MOSCOW, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- A second import-substituted prototype of Russian MC-21 medium-haul passenger aircraft has begun certification flight tests, Russia's state-owned aviation giant Rostec said Thursday in a statement.
According to the company, the aircraft, developed by Yakovlev (part of the United Aircraft Corporation under Rostec), has completed the initial certification flight from the Gromov Flight Research Institute airfield in Zhukovsky in Moscow Oblast.
Anatoly Gaidansky, first deputy managing director and head of the Yakovlev engineering center, said that their main task is to complete the full scope of import-substitution tests and obtain approval of the major modification required for future deliveries to airlines.
The aircraft made a non-stop flight from Irkutsk to the Gromov airfield on Nov. 13, and its certification flight was preceded by successful factory development tests.
The prototype features a comprehensive replacement of foreign-made components and systems with domestically manufactured ones, including cockpit controls, control system actuators, wing mechanization drives, stabilizer adjustment mechanisms, and other components.
Rostec said the addition of the second aircraft will accelerate the overall certification program, and another MC-21 prototype, partially equipped with new Russian systems and components, is already undergoing tests in Zhukovsky. ■
