A319neo and Boeing 737 MAX (with improved engines).
“The MS-21 uses the latest technologies that have not yet been tested in the world. And in such revolutionism, of course, there is a huge amount of risk - whether it will work out or not. However, we were left with no choice. If you make an airplane using traditional technologies, it will definitely not be better than Boeing and Airbus. They have squeezed everything they can out of the classic design. Only by taking a step forward and taking risks can you win. To enter such a highly competitive market, our aircraft must be significantly superior to Western competitors in key parameters. Otherwise you won’t be able to get through,” says Gusarov.
If we compare it with the SSJ-100, and this is the first civil aircraft created from scratch after the USSR, then on this airliner Russia, in fact, learned to create modern aircraft from scratch and certify them in the West. “At the GSS they themselves say that this is a school desk,” notes Gusarov. And although the SSJ-100 is a completely modern and worthy airliner, not inferior to its classmates in flight characteristics and efficiency, the MC-21 is still a step forward.
“With MS-21, we are already trying not to catch up, but to surpass in some ways. The design of the airframes of the Boeing 737 and Airbus A-320 aircraft is decades old. They change the filling, constantly modernize it, but they were not ready to take enough risks to create a new design. There is a rule in the global aircraft industry: if an aircraft contains more than 30% innovations, then this is a huge risk. Therefore, the Western manufacturer is trying not to introduce so many innovations into the aircraft,” says Gusarov. And Russia took risks in order to create an aircraft superior to Western competitors in the main parameters, because this is the only way to wedge itself into the steel duopoly of Boeing and Airbus.Key exam
Therefore, no one can yet say how smoothly everything will go. And no matter how important the first test flight of the MC-21 is, the work does not end there. The first flight will be followed by an important key test for the aircraft, for the designers and for everyone who created this aircraft. These are flight (factory) tests and subsequent certification of the aircraft. During factory tests, the reliability of all systems will be checked, their compliance with technical specifications, and all possible flaws will be eliminated.
“Only when the aircraft is certified will it be possible to say that the creators of the aircraft have achieved success. It is not enough to create an aircraft; it is also necessary to prove that it is reliable, safe and meets all modern requirements for civil aircraft. And not only Russian, but also European. These requirements apply not only to the aircraft itself, but also to all systems and materials down to the last rivet. Everything is certified – from the aircraft design to component suppliers,” says Roman Gusarov.
According to the plan, it is planned to complete testing and certification in 2018, and deliveries of the first three aircraft are scheduled for 2019. However, how long it will take for flight and certification tests - one and a half to two years - is not important, the main thing is that the aircraft is certified. “Because many of the technologies that were used in the MS-21, not only in Russia, but in the whole world, no one used in the construction of the aircraft. Therefore, it is better not to rush, but to bring a good product to the market,” says Gusarov.
Latest Russian technologies
The most important Russian know-how in creating the MS-21 is the use of composite materials, the share of which in the design should be 40%. And the main advantage is the composite wing. On narrow-body aircraft, such as the MC-21, neither Boeing nor Airbus have a composite wing. Only the wide-body Boeing 787 Dreamliner and A350 have composite wings. However, Russia has developed its own composite technologies that make the wing cheaper and lighter.
Photo |
“When the technologies that were developed and mastered in Russia confirm their right to exist in terms of resource reliability and low cost, this will open up enormous opportunities for the entire Russian aircraft industry. If the MC-21 receives a black wing due to these technologies, then all other aircraft that will be created in Russia will be able to be built on this technology. And this creates huge advantages in terms of aircraft weight, aerodynamics, flight characteristics, and cost,” says Roman Gusarov. Therefore, Russia not only took a big risk, but if it wins, it will gain enormous benefits.
Another pride of Russia is the “intelligence” of the MS-21 airliner. Russian specialists from Irkut, TsAGI and other companies that are part of the UAC have developed the latest, unparalleled software, which contains the algorithm and functions for controlling the aircraft - many so-called fool proofs that foreign aircraft do not have. They increase the safety of the aircraft and reduce the risks of human factors during its operation.
For example, the MC-21 control system will protect the aircraft from the so-called stall, which occurs if the aircraft lifts its nose and loses speed, including in icing conditions, that is, when ice has formed on the wing. And for the first time on the MC-21, a restriction is being introduced not only on the lifting of the nose, but also on the roll angle, so that when landing, the plane does not touch the ground with the wing or engine nacelle (the place where the engine is located), said Oleg Panteleev from “Airport”. And, according to him, there are still many such automatic functions, which make it possible to neutralize the side effects of “manual” control of the aircraft, in the MC-21. Of course, in many ways the element base is foreign, but the idea and development of “intelligence” is purely Russian know-how.
In general, everything in the MC-21 is state-of-the-art, including the “heart” of the airliner. The engine is the most complex and important part of the aircraft. For now, the Russian airliner will fly on a modern PW1400G engine from the American company Pratt & Whitney, which has already shown good performance. But especially for the MS-21, the PD-14 turbofan engine is also being created - the latest and completely domestic, from the United Engine Corporation (UEC). Russia is building a new engine for the first time since the collapse of the USSR. In November 2015, UEC began flight testing of the PD-14, and mass production is planned to begin in 2018. As a result, customers will be able to choose which engine to fly with. It is expected that the PD-14 will ensure the superiority of the MC-21 over the A320 and Boeing-737 aircraft and provide parity with those engines that will be installed on the modernized A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
In what other ways will the MC-21 be better than the modernized A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX? The Russian airliner will have better fuel consumption characteristics and lower direct operating costs. According to the developer, the operational characteristics of the MC-21 are reduced by 12–15% compared to current generation aircraft and by 6–7% compared to their re-engined versions, that is, the A320neo and Boieng 737 MAX.
The cruising speed of the MC-21 is also higher than that of its European competitor - 870 km/h versus 828 km/h for the Airbus. Even the Boeing 737 MAX with its 842 km/h is inferior to the Russian airliner. At the same time, the catalog cost of one MS-21 airliner is $85 million. While the Airbus A319neo costs from 97.5 to 124.4 million dollars, depending on the modification, and the Boeing 737 MAX – from 90.2 to 116.6 million dollars.
The emission of harmful substances into the atmosphere from MS-21 is reduced by more than 20% compared to existing analogues.
In addition, the designers have reduced the aircraft's turnaround time at the airport by as much as 20% compared to competitors. Coupled with better fuel and weight efficiency, airlines will be able to earn up to an additional $3 million from operating the MC-21.
Even inside the cabin, the Russian airliner is more comfortable. Thanks to the elongated fuselage, it was possible to make the passage between the seats wider, making boarding and disembarking passengers, as well as cleaning the cabin faster. All this means for airlines that they save time on turning aircraft around at the airport, and therefore reduce their costs.
Market prospects
At the moment, the order book for the MC-21 is 285 aircraft. Of these, firm (advanced) contracts were concluded for 175 aircraft, preliminary agreements were reached for another 110 aircraft and framework agreements were signed.
The largest customer is Aeroflot, which plans to operate 50 MS-21s. The first three should be received in 2019.
According to the plan, by 2018 the Irkut Corporation will assemble the first four MS-21s and will gradually increase production volumes. By 2020 it will produce 20 aircraft per year, and by 2023 – 70 aircraft. It is quite possible to reach the production of 60–70 vehicles per year, because in parallel with the creation of the MS-21, the plant was modernized for its production, says Roman Gusarov.
“And selling 60–70 aircraft will not be difficult if the product comes with a full range of services – financing, loans, maintenance, spare parts. The manufacturer does not just sell the car, but sells the life cycle of the aircraft - from its delivery to disposal. Today Boeing and Airbus produce more than 600 aircraft between them. With our 60–70 aircraft we can easily get in, they won’t even notice much of this competition on our part,” the expert concludes. But to accelerate to the same production volumes as Boeing and Airbus, it will take much more time. Western aircraft manufacturers themselves have been reaching such volumes for decades.
On May 28, the first flight of the new Russian passenger aircraft MS-21-300 (“Long-Range Aircraft of the 21st Century”) took place at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. This is the first airliner made entirely according to Western standards, taking into account global trends and real market demand. Created without a Soviet foundation, it is the second largest Russian project in the field of civil aviation.
Dmitry Medvedev:“The MS-21 is superior in its technological level to those civilian ships that are currently flying. I’m sure it will be a good car, economical and reliable.”
Creating a liner
Development is carried out by JSC Experimental Design Bureau named after. A.S. Yakovlev" and PJSC "Irkut Corporation" (part of the United Aircraft Corporation, UAC). Based on the unrealized Yak-242 project in the late 1980s. In 2014, Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Dmitry Rogozin stated that the production vehicles of the MS-21 project would be called Yak-242.
In 2014, Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin stated that the production vehicles of the MS-21 project would be called Yak-242. However, in 2015 it was announced that the aircraft would not receive the designation Yak-242, and would remain the MS-21. First of all, this was due to promotion on the world market: the reputation will grow along with the new aircraft.
Rogozin has repeatedly stated the maximum concentration of efforts and coordinated interaction between the UAC and the United Engine Corporation (UEC) in the creation of the MS-21 aircraft. In his opinion, without this it is impossible to create a competitive product, given that most of the MS-21’s components, including its engine, are completely new developments.
Rogozin emphasized that, despite the presence of another new aircraft, the SSJ-100 (the first flight was carried out in 2008, in operation since 2011), the MS-21 developers have a huge responsibility.
Dmitry Rogozin:“Everything here is new and a lot is domestic, and since everything is new, you and I perfectly understand how it all should be adapted to each other, from the black composite wing to the avionics.”
On June 8, 2016, at the ceremony of rolling out the new aircraft, Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev assured that Russia would not disappear from the “major league” of the world aircraft industry.
Dmitry Medvedev:“New projects in the aircraft industry, for obvious reasons, are not cheap at all. In general, there are very few countries where aircraft manufacturing is developed. This is called the “major league”. And under no circumstances should we disappear from this “major league.”
He emphasized that Russia is capable of creating aircraft that compete with foreign manufacturers. “The current event confirms that we are capable of creating such machines that will advance our aircraft industry and will compete with other aircraft,” the prime minister said.
Economical, technologically advanced, domestic
Two modifications of the aircraft with a standard two-class layout have been developed: the basic MS-21-300 (163-211 seats) and a shortened version - MS-21-200 (132-165 seats). Certification of the latter is scheduled for 2019-2020.
For each modification, there are versions with normal (3500 km) and increased (5000 km) range. In the future, long-range versions (up to 7000 km) may appear.
The MS-21 aircraft differs from the SSJ-100 in its increased flight range (maximum 4578 km versus 6400 km) and a larger number of seats. The SSJ-100 can accommodate a maximum of 108 passenger seats, and the MS-21 can accommodate up to 211 seats.
The MC-21 will have the highest level of comfort for passengers due to the increased width of the passenger compartment. The increased diameter of the fuselage (4.06 m) provides an increase in the capacity of luggage racks in the passenger compartment and luggage compartments located under its floor.
According to the Wings of the Motherland magazine, the MC-21 has about 27 inches of fuselage cross-section per passenger seat (the Airbus A330 has 25 inches, only 24 inches). The width of the passenger seat has been increased to 18 inches (for the A330 - 17), and the aisle between the seats has been increased to 22.5. This is much more than competitors. Passengers will be able to sit more comfortably on long flights and will be able to move freely around the cabin. In addition, the time for boarding and disembarking passengers is reduced (about 30% better than similar aircraft).
The MS-21 passenger cabin will also receive a new air conditioning system, which should have a beneficial effect on the well-being of passengers. It is also planned to use three-season temperature control for convenience.
The first copies of the MC-21 will be equipped with an imported Pratt & Whitney engine, and in the future the engine will be replaced by the domestic PD-14.
This is the basic civil engine of a new generation, which is being created by a wide cooperation of UEC enterprises for the MS-21 airliner. Based on the unified compact gas generator PD-14, it is possible to create a whole family of engines with a thrust of 9-18 tons, intended for short- and medium-haul aircraft, helicopters and industrial gas turbine units. The development of the PD-14 belongs to the Aviadvigatel design bureau, the main manufacturer is the Perm Motor Plant.
As experts note, with characteristics comparable to the American engine, the PD-14 engine will also become the founder of a whole line of aircraft engines. Its more powerful modifications based on a gas generator, but with a gear fan (PD-18R) will be used on the Tu-214, Il-96-300 and Il-96-400T. A lower power version of the PD-10 engine is used on SSJ-100 aircraft.
Another advantage. For the first time in the domestic aircraft industry, composite materials are widely used in the design of an airliner - about 40%. The use of carbon fiber reinforced plastics has made it possible to increase the wing span, and composites are also used in the tail of aircraft. The future advanced long-range aviation complex (PAK DA) is being designed taking into account the experience of creating the MS-21.
Another innovation of the MS-21, according to the specialized aviation publication “Wings of the Motherland,” is a special system for reducing and managing loads. It is expected that by reducing the weight of the aircraft's structure, combined with its high thrust-to-weight ratio, it will reduce the MC-21's takeoff run by almost 300 m, as well as increase its service ceiling by almost 600 m compared to the newest analogues from Airbus and Boeing.
The MC-21 cockpit was created taking into account the most modern requirements for its ergonomics, which should simplify piloting the vehicle and reduce the load on the crew.
The Radioelectronic Technologies Concern (KRET) developed more than 70% of the MS-21 avionics, and actively used the principle of modular electronics.
First prototype
The assembly of the MS-21-300 prototype, equipped with Pratt & Whitney engines, was completed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant on June 6, 2016, the official presentation (the first rollout from the workshop) took place on June 8, 2016.
Flight tests of the prototype, originally scheduled for the second quarter of 2016, were postponed to 2017. Obtaining a Russian type certificate and the first delivery of MC-21-300 aircraft to the customer are planned for the end of 2018.
On April 28, the first flight prototype left the final assembly shop in preparation for its first flight. On May 15, at the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, the MC-21-300-0001 aircraft performed taxiing, various aircraft systems were also checked, and ground launches of the main and auxiliary power units were practiced. As Irkut noted, all preparations took place in accordance with the approved schedule.
Orders for the liner
Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin said that the package of advanced orders for the new MS-21 amounts to 185 vehicles. At the moment, the order portfolio is 285 aircraft.
The first operator will be Aeroflot. It is planned that it will receive the first aircraft with a configuration for 175 seats in the fourth quarter of 2018. In total, the airline's fleet will operate 50 MS-21s. The leasing company Aviacapital-Service will finance the supply. A firm supply contract was signed in 2011. Aeroflot CEO Vitaly Savelyev stated that deliveries of the first three aircraft are expected in 2019.
In 2015-2016, the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation and UAC top managers reported that Indonesia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, Iran and a number of other countries were showing interest in the aircraft. However, not a single firm contract for the supply of MS-21 abroad is known yet. There is only a preliminary agreement for the supply of 10 aircraft (4 of them are optional) with the Egyptian Cairo Aviation. The catalog price of MS-21 is from $85 million.
In February, the Vedomosti newspaper reported that the airline would become one of the largest customers for the aircraft. “Red Wings have a preliminary agreement with the leasing company Ilyushin Finance Co. to lease 10 MS-21s. If the operation of MS-21 is effective, then their number can be increased to 15-16″, the head of the leasing company Alexander Rubtsov told the publication.
According to him, when MC-21s begin to arrive in 2019, they will gradually replace Airbus and Tu airlines in their fleet. Currently, the Red Wings fleet has seven Tu-204 and Tu-214 aircraft.
Time will tell to what extent all these plans will be implemented, but we can already say with confidence that this is a landmark and significant order for the Russian aircraft manufacturer.
Based on materials
