Volga-Dnepr Airlines transported a part of MC-21 aircraft body to Zhukovsky. The compartment was delivered by An-124-100 from Irkutsk to Ramenskoye airport on February 25.
Given the substandard compartment dimensions (11.5 meters long, 4.7 meters wide and 4.2 meters high), the loading was performed using special rigging, as the gaps between the cargo and Ruslan cabin outline were at their minimum. The rigging had been designed and manufactured as a result of cooperation between Volga-Dnepr Airlines and Irkutsk Aviation Plant experts.
Previously, Volga-Dnepr had already transported similar loads, in particular, the body of a British Aerospace airplane and the body of SuperJet 100 for ZAO Sukhoi Civil Aircraft.
The prototype metal compartment of MC-21 body parallel portion was fabricated by Irkutsk Aviation Plant and delivered to the Central Aero-Hydrodynamic Institute named after Professor NE Zhukovsky for testing purposes. MC-21 is a new-generation passenger jet, creation of which is envisaged by the Federal targeted program “Development of civil aircraft equipment of Russia for the period until 2015” and is one of the key projects of Russian aeronautical industry in the civil aviation sector.