It is difficult for passengers of the 21st century to imagine that modern luggage racks are a relatively new component of the aircraft cabin. In the Tu-104, luggage was placed in nets similar to bus ones. On the Il-18, Tu-134, and Yak-40, the structure became rigid, while remaining open and accommodating only outerwear. During turbulence, the contents of the shelves could easily end up on the heads of passengers. It was only on later versions of the Tu-154 and younger aircraft that the shelves became closed, remaining, however, very small.
Today, the dimensions of hand luggage, and therefore shelves, are determined by airlines, based on the International Air Transport Association standard: no more than 56 x 45 x 25 cm. Aeroflot limits the suitcase to 55 x 40 x 25 cm.
The developers of the new generation SJ-100 and MC-21 aircraft initially set themselves the task of surpassing the shelf capacity of the main competitors by 20-25%. The increase in size required an increase in load capacity. And this turned the shelves into quite complex structures.
Since there were no similar products in Russia at the time of the launch of the new programs, foreign suppliers were selected for both the Superjet and the MS-21, which had a technical reserve and took over the supply of turnkey interiors.
After their withdrawal from the program in 2022, Yakovlev's designers had to assume the function of an integrator of interior components and find a domestic supplier capable of developing, certifying and mass-producing shelves in a short time, meeting all quality and safety standards. It became the Aviation Interiors company, which is now mass-producing shelves for the SJ-100 and has completed shelf testing for the MS-21.
Endurance Marathon
Have you ever wondered which way the luggage rack traveled to get on board? On the test stand, it must remain intact, faced with severe turbulence and even an emergency landing.
Shelves are designed not for the standard weight of a suitcase, but for overloads that may occur in a hypothetical non-standard situation. The overload values are set by the AP-25 Aviation Regulations.
In other words, the shelf must withstand a passenger car without breaking, buckling, or even cracking. This is exactly the margin of safety that engineers put into the laconic design of the luggage rack.
Safety is not just about durability. The interior design, including the areas above the luggage racks, is designed to exclude the possibility of hiding an object with a volume of 0.33 cm3 or more — this negates the risk of imperceptibly masking a dangerous object.
Strict requirements fully apply to shelf fittings. The process of its import substitution is being completed: design tests have been successfully completed, mass production is being launched, and from the fifth serial SJ-100, handles, hinges and locks will be domestic.
Also, we must not forget that the materials from which the luggage racks are made must meet the requirements of airworthiness standards for flammability, heat and smoke generation.
The struggle for weight
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| An import-substituted shelf during fitting on an MC-21 aircraft. |
| Source: United Aircraft Corporation |
The task of import substitution would not be so difficult if it were not for the strict restrictions on the weight of shelves.
The interior of the MC-21 has 20 shelves, most of which include two buckets that can hold up to 12 suitcases mounted on an edge. Weighting each of the shelves by 10 kg would take up about 1% of the aircraft's payload. And this is a million–dollar loss for the airline.
Philip Skripalshchikov, Head of the Interior Design Department of the Yakovlev Regional Aircraft Branch, notes: "The luggage racks for the SJ-100 aircraft currently meet the weight requirements. Considering that mass production is at the initial stage, we carefully monitor the compliance of the mass with the specified requirements."
MS-21 developers and interior suppliers are exploring ways to reduce weight. Vadim Shramov, Chief Designer of Aviation Interiors, talks about optimizing the design, which will make the shelf lighter without losing its strength characteristics.
Genar Shuvalov, Head of the Interior, Passenger and Household Equipment Department at the MS-21 Design Bureau, notes that an alternative design option is being developed. At the airline's choice, the bucket shelves can be replaced with so-called "bread boxes". Their capacity will remain at the same level, and their weight will be less.
Not all shelf import substitution issues have been resolved. For example, the variability of color solutions is still limited by the capabilities of suppliers of decorative finishing film. However, in terms of functionality, domestic shelves are in no way inferior to imported ones, and, accordingly, passengers will not lose comfort when flying on domestic aircraft.
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| Luggage racks SJ-100 and MS-21. |
| Source: United Aircraft Corporation |
Maria Muravyeva
