Irkut MC-21

|} The Irkut MC-21 (formerly known in English as MS-21 Russian: МС‑21 "Магистральный Самолёт 21 века" - "Magistralny Samolyot 21 veka" - "Airliner of the 21st Century") is a series of three twin-engine short-range and mid-range Russian jet airliners with a capacity of 150-212 passengers being developed and to be produced by Irkut and Yakovlev Design Bureau of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) group.^[5]

The design is based on the never-realized, twin-engine Yakovlev Yak-242 as a development of the three-engine Yakovlev Yak-42. According to a recent statement made by Russian deputy premier Dmitry Rogozin, the name of the MC-21 serial production aircraft will again be Yak-242.^[6][7]

Due to replace the Tupolev Tu-154 and older Tupolev Tu-204/214 in service,^[8] the MC-21 certification and delivery was initially planned by 2016,^[9] but delivery was delayed to 2017.^[10]

Development and design

Assembly of prototype in January 2016

The initial design is to include composite materials (about 33%), increasing to 40-45% provided a composite wing is added in 2015. In March 2008, a contract was signed which will see Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, a subsidiary of Sukhoi Corporation, designing and manufacturing composite wings for the aircraft.^[11] Engines supplied for the Russian domestic market will be the Aviadvigatel PD-14.^[12][13] In December 2009, Pratt & Whitney announced that the Irkut Corporation had selected the PW1000G engine to power the MC-21.^[14] On August 20, 2009, Hamilton Sundstrand, a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, announced they had signed a $2.3 billion deal with Irkut to supply systems for the MC-21.^[15] Irkut also selected Rockwell Collins and its Russian partner Avionika to supply the MC-21's avionics.^[16] Goodrich also a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation, along with Aviapribor, secured the mandate to develop an integrated control system for the MC-21.^[17] The Interior will feature furnishings from Zodiac Aerospace, coordinated from C&D Zodiac in Huntington Beach, California. The Water and Waste Systems of the aircraft will incorporate innovations from Zodiac Aerospace in Carson, California.

The designer plans that the MC-21 will be 10-15% more efficient than Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the same class and it will have a 15% structural weight efficiency advantage, 20% lower operating costs, and 15% lower fuel consumption than the Airbus A320^[11] with an initial target price of $35 million USD.^[18]

As of 2009, the MC-21 was in the pre-design phase, with projected completion of the first prototype in 2013, the first flight in 2014 and deliveries commencing in 2016.^[8] By June 2011, the pre-design phase of development had been completed, giving way to the working design phase in which models and drawings are constructed, with an estimated completion date of this phase sometime in mid-2012.^[19]

Delayed delivery was announced by Dmitry Rogozin - vice-premier of Russian Government in charge of defense industry - on February 10, 2012, with first flights planned 2016 and delivery planned in 2017.^[20]

Features

Mock-up of the flight deck featuring a HUD.

• Empty plane weight is reduced due to composite and prospective alloy materials and lighter new generation onboard systems.^[1]
• Efficient aerodynamic characteristics are ensured by the expertise of the Central Aero and Hydrodynamics Institute, one of the oldest and most experienced institutions in the world in the field of aero and hydro dynamics.
• Wide cabin (3.81m), MC-21's cabin is wider than the cabin of an Airbus A320 by 12 cm and a Boeing 737 by 28 cm. As a result, two passengers can go through the aisle without blocking each other. The wide cabin also allows to construct the biggest luggage racks in the class with the aim to decrease MC-21's turn-around time at the airport (important for charter and low-cost carriers), to provide better comfort for passengers and to make the cabin more suitable for carriers' purposes.

Mock-up of the cabin.

• The MC-21 development is oriented to meeting customers’ requirements, with the potential customers being involved into the design process on its earliest stages.^[1]
• MC-21 family aircraft will be in compliance with future environmental requirements. Cumulative margin noise above Chapter 4 ICAO, measured for three reference points, will be over 15 EPNdB.^[1]
• Emission engine characteristics on NOx meets the requirements of the CAEP6 ICAO and Chapter 2 (part III) vol II “Aircraft Engine Emissions” with 50% margin. Relatively to the current models MC-21’s engines will emit 20% less СО2 per passenger seat. ^[1]
• High cost operational effectiveness, international certification under AR IAC, EASA, FAA requirements, individual logistic and maintenance support during all life cycle will make the aircraft attractive both for Russian and foreign carriers.^[1]
• Head-up display (also known as a HUD) installed in the cockpit. The idea is to help pilot during landing in adverse weather conditions (in terms of minimum visibility) and for other purposes.

Variants

The baseline MC-21-300 is designed around 180 passengers in single-class configuration and will be followed by a 153-seat -200 with basic and extended-range models, plus a very-long-range MC-21-200LR. A larger 212-seat -400 version is taken under consideration. Initially, a smaller variant, MC-21-100, with a capacity of up to 132 passengers, was also proposed, but, in order to avoid competition with the Sukhoi Superjet 130, it was cancelled.^[21] Cargo and business variants are also being considered.^[1]

MC-21-200

Shortened version with up to 176 passengers, competing directly with Airbus A319neo, Boeing 737 MAX 7 and Bombardier CS300.

MC-21-300

Standard model with up to 211 passengers, competing directly with Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737 MAX 8/MAX 200 and Comac C919.

MC-21-400

Planned stretched model with up to 230 passengers, competing directly with Airbus A321neo and Boeing 737 MAX 9.

Specifications

Orders

By the end of MAKS 2013, total commitments for MC-21 raised to 276 aircraft, including 175 firm orders, according to Irkut vice-president of marketing and sales Kirill Budaev. 50 of them had been ordered by the Aviakapital-Service leasing company (a subsidiary of the Rostec corporation) for Aeroflot and 35 more, powered by PD-14 turbofan engines, for governmental customers. 50 planes more were ordered by Ilyushin Finance Co.; of them, six could be leased to Transaero and 10 to Red Wings. 30 airliners more are bought by VEB Leasing; 10 of them could be leased to UTair Aviation and six to Transaero. In addition, Irkut now has a single-source contract with IrAero for 10 planes plus an agreement with Sberbank Leasing for 20 aircraft, with the latter agreement to beef the orderbook up to 195 airliners.^[26][27]

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration and era

• Airbus A320neo family
• Boeing 737 MAX
• Bombardier CSeries
• Comac C919
• Embraer E-Jet E2 family
• Kawasaki YPX
• Sukhoi Superjet 100
• Sukhoi Superjet 130

Related lists

• List of airliners

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Irkut MS-21.

• Irkut MC-21 page (in Russian)