Aircraft
MC-21 Receives Outer Wing Made of Russian Composites
The first deliverable copy of the MC-21 will feature Russian-made composites in its wings.

Outfitted with a new wing made completely of locally produced composite materials, Russia’s Irkut MC-21 narrowbody jetliner will begin flight tests later this year, Russian minister for industry and trade Denis Manturov told journalists on Friday. The fitting of domestic composites on the latest MC-21 marks the latest milestone in the Russian aviation industry’s effort to wean itself from reliance on Western products. U.S. sanctions continue to threaten the viability of the program given the original design’s extensive use of Western parts.