The very first serialization. The maiden flight of Russia’s newest aircraft, the Irkut MC 21, has been completed.The plane is the first of its kind to use composite wings and engines manufactured in the United States.

The flight took place in Irkutsk Northwest Airport on December 25, 2021. The flight proceeded successfully, and the plane behaved as predicted, according to state conglomerate Rostec, which controls United Aircraft Corporation, Irkut’s parent firm..

“The first flight of the aircraft with the wing made of Russian composites proves that we did everything right, and the MC-21 programme is consistently and steadily moving forward, despite sanctions and unfair competition,” Russian Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov is quoted in a Rostec press release.

The MC-21’s first prototype flew for the first time in 2017. It first flew in December 2020, powered by Russian-made Aviadvigatel PD 14 turbofan engines, which replaced the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G turbofans that were originally planned for the aircraft.

Early in 2021, the first MC-21 with locally made wings was assembled. In July of that year, the wings were installed.
The MC-21 is nearing completion of the certification procedure, according to Rostec. The first serial production aircraft will fly with Rossiya, an Aeroflot subsidiary, after testing. The deadline for delivery is September 2022.

The Irkut MC-21, like the Boeing 737 MAX and the Airbus A320neo, is a narrow-body airliner in development at UAC. It is aimed for the Russian domestic market, with over 150 planes ordered by the country’s carriers.