Mass Production of MC-21 Airliner to Begin in 2019

Mass production of the Russian MC-21 Airliner will commence sometime in 2019 as the various enterprises of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) have begun to manufacture parts and units of MC-21-300 aircraft intended for delivery to customer who have placed orders to buy the aircraft.

“In 2018 flight and ground certification tests of aircraft prototype confirmed the main design solutions. UAC enterprises have begun to manufacture parts and units of MC-21-300 aircraft intended for customer’s delivery. Joining to the flight tests of new aircraft and production intensification of mass-produced airplanes are the main tasks of 2019,” said Yuri Slusar, President of UAC and Irkut Corporation.

Irkut Corporation completed construction of the third MC-21-300, intended for flight tests. On December 25, the aircraft was transferred from the final assembly shop to the flight test unit of Irkutsk aviation plant - a branch of Irkut Corporation, the company said in a statement Wednesday.

Testing results of the first MC-21-300 aircraft passing certification tests were taken into account in the production of the new aircraft. The components and units of the fourth flight test aircraft are being assembled at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant.

Currently, two MC-21-300 aircraft are taking part in flight certification tests at the airfield of Flight Test Institute named after M.M. Gromov. The aircraft for static testing is tested in Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI).

In December, the MC-21-300 aircraft fuselage was delivered here, which, after assembling the airframe, will join endurance tests.