News

On June 8, 2016, Academician of RAS, Evgeny N. Kablov, Director General of the All-Russian Scientific-Research Institute of Aviation Materials (VIAM) visited a solemn ceremony of the roll-out of the first medium-range passenger aircraft MC-21, intended to flight tests.

In the course of the ceremony, Dmitry A. Medvedev, Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation congratulated the designers on this event and noted that it was long-awaited for the whole country. “Today we have seen MC-21 for the first time. It is one of the modest airliner, passenger aircraft of the 21^st Century. We are very proud of the fact that it has been developed by our aircraft engineering. It is the largest victory of aviation workers from the corporation “Irkut”, scientists, designers, engineers, workers. Modern Russian aviation industry, which is created by your hands with some support from the State, supports our country and our economy”, - Dmitry Medvedev declared. 

Head of the Government reminded that we would intend to carry out a wide range of flight tests. “The airliner should get off the ground for the first time next year”, - he said and expressed hope, that “the airliner will be the pride of Russian civil aviation, and people around the world will fly on MC-21”. 

It should be remembered, that MC-21 (Long-haul airline of the 21^st Century) is a Russian project of the family of short-medium haul jet passenger narrow-bodied aircraft, designed to carry out flights at a distance of up to 5 thousand kilometers. It is intended to replace plains Tu-154 and Tu-204/214 as well as airliners of foreign manufacture Airbus А320, Boeing 737.

Two versions of plains – MC-21-200 and MC-21-300 will be produced. At the moment MC-21-300 is preparing for flight tests, but MC-21-200 is still at the stage of production. Two versions have a distinction only in capacity. MC-21-300 has a capacity of 163-211 passengers and MC-21-200 will be able to take on board from 132 up to 165 passengers.