Russia's MC-21 airliner nears production after sanctions force redesign
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Russia's MC-21 airliner is nearing production after sanctions forced Yakovlev Corporation to replace Western engines, avionics, and composite materials with Russian alternatives. The redesign added 6 tonnes to the airframe and cut the aircraft's range from 5,100 kilometers to 3,830 kilometers. The MC-21 was intended to replace the Tupolev Tu-154 and compete with Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
Key Facts
- The MC-21 was unveiled in Irkutsk in June 2016 and was intended to replace the Tupolev Tu-154 and compete with Airbus A320 and Boeing 737.
- Sanctions after Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine forced Yakovlev to replace Western engines, avionics, and composite materials with Russian alternatives.
- The redesign added 6 tonnes to the airframe and reduced the aircraft's range from 5,100 kilometers to 3,830 kilometers.
- Aviation Week defense editor Steve Trimble said most features that gave the MC-21 potential have been jettisoned and replaced with far inferior Russian alternatives.
Sanctions and Redesign
Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, sanctions severed Russia's aviation industry from Western supply chains. Yakovlev had to source Russian-made composite material for the MC-21's wings and ditch American-made Pratt & Whitney engines. Budapest-based flight operations officer Andrei Menshenin said Russia was forced to replace foreign engines, avionics, and numerous other systems in an aircraft that had already been designed and was approaching production. The redesign added a reported 6 tonnes to the airframe, cutting the aircraft's range from 5,100 kilometers to 3,830 kilometers.
Program Challenges
President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly railed against delays in Russia developing its own passenger fleet. Industry insiders say the MC-21 program has had its wings clipped by management of the country more than managers on the factory floor. Aviation Week defense editor Steve Trimble said sanctions have deprived the MC-21 of most of the key technologies he mentioned in a 2017 interview. Several cutting-edge components have been scratched and replaced with far inferior Russian alternatives, Trimble added.
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Russia's MC-21 airliner nears production after sanctions force redesign
