MC-21. The New Hope

Last week the city of Irkutsk was the venue for the widely advertised and long-awaited ceremony, the official rollout of the flight model of the Russian medium-range airliner MC-21, which is definitely the most ambitious civil aviation project since the days of the USSR.  

The program takes root from a thorough upgrading of the Yak-42 launched by the Yakovlev Design Bureau in the early 1990s. But the active stage began in the early 2000s within the Federal Special-Purpose Program "Development of Russia's Civil Aviation Hardware Until 2015." By that time, both the Bureau and the Yak brand had been assimilated by the Irkut Corporation established on the basis of the Irkutsk Aviation Production Association, a Russian leader in aircraft manufacture, which had been successfully selling Su-30MK(I) fighters overseas. Along with the Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Works, the Irkutsk factory remains in the lead, concentrating on government defense contracts and manufacturing the Yak-130 trainer and multipurpose Su-30SM fighters engaged in the Syria operation.       

It was decided to adapt the Yak-242 project to modern standards and have it completed following the Superjet-100 short-range airliner developed by the Sukhoi Design Bureau in cooperation with Boeing and other firms [1]. Since the Yak brand is less known in civil aviation in contrast to the military sphere, the plane was renamed to MC-21. Similar to the Superjet, the program has been assisted by foreign partners, although to a lesser degree. As a matter of fact, if Russian plane makers wish to go international, in the foreseeable future cooperation with Western companies seems the only path because international certification has become tremendously convoluted. No matter how strange it might seem, making and all the more selling civil planes is more difficult than military aircraft. For example, China is more or less experienced in manufacturing fighters but has run into enormous hurdles in the certification of its passenger jets [2].

Photo by Marina Lystseva

Presentation of the MC-21

MC-21 is a low-winged twin-engine aircraft featuring an assembly classical for modern airliners, with engines mounted under the wings. The manufacturers begin with a family having a specific body length and passenger capacity, i.e. MC-21-200 – 132/165 seats (respectively two-class and single-class assembly) and MC-21-300 for 163/211 passengers [3]. Plans have been also made for a larger MC-21-400. With a range of 6,000-6,400 km, MC-21 fits the passenger aviation segment occupied by such monsters as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737. The plane is equipped with PW1400G engines from Pratt & Whitney, a world's major engine maker. Recently the American partners reported the engine certification and congratulated the Russians on the rollout. At the same time, the Russian PD-14 engine is under testing, but the export version is likely to have the U.S.-made engine.

Of major interest appears to be the plane's wing, as Russia has just launched manufacture of such sizable elements of composite materials that considerably reduce aircraft mass. Passengers have been promised extra comfort, since the MC-21 can boast the widest fuselage for single-class planes and the cabin maintains higher pressure to alleviate takeoff and landing uneasiness.    

Photo: mc21.irkut.com

Flight test of the PD-14 engine

Of major interest appears to be the plane's wing, as Russia has just launched manufacture of such sizable elements of composite materials that considerably reduce aircraft mass. Passengers have been promised extra comfort, since the MC-21 can boast the widest fuselage for single-class planes and the cabin maintains higher pressure to alleviate takeoff and landing uneasiness.    

The prototype's maiden flight has been planned for late 2016 or early 2017, with the main goal formulated as completion of testing, Russian and international certification, and possibly launch of the Aeroflot-based operation during this decade. The maker is to start series production in 2020 and turn out 20 vehicles, with the planned rate of 70 planes annually to be reached in 2023. The trick is the demand.

As of now, there are 175 foolproof orders and over one hundred agreements and memorandums of intentions, which is not too bad for an airplane that still hasn’t flown. And the aggressive marketing stage begins now. Somewhat awkward appears to be the fact that the orders have come mostly from leasing firms and Aeroflot that has ordered 50 airliners. The relatively reliable foreigners include the Indonesian Crecom Burj Berthad (25 firm orders with a 25-piece option). As far as Egypt and Tanzania are concerned, the accords mostly indicate mutual interest.

This is the sales and post-sales that pose the greatest challenges to the Russian civilian aircraft makers. The SSJ1000 – the previous great hope – is quite a good and to great extent innovative airplane, but its initial five years have been an economic disaster. In early 2015 the specially established Sukhoi Civil Aircraft went virtually bankrupt, unable to pay back credits totaling 144 billion rubles. In an attempt to save Russia and the Superjet from reputational damage, in March 2015 the government allocated 100 billion rubles to Sukhoi so that the company could bring its accounts current and obtain some circulating assets. Besides, Sukhoi received planned orders from the state leasing company and the national carrier. At that, some of Aeroflot Superjets remain idle and the company, as well as its colleagues, keep criticizing the SSJ100 in the media for poor reliability and the maker – for inadequate post-sales service.

Remarkably, in March 2016 the Sukhoi lost the certificate for servicing its own airplane. Hence, out of one hundred Superjets only 68 are in operation. Many of the remaining pieces belonged to ruined Russian and foreign firms, with some of them still to be delivered to the hapless buyers.

The hopes of selling them are frail because the Sukhoi is focusing on selling new planes in order to keep manufacturing at the economically justified minimum of 40 pieces a year. The production plan for the year 2031 has been cut from 830 to 595 planes, which also appears quite optimistic bearing in mind the cutthroat competition in the short-range airliner market and the frozen development of a restyled SSJ100NG.

Photo: airwaysmag.com

Interjet's (Mexico) SuperJet International SSJ-100, Miami airport

However, there seems to be a silver lining. The SSJ100 has one successful and quite happy user, i.e. the Mexican Interjet. Surprisingly, while Russian companies are lamenting economic inefficiency and the faulty condition of 50-60 percent of the fleet, the enterprising Mexican discounter is running the Superjets nonstop, with over five flights a day per plane. And this was in the adjustment period! The Mexicans are servicing their fleet and can boast 99-percent readiness. After buying 15 planes, they bought out five more within their option, and purchased ten more after two years. Now Sukhoi seems to have some light at the end of tunnel (if only it is not an approaching train) and is pinning its hopes on the Irish CityJet that in 2016 received the first plane and on June 9 made the first commercial flight [4]. The Irish have ordered a total of 15 jets and have an option for 16 more. If they succeed and the plane finds a niche in the European skies, dreams may come true.

The Interjet experience may come in handy for the SSJ100, although there are some misgivings about Russian carriers and support services. Of course, it is not only them but also the Russia specifics that are to blame. After all, where could three dozen Superjets of Aeroflot fly five times a day? The airplane can be hardly blamed for the much lower popularity of regional flights in Russia than in Europe and North America. Hence, the medium-range and fully international MC-21 may turn out to be much more attractive. However, it appears inadmissible for Irkut to perform marketing, operation and post-sales servicing with no attention paid to the Sukhoi woes, as the MC-21 development is three times more expensive. So, the oven could turn too cold to be fired up by cash even in better financial times.

But the new airplane is really good. Russians are good plane makers.        

1.       Engines are made by the Powerjet, a JV with the French. Broad-based cooperation, including promotion, exists with Italian firms, primarily with Alenia Aermacchi.

 

2.       For example, eight years after the maiden flight the medium-range ARJ21 is still not used by the national and foreign airlines.

 

3.       Last week MC-21-300 was rolled out.

 

4.       It was a commercial but at the same time not exactly ordinary flight that took the Irish national soccer team to Paris, which means they at least find it safe.