On 12 May 2018, the maiden flight of the second MC-21-300 test aircraft took place at the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant, the affiliate of Irkut Corporation (a UAC member). The test results of the first test aircraft were taken into account for the production of the new aircraft. The duration of flight was 1 hour 7 minutes at an altitude of 3000 metres at a speed of up to 400 km/hr. The flight programme included testing the aircraft for stability and controllability for various wing configurations with retracting and extension landing gear, as well as testing the on-board equipment.
Acting Minister of industry and trade of the Russian Federation Denis Manturov stated, "The flight of the second aircraft is a significant event that will ensure the timely conduct of flight certification tests." The Minister said that three MC-21-300 aircraft were taking part in the test programme: two of them flying; one for static tests in TsAGI. "In addition, the Irkutsk Aviation Plant is building three more test aircraft. In parallel with the flight and static tests, active preparations are being held for the deployment of serial production of the new airliner," added Manturov.
The President of JSC UAC and Irkut Corporation Yuri Slyusar said that Aviastar-SP plant had started manufacturing panels for the first aircraft to be delivered to customers. "In recent years, the Russian aviation industry has undergone a profound modernisation. The most modern scalable assembly line for the newest civil airliners was commissioned at the Irkutsk Aviation Plant. Within the UAC, fundamentally new competencies have been developed in the field of production of structures from polymer composite materials. Their widespread use is one of the main advantages of the aircraft. The new high-tech production will ensure the development of the MC-21 programme and other perspective aviation projects", Yuri Slyusar emphasised.
"MC-21 aircraft performance and economy will surpass existing analogues owing to advanced aerodynamics, engines and aircraft systems, as well as of wide use of modern composite materials", stated Anatoly Serdyukov, Aviation Cluster Industrial Director of the Rostec State Corporation. Rostec is the integrator of number of MC-21 aircraft systems and Rostec Enterprises produce more than 50% of the airliner avionics, providing titanium for the MC-21 programme and also supplies composite panels of the tail unit. United Engine Corporation, a part of the Rostec State Corporation, will supply the PD-14 engines, which, along with the Pratt & Whitney PW1400G engines, will be installed on the MC-21 serial aircraft. In February 2018 Aeroflot airlines signed a firm contract with the Avia Capital Services leasing company (subsidiary of Rostec State Corporation) for the delivery of 50 MC-21-300 aircraft.
The first MC-21-300 aircraft is undergoing flight tests at the airfield of Flight Research Institute n.a. M.M. Gromov (Zhukovsky city, Moscow region). Tests confirm the correctness of technical solutions. In particular, the aircraft was tested for stability and controllability, its takeoff and landing characteristics were determined, various modes of operation of the power plant were tested, including engine start in flight, the characteristics of the aircraft withdrawal from deep bank roles were determined. A large number of ground tests are being conducted within the programme. In TsAGI strength tests of MC-21 are carried out. The composite wing box tests (completed at the end of 2017) confirmed its sufficient strength for flight operations at the limit modes. Tests of composite units of mechanisation have confirmed their endurance at the maximum possible loads under the most aggressive operating conditions.