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Production MC-21 clears high-speed tests before first flight
The first production MC-21 has completed high-speed taxi tests. Yakovlev plans to deliver the aircraft to an airline by the end of 2026.
Image: ITzine
Yakovlev’s Irkutsk Aviation Plant has completed high-speed taxi tests of the first production MC-21 passenger aircraft, bringing it close to its maiden flight. The aircraft must undergo further inspections before it is handed over to its customer; the company did not specify the first-flight date.
During the test runs, engineers checked the powerplant, onboard systems, air conditioning, nose-wheel steering and brakes. High-speed taxiing is designed to show how the aircraft behaves on the runway in the final seconds before takeoff, when it is still on the ground but approaching liftoff speed.
The MC-21 is designed to carry up to 211 passengers and is being built with Russian components, including PD-14 engines. Russian civil aviation positions the aircraft as a replacement for the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, which remain the world’s most widely used narrow-body, medium-haul airliners.
A shortened version of the family is planned for the future, with a range of about 5,000 kilometers. The baseline modification has a stated maximum range of 3,830 kilometers. The first production aircraft is scheduled for delivery to an airline by the end of 2026.
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Technical journalist and news writer. Graduated from MTUCI with a degree in information security. Has written about hardware, software and consumer electronics since 2018.
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via ITzine
