Russia is completing the tests of a new composite wing for the Russian MC-21 passenger plane, regardless of the fact that the United States had cut short the delivery of some of the components of composite materials used to build the wings, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on Tuesday
LANGKAWI (Malaysia) (Pakistan Point news / Sputnik - 26th March, 2019) Russia is completing the tests of a new composite wing for the Russian MC-21 passenger plane, regardless of the fact that the United States had cut short the delivery of some of the components of composite materials used to build the wings, Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said on Tuesday.
The minister is currently attending the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition (LIMA 2019), which takes place in Malaysia from Tuesday until Saturday.
"We are now finishing the tests of the new wing based on the deliveries of ... [materials] from other suppliers," Manturov told reporters, adding that the materials for the wings were being purchased in Southeast Asia.
In early January, media reported that the deliveries of certain components of composite materials for the wings and a part of vertical stabilizers of MC-21 from a Japanese and a US company had been hampered by US sanctions pressure.
At the same time, prolonged wings were designed as one of the main advantages of the aircraft that allowed developers to improve the plane's aerodynamics and eventually reduce operating costs.
MC-21 is a twin-engine mid-range airliner. Its MC-21-300 model has a maximum capacity of 211 passengers. The maiden flight of the Russian passenger plane took place in 2017 and was followed by a series of test flights.
The certification of the aircraft is expected to be completed in 2020, with serial production expected to start in 2021. Russian Irkutsk Aviation Plant will be capable of producing more than 100 MC-21 aircraft annually.
