[UPDATE – company video added]
The MC-21’s first flight was expected by month end, and it came quietly. Reports say the first flight was only 30 minutes. This is the fifth of the five Pratt & Whitney-powered new aircraft programs to achieve its first flight.
Here is some video. The jet sound you hear is the chase plane. The MC-21 will make as much noise as the other GTF powered programs, which is to say, very little.
This next video, taken head-on demonstrates the low noise. You can hardly hear the aircraft over the crowd clapping.
This was a proud moment for Russian aerospace as it now starts to build a state of the art airliner. As evidence of the state of art design, check out this wing. It is unique in that no current new design is flying without a winglet. It looks to be highly efficient.
Another shot of the aircraft. Well done IRKUT and UAC! It’s great to have you in the game.
We hope UAC can find a way to get this aircraft to Paris. It would be really good to see all the new models on display. Observers of this industry have looked forward to this for at least a half-decade. We now have the neo, MAX, CS, MRJ, E2, C919 and MC-21 flying. A new generation of hard work, clever design, and pushing the envelope to monitor. Many believe there isn’t enough room for everyone. So the how this plays out is going to be fascinating.
Here is a company video – no sound in the air, but there is sound from the ground.
UAC has now added a much longer video on YouTube.
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