Second Russian MC-21 Import-substituted Aircraft Takes to Flight

A second import-substituted prototype of the Russian MC-21 medium-range aircraft has conducted its first flight from the Irkutsk Aircraft Plant of the Yakovlev Company, part of Rostec’s United Aircraft Corporation.

The jet is being used to test domestically produced systems and PD-14 engines.

The flight lasted about one hour, reaching speeds of up to 500 km/h and altitudes of up to 3,500 meters. The mission was completed in full and onboard Russian-made systems operated normally, as per an official release.

The aircraft is joining the certification testing program alongside another MC-21 prototype that first flew with new Russian components on April 29, 2025.

Deliveries to airlines are planned once testing concludes and the results are approved by the Federal Air Transport Agency.

Russian industry officials described the prototype as a milestone in the MC-21 program due to the installation of a domestically manufactured composite wing. Other imported components replaced during final assembly included cockpit controls, avionics, braking systems, fuel systems, and high-lift mechanisms.

Before the flight, specialists tested the aircraft’s fuel system, power units, and onboard equipment with engines running.

The PD-14 engines, developed with 16 new production technologies, received certification in 2018.

The MC-21 program targets the most common segment of global air transport, where manufacturers compete to supply single-aisle passenger jets.