Yakovlev MC-21

"MC-21" redirects here. For other uses, see MC21.

MC-21
The MC-21 during its maiden flight on 28 May 2017
General information
TypeNarrow-body airliner
National originRussia
ManufacturerUnited Aircraft Corporation[1]
Designer
StatusIn development
Number built8 as of April 2023[2][user-generated source?]
History
Introduction datelate 2025/early 2026 (deferred from 2022)[3]
First flight28 May 2017[4]

The Yakovlev MC-21 (Russian: Яковлев МС-21) is a single-aisle airliner, under development in Russia by the Yakovlev Corporation (formerly known as Irkut Corporation), a branch of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), itself a 92%-owned subsidiary of Russia's state-owned aviation giant Rostec.[5]

The program was launched in 2007. Irkut rolled out the first MC-21-300 on 8 June 2016 and first flew the aircraft on 28 May 2017. The twinjet has a carbon fibre reinforced polymer wing and was to be powered by Aviadvigatel PD-14 turbofans or Pratt & Whitney PW1000G engines. The standard MC-21-300 has a capacity of 132–163 passengers in a two-class configuration and 165–211 in a single class, and a range up to 6,000–6,400 km (3,200–3,500 nmi; 3,700–4,000 mi). By July 2018, it had received 175 firm orders.

In early 2022, international sanctions against Russia were imposed due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Irkut Corporation was placed on the sanctions lists of the United States, Canada, Switzerland and Ukraine,[6] while United Aircraft Corporation was placed on the sanctions lists of the United States, European Union, Japan, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Ukraine,[7] and the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) suspended all work on type certification of the MC-21.[8] To circumvent the sanctions, Irkut decided to use only Russian avionics and engines.

By early 2024, it had become clear that the design work and additional testing necessary to use Russian-made equipment would delay the launch date to 2025–2026, and that the aircraft would not meet its original weight, range and operating altitude specifications; additionally, industry analysts questioned the feasibility of the revised delivery timeline because the Russian-designed PD-14 engines were unproven and it was unclear if other parts suppliers could meet production targets.[9]

  1. ^ a b "MC-21". United Aircraft Corporation. Archived from the original on 3 May 2017. Retrieved 15 May 2017.
  2. ^ "Самолёты Иркут МС-21". russianplanes.net. Retrieved 21 April 2023.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference AIN25apr2022 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ "First flight of MC-21" (Press release). United Aircraft Corporation. 28 May 2017. Archived from the original on 8 March 2019. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  5. ^ "Rostec gains control over Russia's United Aircraft Corporation". Russian Aviation Insider, 25 October 2018. 25 October 2018. Retrieved 11 March 2022.
  6. ^ "Irkut Research and Production Corporation PJSC". opensanctions.org. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  7. ^ "PJSC United Aircraft Corporation". opensanctions.org. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  8. ^ Kaminski-Morrow, David (25 March 2022). "MC-21, Tu-204 and Superjet among types affected by EASA certificate suspension". Flight Global. Retrieved 10 June 2022.
  9. ^ Abdullin, Aigul (1 March 2024). "Российские самолеты тяжелы на подъем". Kommersant (in Russian).