On March 19, 2025, in the Pink Living Room of the Zhukovsky Recreation Center, within the framework of the Runway Aviation Lovers Club, a meeting was held with Roman Petrovich Taskaev, Hero of the Russian Federation, Honored Test Pilot of the Russian Federation.
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| Roman Petrovich Taskaev. |
| Source: Valery Ageev |
An outstanding test pilot, a student of the legendary A.V. Fedotov, he became the chief pilot of two major aircraft manufacturing companies, the Mikoyan Design Bureau and the Yakovlev Design Bureau, was the first to take MiG-AT and MC-21 aircraft into the sky, conducted many difficult tests, was twice forced to eject in critical situations and before having crossed the 70-year milestone at the end of last year, it continues to test aircraft.
The evening featured unique photographs and film footage from R.P. Taskaev's personal archive. Aviation enthusiasts were able to ask their questions and get answers directly from Roman Petrovich. The meeting was led by aviation historian Andrey Simonov.
On May 28, 2017, test pilots O.O. Kononenko and R.P. Taskaev (student and teacher) at the Irkutsk Aircraft Factory lifted into the sky a prototype of the new-generation medium-range airliner MS-21.
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| Test pilots O.O. Kononenko and R.P. Taskaev. |
| Source: Valery Ageev |
It's no secret that in the Russian market, the MC-21 will actually have only 2 direct competitors. The European A-320neo and the American B-737 MAX 8.
A few numbers. Maximum take-off weight: MC-21 — 79.25 tons, Airbus A320 neo — 79 tons, Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 82.2 tons. Maximum payload: MS-21 — 22.6 tons, Airbus A320 neo — 20 tons, Boeing-737 MAX 8 — 20.88 tons. Maximum passenger capacity: MC-21 — 211, Airbus A320 neo — 194, Boeing-737 MAX 8 — 197. Flight range: MS-21-300 — 6000 km, Airbus A320 neo — 6300 km, Boeing 737 MAX 8 — 6570 km.
The MC-21 and A-320neo are the leaders in terms of the maximum take-off weight of 82.2 tons. Boeing, with its outdated design from the middle of the last century, is overweight by almost 3 tons. Airlines pay a portion of airport fees based on this parameter, which means that payments for the B-737 MAX 8 will be almost 4% more than their competitors.
As for the maximum commercial load, the B-737 MAX 8 carries a payload of only 880 kg more. Both foreign competitors lose 8 to 13% of the MC-21 in this indicator.
In terms of the number of passengers, the MC-21 is 15-20 seats better than its competitors. The only exception is the special version of Boeing for the Irish low-cost airline Ryanair. By the way, so far the airline has been receiving planes with 197 seats instead of the 210 passengers claimed by Boeing.
The MS-21 is slightly inferior to its Western counterparts in flight range due to the lower amount of fuel on board. The MS-21 has a maximum refueling capacity of 20.4 tons of fuel, the A-320neo already has 26.73 tons, and the B-737 takes 25.82 tons to fly at the declared maximum range. By the way, the range of the low-cost airline version, formerly known as the MAX 200, is limited to 5,000 km. So this MC-21 indicator looks good against the background of competitors.
In general, the MC-21 potentially looks like a more attractive option for Russian airlines. It remains to realize this potential. We will be able to evaluate the first operational results next year, when the aircraft will be delivered to Rossiya Airlines. In the meantime, Boeing is having problems, and the MC-21 is just getting ready for operation, while the share of A-320neo aircraft is growing in the Russian market.
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| MS-21. |
| Source: Valery Ageev |
At the same time, as stated by Taskaev, the design and creation of a new aircraft takes about 5 years, and its "refinement" can take 10 years. Then it is necessary to certify the aircraft.
Passenger aircraft certification is an assessment by independent services that confirms the ability to design, manufacture and operate an aircraft with high quality. Not only the entire aircraft is certified, but also its individual components — engines, assemblies, and on-board equipment.
In particular, the MC-21 received permission to transport 211 people after successful tests for emergency evacuation of passengers and crew members. During the tests, the aircraft's compliance with modern and promising aviation safety standards was confirmed.
When issuing a type certificate for the MC-21-300 aircraft, confirming its compliance with the requirements for civil aviation equipment, at the same time Yakovlev (then Irkut Corporation) received an aviation technology developer certificate from the Federal Air Transport Agency. The second document confirmed the compliance of the creator and manufacturer of the new aircraft with the requirements of Russian aviation regulations. But this happened with imported engines and equipment.
Certification flights of the fully import-substituted MC-21 passenger aircraft with Russian PD-14 engines are scheduled to begin in the summer of 2025. This was announced by the Minister of Industry and Trade of Russia Anton Alikhanov. Certification may take several years. Therefore, the MC-21 passengers will be deployed no earlier than 2028, Taskaev stressed.
But obtaining a certificate of conformity is only half the battle. Throughout the life of the aircraft, the control by the aviation authorities over its creators, users and staff will be continuous. This is the only way to maintain the required level of quality and airworthiness, to ensure the reliability of the aircraft and the safety of its operation.
Valery Ageev
