Will Russia be able to produce the MS-21 liner in series without Western components?

On Sunday, in Zhukovsky, the Max 2019 International Aviation and Space Salon ended, which has been taking place in the suburbs since 1993. For the first time, the public was represented by the MS-21 liner-the first average hydroelectric passenger aircraft developed in post-Soviet Russia from scratch. The special corner of the Novye went aboard one of the first to analyze the risks of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC). When will it be possible to travel on MS-21 on MS-21 and how much will it cost airlines?

On board the new aircraft, the smell of materials of the blue-blue leather upholstery of the seats is felt, bright sunlight illuminates the interior through unusually large portholes. Inside, the modern MS-21 is noticeably different from its direct competitors Boeing 737 Max, Airbus A220 and Airbus A320neo. So, for example, the passage between rows both in the business class and in the economy is quite wide. “It was hoped that in the cabin, two people will be able to load their things into the upper boxes at the same time, standing back to the back and without interfering with each other,” says a consultant girl working on unreasonably high heels and in a stewardess costume. It represents the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, the developer of the side - the Irkut Corporation).

An additional space between the rows is achieved due to the width of the liner itself. “The most wide-body of all narrow-skinned aircraft in the world,” representatives of the corporation will later say about the airliner at a press conference. On the wall in front of the first chair in the business class, you can even find the marking how much MS-21 (4.06 m) is wider than Airbus (3.7 m) and Boeing models (3.76 m).

According to the New, on the first day of the Max 2019 air show, when the exhibition was bypassed by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Turkish President Recep Erdogan, specific models of competing companies were indicated on the markings. After the passage of the main delegation for the Max 2019, the names were rejected, leaving only two thin strips, which, without explaining the consultant, are perceived as part of the design and do not carry any independent semantic load: it was done so that representatives of Boeing and Airbus are not offended.

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MS-21 deciphens as a “XXI-centuries high-end aircraft”. As the Novaya Gazeta explained to the UAC, Niora (research and development work) had a similar name, then it was decided to simply save it. This approach is rare: usually the R&D and the final product are called differently. MS-21 is designed on the basis of the Yak-242. Since the new machine is positioned not only on the Russian, but also on the foreign market, they also did not preserve such a name (in English there is a word “Puke” close in sound, which translates as “Blove”), says the interlocutor familiar with the course of the new liner, emphasizing that the current name is satisfied with the majority.

UAC is a Russian holding uniting 24 main companies of the domestic aircraft industry and 15 aircraft repair plants. Now the formation of the Civil Division of the Corporation is ongoing. It is assumed that in the future this structure will represent the entire civilian line on the market, including, for example, IL-114, SSJ100, MS-21, CR929. “Today, the OAC civilian aircraft are called differently. From the point of view of marketing and promising positioning in the international market, there is a question about the harmonization of the names of different aircraft so that it really is a product line, ”says the source of“ New ”, close to the UAC, noting that this topic is being discussed. “Different models of Boeing or Airbus differ only in a numerical index, but it is always Boeing or Airbus,” the interlocutor continues, noting that this has market logic - investments in each product give an effect on the entire ruler. He emphasizes that there is always specifics, each design school advocates to preserve its tradition.

Composite import substitution

Initially, the start of serial production was scheduled for 2017, this was stated by the Minister of Industry and Trade Denis Manturov, but then adjustments were followed: first for 2018, and then on the 2020th. At the end of February 2019, the issue was postponed to 2021, and the danger of further transfer to 2025 due to sanctions against the UAC and Rostec corporations and Rostec are still maintained.

At the beginning of 2019, it became known that the United States restrictions on Aerocomposite JSC (part of the UAC) and JSC ONPP Technology named after Romashin (Rostec) threatened the creation of a composite “black wing” for MS-21. The difficulties with the supply of imported composites were reported by the Kommersant newspaper with reference to sources. A number of components used for the wing and part of the keel came from the USA (Hexcel) and Japan (Toray Industries), but under Washington’s pressure, the shipment stopped. The rejection of composite materials with the transition to metal deprived the entire project, since in this case MS-21 stopped a competitor to Airbus and Boeing. The composites of other foreign suppliers were significantly different in quality, and there were also no necessary in Russia, but, obviously, it was decided to dwell on this option.

Composites allow you to make a wing with a thin profile, which reduces fuel consumption, thus increasing the economic efficiency of the aircraft. For example, Airbus aircraft consist of 70% of modern materials, including 46% of composite materials and 24% aluminum-lithium alloys, which allows you to reduce the cost of flight miles by 15% and significantly reduce operating costs.

Earlier, the Deputy Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Yuri Borisov said that in connection with the new Western sanctions, a ban on the supply of composite materials used in the production of the wing for the MS-21 aircraft was imposed. According to him, the Ministry of Industry and Trade and the Irkut Corporation are looking for ways to replace foreign composite materials and a number of components with Russian counterparts. The largest manufacturer of carbon composite materials in Russia is Rosatom.

Preliminary tests of composite materials produced by the Russian nuclear industry and necessary for the mass production of MS-21 should be completed before the end of this year, Oleg Demchenko, the general designer of the Irkut Corporation, said in Zhukovsky. “We are sure that we will get positive characteristics,” Demchenko said. It should be noted that about six cars remaining from the initial suppliers of the reserve of composites, how and when the time difference will be compensated, Demchenko did not specify.

And these are not all difficulties. Initially, it was assumed that the share of domestic components for MS-21 would be 38%, but the government set the task to bring this figure to 97% by 2022 in order to practically not depend on imported supplies. One of the key imported details, however, while the engine remains.

Three flight copies of the MS-21-300 liner are flying and will continue to fly on American engines Pratt & Whitney. The basic certificate of the type will be issued for a car with PW1400G engines. However, Irkut in April of this year applied for certification of the aircraft with Russian engines PD-14, said the chief designer of the project Konstantin Popovich. They will be installed on a fifth experimental aircraft, which will start flying next year. Certification of this modification MS-21 is expected in 2021. It is reported that in the future the customer will be able to choose which engine interests him. “As a complete set of a car when buying,” said representatives of the UAC.

The PD-14 engine was developed in the wide cooperation of enterprises of the United Engine Corporation (CSC) specifically for MS-21-300 using the latest technologies and materials, including composite ones. The head performer under the PD-14-CSC, developer-Perm “ODK-Aviadizht”, manufacturer-“ODK-Perm engines”.

On April 21, 2019, the first two PD-14s for Lainers MS-21 were transferred to the Irkut aircraft construction corporation, and 16 such engines were manufactured in total. Two more of them will be tested during the year with the subsequent transfer of an air corporation. Nevertheless, according to Novaya Gazeta, only 11 PD-14 engines were ordered next year, and for 2021 there are no such orders at all. Ravil Khakimov did not answer the correspondent of Novaya to the question of the number of ordered engines, calling it a great secret.

Not only Aeroflot aircraft

The premiere of MS-21-300 became the key event of MAKS-2019. Two aircraft, including the third in a row and so far the last flight sample on which the passenger salon is installed were shown in a static parking lot. Another aircraft took part in the flight program. In the future, it is supposed to release two versions-MS-21-200 (from 132 to 165 seats) and MS-21-300 (from 163 to 211 seats). It is also planned to create a version of MS-21-400 (up to 250 seats). The basic version of the aircraft is MS-21-300 with a capacity of up to 211 passengers and a flight range of up to 6 thousand kilometers. On May 28, 2017, the liner made the first flight, and serial production should begin in 2021. Now three aircraft are held flight tests, four more stands.

As the chief designer of the MS-21, Konstantin Popovich, said at a special press conference in Zhukovsky, Irkut plans to reach the production of 72 MS-21 aircraft per year by 2025. “This is an ambitious target task that we will achieve in six years,” he said, adding that in the next 20 years the market needs are estimated at about a thousand MS-21.

The first operator of the new aircraft will be a national carrier. “With Aeroflot, we are conducting a constant dialogue, the day before yesterday we met with General Director Vitaliy Savelyev. The agreement has been reached, the terms of signing the contract-I think we will sign it before the first quarter of 2020, ”said Ravil Khakimov, head of the Irkut Corporation, speaking about a firm contract for an additional 35 MS-21. At the same time, the airline is already a customer of 50 such machines: a firm contract for them was concluded with Irkut and the leasing “daughter” of Rostec “plane-service” last year. Then the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, just stated that the corporation expects to conclude 35 more cars with Aeroflot by the end of this year. However, they did not sign it on Max.

At the same time, Aeroflot is not the only customer. Firm contracts have already been signed for the supply of 175 Lainers MS-21: with a “airline-service” (for 85 cars, 50 of which for Aeroflot), controlled by Ilyushin Finance Co. (50), VEB-Linging (30) and Iraero Airlines (10). In addition, as the president of Irkuta and the Sukhoi Civil aircraft, Ravil Khakimov, said, Irkut Corporation in Zhukovsky concluded agreements on the supply of 15 MS-21 aircraft. “Today, agreements with regional airlines were signed: these are Yakutia and the Kazakhstan Bek Air,” he said, clarifying that in both cases agreements were signed on intent to buy aircraft. According to him, Yakutia signed an agreement to supply five aircraft, and Bek Air - ten. Representatives of the UAC initially reported the signing of agreements for 20 aircraft, but the third customer was never named. “We should have our own secrets,” Khakimov answered the corresponding question of the correspondent of “New”.

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Until 2025, the Accounts Chamber estimated the entire project at 438 billion rubles. The department said that the increase in the cost of the project compared to the original bar was associated with the wear of production capacities in factories and the need to carry out import substitution due to sanctions. At the same time, it is possible that the amount is inconclusive. So, at the end of July 2019, the head of Rostec, Sergei Chemezov, asked President Vladimir Putin another 300 billion rubles for “financial recovery of all UAC enterprises” to implement the MS-21 project and other programs. The issue of the payback of such a project and the desire to purchase customers to purchase an expensive liner in the presence of cheaper competitors remains open.

The catalog price of the Russian aircraft MS-21 will be 20% lower than the cost of foreign analogues, including the production of Boeing and Airbus, emotionally assured the president of the Irkut Corporation Ravil Khakimov at the MAKS-2019 Air Slood press conference. “I carefully studied all existing prices based on the sources that I have - the price is 20% on average lower than direct competitors. Take the skid price of Boeing and Airbus and the method of simple arithmetic operations will receive the price. I definitely declare this to you, ”said Khakimov, categorically refusing to simply name the cost of the car, which he was asked several times.

The supply of MS-21 aircraft to commercial customers should begin in the second half of 2021.