Aircraft with plastic wings makes maiden voyage in Russia

United Aircraft Corporation (UAC), the Russian state aeroplane manufacturer, has completed its project to build the Irkut MC-21, a single aisle twin jet passenger aeroplane, which made its maiden flight on Sunday May 22.

The plane made a test flight from the Irkutsk Irkut airfield, in central Siberia, and UAC plans it to serve cities across Siberia.

The MC-21 has wings made from carbon fibre polymer, built by Sukhoi, with a HexPly carbon fibre and epoxy prepreg composite supplied by Hexcel for the tail structure.

Thierry Merlot, Hexcel President of Aerospace, said: “Hexcel is very proud to be associated with this new adventure and landmark within the Russian Aviation History, and we congratulate the United Aircraft Corporation on its achievement. The MC-21 aircraft employs the latest advanced composites processes and material solutions and Hexcel has made a significant contribution to the development of these technologies.”

UAC is a corporation combining the aircraft companies of the Soviet era – Tupolev, Yakovlev, Sukhoi and Irkut, in one aircraft company. UAC started work in 2008 on a successor to the Tupolev 154, and set out to build a more efficient and lighter rival to the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320, with a cheaper list price of £70 million.

The plane can hold up to 211 passengers, and UAC will use the MC-21 to target the largest sector within the commercial aerospace market - regional to medium haul flights. The aircraft is expected to begin commercial operations in 2019 pending approval from the European Aviation Safety Authority.

Yuri Slyusar, President of the United Aircraft Corporation, said: “This is not just a first flight of a new aircraft, but rather an advance of the product that will determine the shape of the Russian civilian aviation industry for the next 50 years.”