Aircraft
MC-21 spearheads Irkut’s future as airliner producer
Best known as a producer of the Sukhoi Su-30MK series of heavy fighters, Russia’s Irkut Corp.

Best known as a producer of the Sukhoi Su-30MK series of heavy fighters, Russia’s Irkut Corp. is looking to the commercial sector to provide the backbone of its future. The MC-21 airliner project is now in development and Irkut recently selected a series of Western systems suppliers as it moves toward a projected first flight date in 2014.

Irkut is targeting the MC-21 at a number of market niches and is proposing a family of three versions. The lead variant is the MC-21-200, with 150 seats at a 32-inch pitch. Later will come the MC-21-300 (181 seats) and MC-21-400 (212 seats), and all will be available with various range options. The corporation aims to get the initial version certified and into service in 2016.

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