This week’s Farnborough airshow will provide the closest look yet at what Irkut Corp. plans to deliver when it completes development of its MC-21 airliner family. The Russian company has had an almost full-scale mockup of the single-aisle transport produced in the U.S. and it will unveil it here today.
The mockup is 66 feet long and includes the cockpit and part of the passenger cabin (featuring both business- and economy-class seating), as well as the galley and lavatory. According to Irkut, the mockup will show that it has followed through on its design commitment to deliver higher levels of passenger comfort than existing narrowbodies, with a wider cabin, larger seats, improved lighting and more baggage space. It claims that the MC-21 will provide levels of comfort normally associated with long-haul airliners, but Farnborough visitors can to judge for themselves by visiting the new mockup.