The MS-21 aircraft is the pride of the Russian aviation industry

The MS-21 aircraft is a large-scale and very promising project in the Russian aviation industry. Most of the components are manufactured at the enterprises located in the department of the Rostekh organization. The development of a new Russian airliner is carried out in a highly competitive environment. The main rivals of MS-21 are the domestic Tu-204 aircraft, as well as Boeing and Airbus. What are the features of this airliner? Will it compete in the international market?

MS-21 aircraft: photo, development history

The history of the new Russian airliner begins in 2010, when TsAGI tested air intakes for engines for aircraft. As a result, regimes have been identified that ensure safe operation of the aircraft.

In September 2011, Alexey Fedorov, who is president of the Irkut corporation, said that the company will focus on the production of airliners with a layout of one hundred and eighty seats, since it is the one that is most in demand among buyers.

In 2012, the government customers - the Ministry of Defense, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry for Emergency Situations, the Federal Security Service - introduced the MS-21 aircraft with domestic PD14 engines. In the same year, the American company Pratt & Whitney signed an agreement on the supply of PW1400G engines.

The assembly of the first experimental models and their initial tests were carried out by August 2014. June 8, 2016 was marked by the presentation of the newest Russian aircraft. This event took place in one of the shops of the Irkutsk aircraft plant.

Description

The abbreviation MS-21 stands for "the main aircraft of the 21st century". A distinctive feature is the application of the latest technical developments from the fields of aircraft construction and safety. In many ways, the airliner significantly exceeds the most popular foreign-made aircraft.

MS-21 is a medium-haul aircraft intended for passenger and cargo air transportation on domestic and international routes. The main designer is Konstantin Popov. In parallel, the development of models МС-21-300 and МС-21-200 with layouts on 160-211 and 130-176 passenger seats, respectively. As a basis for development, the domestic Yak-242 project was taken.

The fuselage is designed by Irkut and the Yakovlev Design Bureau, and the wings by the Aerocomposite corporation. At the request of the customer on the aircraft can be installed engines as PD-14, and PW1400G. According to official information, the new MS-21 is planned to be introduced and certified by 2018, and by 2017 - to issue the first serial copy. By 2020, the target production figure should reach forty units per year.

Basic flight and technical parameters

• The length of the fuselage is 42.3 m for 21-200 and 33.8 for 21-200.
• The wingspan is 36 m.
• The height is 11.5 m.
• The width of the saloon / fuselage is 3.81 / 4.06 m.
• The maximum take-off weight is 79.25 tons for 21-300 and 72.56 tons for 21-200.
• The maximum weight at landing is 69.1 tons and 63.1 tons for 21-300 and 21-200 respectively.
• The limit level of fueling is 20.4 tons.
• The maximum range of an air flight is 6000 km.
• The maximum capacity for a tight layout is 211 and 176 passengers for 21-300 and 21-200 respectively.

Customers

Currently, more than two hundred agreements have been concluded for the supply of these airliners with the following carriers and leasing companies:

• Cairo Aviation (Egypt).
• Crecom Burj Berhad (Malaysia).
• "Aviapakapital-Service".
• "Azerbaijan Airlines".
• Aeroflot.
• "VEB-leasing".
• "Ilyushin Finance",
• "IrAero."
• "NordWind."
• "Red Wings".
• "Sberbank Leasing".

Most carriers who have concluded "firm" contracts have already paid an advance. Russian aircraft leasing companies and airlines have ordered 175 boards.

Russian aircraft MS-21: competitive advantages

The main competitive advantage of the new domestic airliner is a large capacity, reaching 211 people on the 21-300 model. Due to this the aircraft can serve the growing passenger traffic, and its operation remains commercially profitable even for low-budget companies.

The MS-21 aircraft was developed in accordance with world standards using the latest materials, including composite ones. Due to this, the weight of the aircraft and the fuel consumption have significantly decreased. To a minimum, noise and harmful emissions to the atmosphere are reduced. Thanks to the new on-board maintenance system, the aircraft remains reliable even after idle time.

The passenger cabin is equipped with modern armchairs with wide intervals, which makes it convenient for people with different complexities. The wide passage between the seats makes it possible to disperse freely to two passengers. To maintain the microclimate installed humidifiers, filters, temperature regulators.

The new navigation system ensures safe operation of the airplane in any weather conditions. Diagnostic equipment provides timely detection of failures.

Competition with Boeing and Airbus

The world market of air transportation has long been secretly divided between the main companies - Airbus and Boeing. Will the MS-21 aircraft be able to compete with them? Producers suggest that this is quite realistic. These corporations have long ceased to introduce breakthrough technologies and gradually improve existing models. Russian technology is more reliable at a relatively low price and is traditionally used in the Asian and Latin American markets.

MS-21 is a medium-range aircraft of a new generation of Russian production. This is a real breakthrough in the field of civil aircraft construction. The airliner can compete with Boeing and Airbuses and, according to preliminary estimates, take up to 10% of the world transport market.