Russia's MC-21 passenger airliner, Aurus Business Jet arrive in Dubai for airshow
MOSCOW. Nov 11 (Interfax) - An MC-21 passenger airliner equipped with Russian-made PD-14 engines and an Aurus Business Jet have arrived in Dubai to be exhibited at an airshow there, the United Aircraft Corporation said on Thursday.
"An MC-21 and an Aurus Business Jet carried out nonstop flights from Zhukovsky outside of Moscow to Al Maktoum International Airport, the venue of the Dubai Airshow, on November 10 and November 11 respectively. The planes covered about 3,700 kilometers, and part of the route passed over the sea. The crews reported that the flights went as planned," it said.
According to the UAC, the corporation's display will exhibit all of its existing aircraft-manufacturing programs in model and multimedia format, including the Sukhoi Su-57 and Su-35, the MiG-35, the Yakovlev Yak-130, the Ilyushin Il-76MD-90A and Il-114-300, the Beriev Be-200, the Superjet 100, and the MC-21.
"The UAC management and delegation members plan an intensive business program, the presentation of new Russian planes, and meetings with current and potential partners from the UAE, Gulf countries, and other regions of the world," it said.
Rostec said on November 9 that a prototype of the new Checkmate single-engine fifth-generation fighter aircraft was delivered to Dubai to make its international debut at the airshow.
The single-engine Checkmate fifth-generation fighter jet, designed by the Sukhoi Company (part of Rostec's United Aircraft Corporation), was presented to Russian President Vladimir Putin at the MAKS 2021 airshow on July 20. The new aircraft is expected to perform its maiden flight in 2023, while serial deliveries are expected to begin in 2026. Twin-seat and unmanned modifications of the Checkmate will be developed in the future.
The MC-21 is a family of medium-haul passenger airliners being developed by enterprises incorporated in Rostec. Their certification and the start of their serial production have been postponed several times. The United States sanctions on the company AeroComposit (incorporated in the UAC), which led to a halt of supplies of the composite materials needed to construct the plane, have been mentioned among the reasons for the delays.
The latest official information says that the production of the MC-21-300, the plane's base version seating from 163 to 211 passengers, is expected to start in 2022. The Rossiya airline, part of Aeroflot, will be the first operator of the plane.
The PD-14 is the first turbofan engine developed in Russia's modern history. The engine has been developed by the United Engine Corporation utilizing modern advanced technology and domestic materials. The PD-14's operational costs are expected to be 14%-17% lower and lifecycle cost 15%-20% lower than those of the existing analogues.
The Aurus Business Jet is a business version of the Sukhoi Superjet airliner, with its range increased to 7,200 kilometers.