Russia’s United Aircraft has carried out the maiden flight of a modified prototype Yakovlev MC-21 which has been fitted with a number of domestically-built systems and components.
The twinjet took off from the Irkutsk aviation plant airfield on 29 April.
United Aircraft has been developing the Russian-equipped aircraft as part of a broader import-substitution programme to reduce reliance on foreign suppliers – particularly in the wake of international sanctions.
Chief executive Vadim Badekha says the jet will be flown to Moscow Zhukovsky to carry out certification work.
The test flight involved aircraft 73055 which, in December 2020, became the first airframe to fly with Aviadvigatel PD-14 engines.
This PD-14-powered variant is designated the MC-21-310. The -310 was originally developed as an alternative option to the -300 variant fitted with Pratt & Whitney PW1400Gs.
For the latest test flight the jet has undergone refitting with domestic avionics, navigation and radio equipment.
It also has a domestic auxiliary power unit, air conditioning, pressure regulation system, lighting and consoles, along with a number of other components in the landing-gear and hydraulic systems.
United Aircraft says the aircraft flew for 1h 15min, reaching an altitude of 3,000m (9,840ft) and speeds over 310kt.
“The flight marked the beginning of factory development tests,” the company adds.
Badekha says United Aircraft is continuing parallel development of the “fully-Russian” MC-21, which is undergoing final assembly and will join the flight-test programme at a later date.
Russian state technology firm Rostec executive director Oleg Yevtushenko says the MC-21 is “designed to replace Boeings and Airbuses in the skies of Russia”.
He says Russian aerospace firms have replaced around 80 systems and units in the jet.
“[This first] flight brings us one step closer to certification and the start of deliveries to the market of the import-substituted MC-21,” he adds.
United Aircraft recently carried out the first flight of a Yakovlev SJ-100, a similarly modified version of the Superjet 100, powered by PD-8 engines and featuring other Russian-sourced equipment.
