Urkut, the Russian aircraft maker says the MC-21-300 narrowbody passenger airliner will soon take its first flight. The aircraft was first shown to the public in a June, 2016 rollout ceremony.

Learn More About the Irkut MC-21-300

“The first operable airplane has been switched to electric power at the Irkut Aviation plant; its frequency response testing has commenced,” according to Irkut president Oleg Demchenko. “All tests at the factory shall be complete by the end of the first quarter.”

In addition to the frequency response testing on Aircraft 0001, he named as the “second largest task” for the near term assembly of Airframe 0002 for static testing at TsAGI, the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute in Zhukovsky, just outside Moscow. “These are the two major points on the way to collect providing documentation for certification authorities to get permission for first flight,” he explained during a press briefing. – AINonline

MC-21-300 Rollout

The specific date for the maiden flight is not set but Irkut says it will be in the first half of 2017. Irkut is a division of the United Aircraft Corporation group that is majority owned by the Russian government. Irkut’s best known aircraft may be the Sukhoi Su-30 interceptor/ground-attack aircraft.

Featured Image of MC-21-300 airliner by Irkut