MC-21-300 aircraft to be tested under low sub-zero outdoor temperatures in Yakutia

The MC-21-300 prototype aircraft manufactured by Irkut Corporation (a member of Rostec’s United Aircraft Corporation) flew from Zhukovsky (Moscow Region) to Yakutsk for testing under sub-zero outside temperatures.

A group of specialists from Irkut Corporation and Yakovlev Design Bureau, headed by Andrei Boginsky, Irkut CEO, came to Yakutsk to organize and perform trials of the MC-21-300.

“Today’s flight is the first one to combine two factors: the distance to the destination point from Zhukovsky and the proof of serviceability of all aircraft systems for a comfortable long flight with many passengers onboard. The number of transported specialists exceeded 70 people. They will perform testing to expand the aircraft’s ability to operate under outdoor temperatures below minus 30 degrees Celsius. This is a follow-up to the hard work that was carried out last year and resulted in obtaining a type certificate for the MC-21-300. We will have to run a series of tests to expand the certificate and hand over its first mass-produced airplanes to the Rossiya airlines for operation by the end of this year,” said Andrei Boginsky, Director General of PJSC Irkut Corporation.

Daniil Brenerman, Managing Director of the Yakovlev Design Bureau, reported that the MC-21-300 flight from Zhukovsky to Yakutsk proceeded without any problems. “It will take approximately three weeks to conduct ground and flight tests in Yakutia, depending on the air temperature in the region. Each test phase is preceded by cooling of the aircraft and in the evening and at night it will be in the open parking lot for 12 hours. The Yakutsk Airport and Yakutia Airlines provide organizational and technical support for the tests,” he added.

The aircraft is operated by Oleg Mutovin and Andrey Voropaev, first class test pilots of the Yakovlev Design Bureau.

Tests of the MC-21-300 aircraft will be performed as part of the extension of the type certificate which currently allows its operation at outside air temperatures near the ground of minus 30 degrees Celsius. Previously, the aircraft systems were successfully tested on stands under temperature conditions of up to minus 55 degrees Celsius.

The Irkut Corporation delegation will also have working meetings with officials from the Administration of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), the Ministry of Transport of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia), and Yakutia Airlines to discuss the operation of the Corporation’s civil aircraft in the region.

The MC-21-300/310 is a new generation medium-range aircraft with a capacity of 163 to 211 passengers. The liner is developed for the most demanded segment of the passenger transportation market.

The Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsia) issued a type certificate for the MC-21-300 passenger aircraft for Irkut Corporation on December 28, 2021. This document certifies compliance of the MC-21-300 aircraft with the certification requirements for commercial aviation equipment. Since the beginning of 2022, the type certificate extension effort has been underway. 

Yakutia is one of the coldest regions of the world. Natural and climatic conditions of the Republic enable testing of aviation equipment at low temperatures. Superjet 100, IL-96, Be-200, as well as Airbus and Boeing aircraft were tested at Yakutsk Airport.