Russia's MC-21-310 jet completes long-distance test flight

The MC-21-310, a Russian commercial jet equipped with domestically produced PD-14 engines, completed a long-distance test flight from Irkutsk to Zhukovsky near Moscow. During the flight, which lasted approximately five hours and 50 minutes, the aircraft reached an altitude of 12,100 meters and speeds of up to 850 km/h.

This flight marks a significant milestone for the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) as the aircraft moves to the Gromov Flight Research Institute for further testing and inspections. While the flight covered over 4,000 km, officials note that this ferry flight, conducted without a full commercial load of passengers or cargo, does not establish the aircraft's final commercial range. Current data suggests a commercial range of approximately 3,800 km for the MC-21-310 with 175 passengers, as engineers work toward certifying a 4,000 km range.

The MC-21 program has undergone extensive redesigns to incorporate Russian components following international sanctions. The current iteration, the MC-21-310, utilizes the PD-14 engine to replace previous versions that relied on Western technology.