Experimental aircraft MS-21-300 completed today a flight from the airfield of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant to the Zhukovsky Airport (jointly owned by the international aviation holding company Ramport Aero and Avia Solutions Group) as part of flight tests at the Irkut Corporation and Gromov Flight Research Institute. The aircraft travelled 4,500 kilometres non-stop in 6 hours. Flight altitude was 10,000 metres. The Rostec State Corporation is the integrator of numerous aircraft systems.
According to crew commander, Hero of the Russian Federation Oleg Kononenko, the flight was performed routinely, without any malfunctions in the systems.
MS-21-300 is the next-generation passenger aircraft targeted at the largest segment of the air service market. Depending on the configuration the aircraft's capacity is 163-211 passengers.
"In terms of its flight performance and operational economy MS-21 leaves behind all existing counterparts. Composite polymer materials have been developed for this aircraft's wings – this is the first time such solution is used for a narrow-body aircraft with a capacity of above 130 passengers. Percentage of composite materials in the structure of MS-21 is 30% which is unique for this type of air liners. Estimated reduction of operational costs on MS-21 will be 12-15% as compared to counterparts", stated Anatoly Serdyukov, the Industrial Director of the Rostec's Aviation Cluster.
Integrators of main systems of MS-21 are Russian enterprises. As part of the MS-21 programme implementation, various competence centres have been formed in Russia for development and manufacturing of parts using composite materials. A total upgrade of production capacities has been performed at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of PJSC Irkut Corporation, and a series of other enterprises of the aircraft engineering and related industries.
An innovative ergonomic cockpit has been developed with the participation of the Rostec State Corporation. High requirements to comfort and economic efficiency demanded deployment of advanced technical solutions in the fields of aerodynamics, engine building and aircraft systems.
Enterprises of Rostec also manufacture composite aircraft components of the tail. It is the technologies for manufacturing of fin box and tail group parts using composite materials that will ensure the competitive capacity of the air liner. Their distinctive feature is high degree of process automation. Percentage of composite materials in the aircraft's structure will compose about 30-40%. Besides, enterprises of the State Corporation cover 100% of the MS-21 project's demands for titanium, and supply components (chassis), avionics and airborne electronics.
In 2016, the Rostec State Corporation has presented the strategy for the aviation cluster with the main goal of increasing the proceeds of holding companies and organizations of the cluster at an average yearly rate of 11.9% in the period from 2015 to 2025. Besides, according to the strategy, the cluster's enterprises must increase their share in the Russian aircraft engineering market in the fields of engine building, helicopters engineering, machine engineering and avionics to 75% and increase their share in the respective segments of the international aircraft engineering market to 5% by 2025.
These performance indicators will be achieved, among other things, by development of aftersales service competences. Maintenance centres for military and transport aircraft will be opened in Russia, Asia, Latin America and Africa. MS-21 maintenance will be a separate line of business.
