Article Posted on : - Oct 05, 2010

Russia's new MS-21 plane

MOSCOW (ITAR-TASS): A cockpit mock-up for Russia's new MS-21 plane will be built this year, State Research Institute of Civil Aviation (GosNII GA), Deputy Director-General Oleg Starodomsky has said.

"GosNII GA test pilots have carried out a preliminary evaluation of the plane control levers and made a positive conclusion. The latest achievements of domestic and world aircraft making are used in this plane," Starodomsky said Monday.

About 50 per cent of the plane will be made of composite materials. The plane will be furnished with a Russian or foreign power unit at the customer's choosing.

"The MS-21 is believed to be competitive on the world aircraft market and its economic efficiency will be 15-20 percent bigger than that of similar planes," the official said.

The Unified Aircraft Corporation (UAC) plans to start supplying the plane from 2017. The state-owned corporation Rostekhnologii has already signed a protocol of intent with the corporation Irkut for the supply of 50 MS-21 planes.

Irkut has also signed an agreement with VEB-Leasing for the supply of 15 short-haul MS-21 passenger planes and signed a contract with Crecom Burj Resources for the supply of 50 MS-21 planes to Malaysia. The first supplies will begin in 2014, he said.

"After that the planes will be leased to air lines," Irkut head Oleg Demchenko said earlier, adding that several Southeast Asian air carriers have already expressed interest in the Russian MS-21 plane.

"The work on the plane is proceeding as scheduled. We have completed the rough design and started working on technical design," Industry and Trade Minister, Viktor Khristenko said.

"This is a breakthrough-like product that should enter the global market in 2016-2017 and be 15 per cent more efficient than the current offers," he added.