Russian Civil Aviation: News #5

Kiko wrote:If 500 narrow-body aircraft are needed, then only 100 wide-body aircraft. In addition, narrow-body aircraft can fly long distances, for example, to the Far East, with only one stopover. Therefore, even if there is some shortage of wide-body aircraft, we will still not be left without the ability to fly long distances," Gusarov believes.

Narrow body aircraft can fly pretty long distances. If they put the MC-21-400 in production and increase its fuel capacity there should be no need for stopovers for flying to the Far East.

Kiko wrote:if you take the Chinese analogue of the MS-21, it is completely assembled from Western components, and it has Western engines. China is very vulnerable. If the Americans introduce the same sanctions against China as against us, then all their planes will stop - both foreign and Chinese. And they will not be able to overcome this technologically. And first of all, because they do not have their own engines. But we do.

The Chinese are flight testing their CJ-1000 engine which is an equivalent to the PD-14.

Most of the components used in the C919 are also being produced in China using partnerships between Chinese companies and Western manufacturers. The Chinese are following the same model they did with high-speed rail. Where they started by manufacturing trains in joint partnerships with Western companies and then built their own with only their components.

A lot of people in the industry underestimate the Chinese but I think they will be a major player in aviation over the next decade.

lancelot wrote:Narrow body aircraft can fly pretty long distances. If they put the MC-21-400 in production and increase its fuel capacity there should be no need for stopovers for flying to the Far East.

Yes but it requires more powerful engines which are not yet available.
Possibly PD-14M (easiest, for either standard MC-21-400 or long range version of MC-21-310) or a PD-16 with even a new fan, but which will require further engine tests.

Furthermore I do not know if the stretched and longer range variant has already a good status of development or still needs a few years.

So it will come, but I doubt it will be before at least 2028.

I do not know if it could be faster to do a longer range variant of the Tu-214 as a stop gap.
As far as I know the PS-90 engine installed in the Tu-214 is rated at 16 tons takeoff thrust, but there is a higher thrust variant rated at 17.6 tons which could allow higher MTOW and additional fuel tanks, thus longer range.

Rodion_Romanovic wrote:I do not know if it could be faster to do a longer range variant of the Tu-214 as a stop gap.
As far as I know the PS-90 engine installed in the Tu-214 is rated at 16 tons takeoff thrust, but there is a higher thrust variant rated at 17.6 tons which could allow higher MTOW and additional fuel tanks, thus longer range.

Russia already has a widebody. The Il-96.