MC-21-300 was rolled out on 8th June 2016 and first flew on 28 May 2017, so definitely its delayed , but Russian United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is working hard to taste the success of this Narrow Body aircraft, that is poised to be a rival to Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 family aircrafts.
Designer Irkut Corporation has high hopes as well, they want to see different variants of the basic model after the success of MC-21-300.
The general director of the Irkut corporation Ravil Khakimov says, the launch of the MC-21-400 aircraft project into development will depend on demand after the start of operation of the MC-21-300 / 310 aircraft in airlines. “As soon as we certify and start producing this aircraft, we will most likely launch the MC-21-400,” he said.
At present,the basic version of the aircraft, MC-21-300 / 310, is undergoing certification. The aircraft fitted with the Russian PD-14 engine is undergoing development tests at the UAC factory.
“Design documentation has been developed for MC-21-200 and MC-21-400. As soon as the MC-21-300 version starts flying in airlines, depending on demand, we will most likely take on the MC-21-400 project, that is, it is a medium-haul aircraft that can carry up to 260 passengers. And depending on the demand, we will look at how to launch the MC-21-200, ”said the general director of Irkut. However, he explained that this will happen no earlier than 2024-2025.
The United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) is considering the possibility of developing promising modifications of the MC-21 airliner for the period up to 2035. First of all, it is possible to modernize the MC-21 in terms of optimizing the specific fuel consumption and improving the aerodynamics of the liner.
Variants of a new narrow-body "single-aisle" aircraft MC-21-400, which will require engines with a thrust of up to 18 tons with engine PD-18, have been preliminary worked out. It is also possible to create aircraft of the family - MC-21-500, MC-21-600 with engines of 20-25 tons and MC-21-700 with engines of 30 tons.
A variant of the aircraft MC-21X, a long haul variant with a maximum flight range of 4860 - 5400 Nautical miles, is also being considered. With this model, the aircraft will be more of inter-continental.
The cost estimate of the MC-21X project is approximately half the cost of creating two aircraft, the wide-body long-range and the new narrow-body MC-21-400. The MC-21-400 will exceed the take-off weight of 105 tons, the take-off weight of the MC-21X aircraft will be around 155 tons.
