On Monday, November 2, 2015, the first Chinese
large-airliner aircraft rolled out, namely the C919. This aircraft was built by
COMAC (Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China), intended to compete against
the A320 and the B737, and seats approximately 168 passengers. Although the
C919 is striving to attain Western certification from the FAA, it has yet to do
so, thereby limiting the countries where the aircraft can operate. However, the Russian Irkut MC-21, which made
its debut in January 2016, may prove to be more of a contender than the C919.
Contrary to popular belief, the Russian aircraft is not the ‘underdog’ of this
discussion. Albeit the MC-21 is not scheduled to enter service until 2020, it not
only has the potential to truly rival Airbus and Boeing, but also possesses a
stronger chance at attaining FAA-certification than the C919.
1.
Provide
some background on Russia and their affiliation with the UAC. Furthermore,
briefly describe the background/history of the UAC.
The PJSC UAC came into existence on February 20th,
2006, in accordance with RF Presidential Decree No. 140. The primary purpose of
the company’s existence was to protect and develop the scientific and industrial
sectors of the Russian aircraft industry (United Aircraft Corporation [UAC],
2017). This would be done in efforts to protect, develop, and enhance both the
security and defense of the state (Russia) in addition to the concentration of the
intellectual, industrial, and financial resources, thereby increasing the
(successful) implementation of long-term aviation programs. According to the
UAC (2017), In April 2015, the JSC UAC adopted a new name, rather, changed its
full name to the Public Join-Stock Company “United Aircraft Corporation”, becoming
known as the PJSC UAC. Presently, the UAC is one of the most prominent forces and
key facilitators in the global aviation market, consisting of 30 enterprises,
and holds rights to numerous world-renowned brands. Such brands include, but
are not limited to, the following: Sukh, Yak, SSJ 100, and the MS-21 (UAC
2017).
According to the UAC (2017), the PJSC UAC’s
primary priorities consist of the following: ensuring the production of
goods/services are of top-quality, conducting timely execution of contracts
under the State Defense Order, development of effective and full-scope
international cooperation with foreign (aviation companies), and
forming/developing technological advancement for the promotion of domestic
products available on the global market.
Design, production, testing, operation,
warranty, and service maintenance of aircraft for both civilian and military
purposes comprise the bulk of the UAC priority activity areas. These service
areas serve as important guidelines for the UAC as they provide structure (or
principles) to the organization. According to the UAC (2017), these areas are
primarily accomplished by the companies working and focusing on the spheres of
modernization, repair and disposal of aircraft, and by means of emphasizing
(proficiency) training and qualification upgrading of flight crewmembers. With
the UAC being primarily owned by the Russian Government, it is no surprise the
largest share in the UAC’s production structure is dedicated to the manufacture
of military products. However, the military products being produced are for
both the RF Ministry Defense (of Russia) as well as foreign buyers (UAC 2017).
For this to occur, the UAC must be extremely efficient and effective in terms
of production, quality, and assurance. This is denoted by the fact that in
2013, nine aircraft repair plants, which were previously owned by the RF
Ministry of Defense, were transferred to the control of the UAC. According to
UAC (2017), one year later, in 2014, the serviceability (i.e. product quality,
assurance, and satisfaction) of the RF Air Force Fleet increased by 25% (from
40% to 65%). This 25% increase in the area of serviceability in only 12 months
is significant and truly exemplifies the overall efficiency and effectiveness
of the UAC. Albeit the PJSC UAC concentrates the majority of its focus on
military production, the company intends to balance the scales by producing
more civilian aircraft in the future. Specifically, the PJSC UAC hopes to
substantially perpetuate its civilian market through the implementation of
upgraded SSJ100s in conjunction with the launch of the MS-21 aircraft family
(UAC 2017).
With respects to long-term viability, the
company has developed a strategy extending to year 2025, in hopes to quadruple
their current revenue. Subsequently, achieving such a revenue increase will
empower the PJSC UAC to attain a sales-profitability level earning the company
a minimum net profit of 10% (UAC 2017). Achieving a 10% (minimum) net profit is
extraordinary, and the fact the company still has eight years to do so should
instill fear in other manufacturers since the potential of increased
competition and long-term viability are extremely plausible for the PJSC UAC.
The company is currently headquartered in
Moscow, Russia, and has several assets located throughout the various regions
of the country. However, the company also embarked in several business ventures
with other companies within (foreign) countries, in attempts to grow, expand, and
build relations to strengthen the PJSC UAC’s (aviation) presence and long-term
viability (UAC 2017). Due to possessing working partnerships with companies
operating out of India and Italy, the PJSC UAC employees over 98,000
individuals, which is quite remarkable for a company only 11 years old,
relatively new to the industry, and not currently viewed as a contender by
other aircraft manufacturers.
2.
What
types of aircraft does the UAC currently make and/or specialize in? How does
this differ from the types of aircraft COMAC manufactures?
The PJSC UAC currently manufacturers various
aircraft in four main categories, which are as follows: Civil aviation,
Military aviation, Transport (category) aircraft, and Special Purpose. The
II-96-300, Tu-214, Tu-204SM, the Sukhoi Superjet 100, AN-148, and the MS-21 are
the six aircraft that comprise the PJSC UAC’s civil aviation sector of
production (UAC 2017). Of these six aircraft, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 is
arguably the most successful because of its efficiency and prominence within
the Russian industry. The newest aircraft in this lineup of civil aviation
aircraft is the MS-21, which Russia intends to develop variants of and launch
in efforts to begin balancing their military aviation production and perpetuate
their global presence with respects to civil aviation. As I mentioned earlier,
since the company came into existence in 2006, the majority of production
efforts have focused on military production to not only enhance the RF Ministry
of Defense, but also for the creation and later sale of military aircraft to
foreign customers. According to the UAC (2017), the military aviation sector is
composed of 14 aircraft with the most notable being the MiG-35, MiG-29K, and
Yak 130. With respects to the category transport aircraft, the PJSC UAC only
produces two aircraft, namely the MTS and II-76MD-90A. The Multi-Purpose
Transport aircraft, or MTS, is currently in the design stage and is being
developed by Hindustan Aeronautic Limited (HAL), which is based out of India
(UAC 2017). The intended purpose of the MTS is mass transport, primarily
transporting soldiers (or paratroopers), goods, technology, supplies, etc., for
military purposes. The last category offered by the PJSC UAC is Special Purpose
aircraft, which consist of only one aircraft, namely the Be-200. The Be-200
conducted its first flight in 1998, and is categorized as an amphibious type.
According the UAC (2017), the primary function of this aircraft is to
extinguish forest fires from either the water or air. When the Be-200 is not
being used for special purposes (e.g. fighting forest fires), the aircraft can
perform other functions including cargo transport, search and rescue missions,
environmental monitoring, and patrol of the exclusive economic zone and
maritime borders.
As mentioned previously, the PJSC UAC
manufacturers aircraft to fulfill four main categories. This differs largely
from the types of aircraft the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC)
manufacturers primarily because COMAC only manufacturers one category (or type)
of aircraft. That said, the only type of aircraft COMAC manufactures is for
commercial transport. To facilitate commercial transport services, COMAC
utilizes two aircraft, namely the ARJ21 and C919. The ARJ21 is a regional jet
aircraft produced by COMAC and is akin to that of the CRJ-200 and -900 series. This
aircraft seats approximately 78 to 90 passengers, has a range of 1201 nautical
miles (or 2225km) to 1997 nautical miles (or 3,700km), and is the first
short-medium range turbofan aircraft to be developed by China in accordance
with regulations established by the International Civil Aviation Organization
(Commercial Aircraft Corporation [COMAC], 2017). On December 30th,
2014, the ARJ21 obtained type certification from the Civil Aviation
Administration of China (CAAC), but has yet to attain certification from the
FAA despite submitting the appropriate certification paperwork described under
FAR Part 25 (COMAC 2017). Albeit the ARJ21 was the CAAC’s first aircraft to be
manufactured (and apply for Part 25 certification), it is not COMAC’s most
notable or prominent aircraft. The C919 is COMAC’s pride and joy (more or less)
and can seat approximately 158 to 174 passengers, has a range of 2200 to 2999
nautical miles (or 4075 to 5555km), and was created to compete against the
Airbus 320 and Boeing 737 (COMAC 2017). The aircraft made its first debut on
November 2nd, 2015, and recently received dual-simultaneous type
certificates from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and FAA. Albeit
the C919 has been more successful in terms of Chinese certification than its
regional jet counterpart, the C919 has yet to receive (full) FAA certification,
thereby limiting where the aircraft can be flown. Essentially, the PJSC UAC
differs from COMAC in the fact that the UAC produces aircraft in four
categories as opposed to COMAC who only produces one. Furthermore, the UAC currently
manufactures six aircraft within the civil aviation sector, which is four more
than that of COMAC.
3.
Describe
the specifications of the Irkut MC-21. What makes this aircraft more of a
viable threat to the Airbus NEO and Boeing 737 Max than the C919?
The MC-21 will come in two variants, the
MC-21-200 and MC-21-300. Since the MC-21-300 is the base model of the Irkut MC
program, it will be manufactured first followed by the MC-21-200 variant once
the -300 model enters Russian air carrier service (Bhaskara 2017). The
MC-21-200 variant, which is akin in size to the Airbus A320, will seat
approximately 140 passengers in a traditional two-class configuration. The
larger, MC-21-300 variant will seat approximately 170 passengers in the same
traditional two-class configuration, and is similar in size to that of the
Boeing 737-900ER (Bhaskara 2017). Additionally both the -200 and -300 variant
aircraft are capable of flight over 3,000 nautical miles. Specifically, the
-200 is capable of flying approximately 3,500 nautical miles while the larger,
-300 possesses the capability to fly approximately 3,200 nautical miles
(Bhaskara 2017). This 3,000 plus nautical mile range provides these aircraft
with the capability to conduct transcontinental routes similar to those typically
flown by Airbus and Boeing aircraft in the U.S. Consequently, when/if Russia
enters these aircraft into service and/or attains the appropriate
certifications, their MC-21 fleet will gain an advantage and become more of
threat to Airbus and Boeing in terms of U.S. competition.
According to Russian Aviation Insider (2016), in
a standard two-class configuration, the MC-21-200 and MC-21-300 are designed to
accommodate 132 and 163 passengers, respectively. In this same two-class
configuration, the maximum number of passengers the MC-21-200 and MC-21-300 can
hold are 165 and 211, respectively. The Maximum Take-off Weight (MTOW), Maximum
Landing Weight (MLW), and Maximum payload of the MC-21-200 are 159,967lbs.
(72,560kg), 139,111lbs. (63,100kg), and 41,667lbs. (18,900kg), respectively.
These same parameters in their respective order for the MC-21-300 are 174,716lbs.
(79,250kg), 152,339lbs. (69,100kg), and 49,824lbs. (22,600kg). The maximum fuel
for both the MC-21-200 and -300 is the same at 44,974lbs. (20,400kg) (Russian
Aviation Insider 2016). With respects to aircraft dimensions, the MC-21-200 and
-300 aircraft share the same wingspan (117ft. and 7in. or 35.9m), height (37ft.
and 7in. or 11.5m), and fuselage width (13ft. and 3in. or 4.06m). According to
Russian Aviation Insider (2016), the only measurement in which the MC-21-200
and -300 differ is in their aircraft length, in which the -200 is 110ft. and 8in.
long (33.8 m), while the -300 is 29ft. and 6in. longer than the -200 series at
140ft. and 4in in length. In regards to the aircraft’s power plant, the new Irkut
MC-21-300 will come equipped with two Pratt & Whitney 1400 Gear Turbo Fan
(GTF) engines, empowering the aircraft to be achieve a maximum range of 3,239
nautical miles (or 6,000km). As an added bonus, the aircraft purchaser will
have the option to outfit the MC-21-300 (or -200) with the traditional
Russian-made PD-14 engines for the power plant system (Russian Aviation Insider
2016). The Pratt & Whitney power plant option is the most (fuel) efficient,
but the fact the aircraft comes with a second power plant option only increases
the viability of the new Russian aircraft, thereby making it more of a threat
to the new aircraft made by Airbus, Boeing, and COMAC.
There are several factors, specifically
pertaining to aircraft performance parameters, which make the Russian Irkut
MC-21-300 aircraft much more of a viable threat (in terms of competition) to
the Airbus NEO and Boeing 737 Max than the C919.
The first of these parameters is the power plant
system. According to Russian Aviation Insider (2016), the COMAC C919 is
equipped with two CFM LEAP-1C engines. Although these engines are fuel-efficient
and recently received a dual-simultaneous type certification from the EASA and
FAA, they do not provide adequate flight range. The CFM LEAP-1C engines only
provide the C919 with a maximum range capability of 2200 nautical miles (or
4075km), which is 1309 nautical miles (or 2425km) less than what the power
plant systems of the Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320neo provide. However, the two
PW 1400 GTF engines composing the power plant of the Irkut MC-21-300 provide
the aircraft with a nautical range of 3239 nautical miles (or 6000km), which is
1039 nautical miles (or 1925km) more than the range of the C919 (Russian
Aviation Insider 2016). The fact the MC-21-300’s power plant only provides 270
nautical miles less than that of the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX, but 1039
miles more than the C919 is a prime reason why the MC-21-300 is more of a
viable threat.
The seating capacity of the MC-21-300 is yet
another parameter in which this aircraft showcases its superiority to the C919.
According to Russian Aviation Insider (2016), the number of passengers (in a
traditional two-class configuration) the C919 can hold is 156, which is 6 and 9
less than that of the Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320neo, respectively. The
MC-21-300 however, can accommodate 163 passengers, meaning the MC-21-300 is the
second-highest passenger seating aircraft in comparison to the Boeing 737MAX, Airbus
A320neo, and the C919. In fact, the MC-21-300 not only seats 7 more passengers
than the C919, but also seats 1 more than Boeing 737MAX, and only 2 less than
the Airbus A320neo. Thus, not only can the MC-21-300 fly farther than the C919,
this aircraft can also carry more passengers than both the C919 and the Boeing
737MAX. Consequently, the nautical range coupled with seating capacity makes
the MC-21-300 aircraft more of a competitive threat to the new Boeing and
Airbus aircraft than the C919.
The MTOW of an aircraft is an important
performance factor that should also be considered. The MTOW of the C919 is
170,417lbs. (or 77,300kg), which is 10,780lbs. (or 4890kg) and 3748lbs. (or
1700kg) less than the MTOW of the Boeing 737MAX and Airbus A320neo, respectively
(Russian Aviation Insider 2016). The MTOW of the MC-21-300 however, is
174,716lbs. (or 79,250kg), meaning it has the second-highest MTOW in comparison
to the Boeing 737MAX, Airbus A320neo, and C919. Furthermore, the MTOW of the is
4299lbs. (or 1950kg) more than the C919 and 551lbs. (or 250kg) more than the
Airbus A320neo. This entails the MC-21-300 is second only to the Boeing 737MAX
(in regards to MTOW) by 6481lbs. (or 2940kg). The fact the MC-21-300 can take
off with a higher payload than that of the C919 and the Airbus A320neo only
strengthens the notion that the Irkut MC-21-300 is more of a competitive threat
to the new Boeing and Airbus aircraft than the C919 is.
4.
Do
you think the Irkut MC-21 will receive FAA certification before the C919, and
if so, would it pose a threat to the newly refined aircraft manufactured by
Airbus and Boeing?
Yes, I firmly believe the Irkut MC-21 will
receive (full) FAA certification before the C919 because Russia has had great
aircraft manufacturing success in the past, primarily with their Sukhoi
Superjet aircraft. According to Bhaskara (2016), the Sukhoi Superjet was
arguably one of the most successful aircraft to be manufactured (and
distributed) outside of the global “Big Four” manufacturers, namely Airbus, Boeing,
Bombardier, and Embraer. The success of the Superjet was denoted by its 368
orders, 100 of which originated outside of Russia from foreign air carriers
(Bhaskara 2016). The fact the Sukhoi Superjet was such a success and attracted
global popularity demonstrates the relatively new Russian aviation industry and
its governing officials were on the right track with respects to their design,
aircraft manufacturing quality, and global marketing. Russia’s initial success
leads me to believe they know what they are doing and it is because of this why
I believe the MC-21 will receive FAA certification before the C919.
The FAA certified the Pratt & Whitney
1400GFT engines in May 2016, only four months after the aircraft’s debut and
with relative ease (since they were in the prototype phase). This coupled with
the fact the PW 1400GFT engines are scheduled to be receive their Russian
aviation authority certification in 2018, and certification from the EASA in
2019, exemplifies how quick, efficient, and knowledgeable the Russian aviation
authority is with their aircraft certification application process (Russian
Aviation Insider 2016). It has taken COMAC years (approximately nine) to get at
least one part of the C919 certified by the FAA, specifically their CFM engines,
while it has only taken Russia less than two. Furthermore, COMAC currently has
two aircraft in the works, namely the C919 and ARJ21, of which the older ARJ21
has yet to be certified by the FAA. Thus, the fact the Russian MC-21 has
already received certification of its power plant system with two more planned
to occur within the next two years, is yet another reason why I believe the
MC-21 will receive (full) FAA certification before the C919.
As stated previously, the Irkut MC-21 will come
with two power plant options, which are the Pratt & Whitney 1400GFT and the
(traditional) Russian PD-14 engines (Zhang 2016). Offering two types of power
plants provides potential MC-21 customers with options, and no matter what the
market, customers love having options, especially if one of those options will
save them money long-term. The Pratt & Whitney 1400GFT will be the standard
option equipped on the MC-21 because it is the more fuel-efficient option as
opposed to the PD-14 Turbofan option, which is available if customers favor
power (thrust) over fuel-efficiency. Albeit the power plants equipped on the
Airbus NEO, Boeing 737MAX, and C919 aircraft were designed with fuel-efficiency
and range in mind, the manufacturers did not offer more than one engine option.
Therefore, the two power plant options provided by the Russian MC-21 is one
aspect that makes it competitive against Airbus and Boeing, more so than the
C919.
According to Zhang (2016), the MC-21 will be
composed of a vast amount of lightweight materials such as carbon fiber
reinforced plastic and fiberglass composite body panels. Consequently, the
lighter parts will lessen the overall weight of the aircraft, thereby reducing
the fuel used and saving the air carrier money when conducting flights. Additionally,
since the MC-21 aircraft will be primarily composed of lightweight materials,
it has the potential to carry a slightly heavier payload such as passengers
and/or cargo, than its competitors (e.g. Airbus A320neo, Boeing 737Max, or
C919). Furthermore, the cabin space of the MC-21 is also slightly wider than
that of its competitors, ensuring the extra passengers the aircraft can carry
are comfortable (Zhang 2016). Thus, if the MC-21 becomes FAA certified, I
believe it will pose a threat to the newly refined aircraft manufactured by
Airbus and Boeing because of its lighter-weight components, fuel-savings, and
increased (passenger) cabin space.
One of the major selling or marketing points of
the Irkut MC-21 conveyed by Russian manufacturers are how its unique design and
layout will enhance passenger accessibility and ultimately increase (air
carrier) operational speed. Anyone who travels (either frequently or
infrequently) knows one of the most stressful aspects pertaining to commercial
air travel are the processes of enplaning and deplaning. However, the Irkut
MC-21 aims to mitigate the associated stress of deplaning by expediting this
process through the use of pivot-type overhead bins (Zhang 2016). The goal of
these pivot-type overhead bins is to enhance passenger accessibility, allowing
passengers easy and quick access to their luggage, thereby preventing aisle
congestion and pandemonium during the deplaning process. However, the true,
broader aim of the Irkut MC-21 is to decrease the time it takes for an air
carrier to complete a ‘turn’ by 20% (Zhang 2016). Based upon my previous work
experience at a Part 121 air carrier, ‘turns’ for an aircraft akin to the size
of the MC-21 were allotted 40 minutes for completion. The MC-21 will supposedly
empower air carrier ground crew(s) to reduce this 40 minute ‘turn time’ by 20%
(or 8 minutes), meaning the aircraft can be in and out of the gate in only 32
minutes, which is extraordinary. This 20% ‘turn time’ reduction will be
facilitated not only through the use of pivot-type overhead bins, but also
larger lavatories. These larger lavatories will grant aircraft cleaners’ enhanced
maneuverability within the lavatory to clean and/or replace necessary items,
resulting in a decreased cleaning time and faster boarding process. The fact
the Irkut MC-21 was designed with a time-saving layout and includes amenities
to reduce air carrier turn times by 20% is one of the more prominent reasons
why I believe the MC-21 will pose a threat to aircraft manufacturers such as
Airbus and Boeing if it were to receive FAA certification.
Essentially, I strongly believe the Irkut MC-21 will
receive FAA certification before the C919 not only because Russia has had
extreme success in the aviation industry with their Sukhoi Superjet, but also because
the MC-21 has already received (engine) certification from the FAA.
Furthermore, this certification from the FAA came within two years of the
aircraft’s debut as opposed to the nine years it took COMAC for their C919.
Additionally, there are several (performance) reasons why I believe the MC-21
would pose a viable threat to the newly refined Airbus and Boeing aircraft more
so than the C919. These reasons include the following: the MC-21’s power plant
system will consist of Gear Turbo Fan technology and be more fuel-efficient, customers
will have the option between two power plant systems, the aircraft can carry
more passengers and a heavier payload, possesses a higher MTOW, and can fly
significantly further due to its nautical range.
References
Bhaskara,
V. (2016). Farnborough: can the Irkut MC-21 follow in the superjet’s footsteps?
Airways. Retrieved from
https://airwaysmag.com/industry/farnborough-can-the-irkut-mc-21-follow-in-the-superjets-footsteps/
Commercial
Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). (2017). ARJ21. Products & Service. Retrieved from
http://english.comac.cc/products/rj/
Commercial
Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC). (2017). C919. Products & Service. Retrieved from
http://english.comac.cc/products/ca/
Russian
Aviation Insider. (2016). MC-21 Irkut: newest Russian narrow-body aircraft. Russian & CIS Commercial Aviation
Insights. Retrieved from
http://www.rusaviainsider.com/irkut-mc-21-russian-aircraft/
United
Aircraft Corporation (UAC). (2017). History. United Aircraft Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.uacrussia.ru/en/corporation/history/
United
Aircraft Corporation (UAC). (2017). Products. United Aircraft Corporation. Retrieved from http://www.uacrussia.ru/ru/aircraft/
Zhang,
B. (2016). Russia just unveiled its new Airbus and Boeing challenger. Business Insider. Retrieved from https://amp.businessinsider.com/russian-irkut-ms-21-airbus-boeing-2016-6
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