UAC Constructs First MC-21-300 Aircraft with Russian-Made Composite Wing

Irkut Corporation, a subsidiary of United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has completed the construction of the first MC-21-300 aircraft, the wing of which is made of Russian-made polymer composite materials.

On November 30, 2021, the aircraft was transferred from the final assembly shop of the Irkutsk Aviation Plant, a branch of Irkut Corporation, to the flight test division. The specialists of the plant and allied enterprises will carry out the program of ground checks of the aircraft and its systems and prepare the aircraft for the first flight, Rostec said in a statement.

The development and production of Russian polymer composite materials for the wing of the MS-21 passenger aircraft began after the US imposed trade restrictions on AeroComposite in September 2018.

“The use of strong and lightweight composites allowed the designers to make the wing of high aspect ratio and improve the aerodynamics of the aircraft at the same time as increasing the diameter of the fuselage. I would like to note that Irkut specialists were able to solve the problem of import substitution in the shortest possible time and start building production aircraft with a Russian wing. The assembly of the first airliner is a big step for the UAC and the entire Russian aircraft industry. This is proof of the maturity of our aviation technologies and another victory over the sanctions,” said Rostec CEO Sergei Chemezov.

The share of composites in the MC-21 design is about 40% - a record figure for medium-range aircraft. Domestic materials for power composite structures were developed with the participation of scientists from Moscow State University and Rosatom enterprises. The wing consoles and center section of the MC-21-300 aircraft are manufactured at the AeroComposite-Ulyanovsk enterprise. In the production of the wing, the technology of vacuum infusion is used, which is patented in Russia.