MOSCOW, August 3. /TASS/. The first serial-produced MC-21 passenger airliner built fully with import-substituted components has completed its maiden flight, the Russian Industry and Trade Ministry reported.
"The maiden flight of the fully import-substituted serial MC-21 is a major milestone in the development of our domestic mainline passenger aircraft program. It demonstrates that the Russian aviation industry possesses all the necessary expertise to solve complex technological challenges using domestic systems and assemblies. To date, roughly half of the certification flight test program has been completed. Once certification is finalized, deliveries of serial aircraft to operators will begin," Deputy Industry and Trade Minister Gennady Abramenkov was quoted as saying.
The aircraft was piloted by a crew of experienced test pilots, including Hero of Russia Roman Taskayev, Sergey Mikhailyuk, and Andrey Voropaev, along with test engineer Nikolay Fonurin.
The flight lasted 1 hour and 23 minutes, reaching altitudes of up to 6,000 meters. During the flight, the aircraft's stability and controllability in various configurations, as well as the performance of its domestic systems, were tested. Taskayev reported after the flight that the first production aircraft had performed well and the flight mission was fully completed.
