MC-21 fire extinguishing system completes first trials

Photo by Leonid Faerberg / transport-photo.com

Technodinamika Holding has completed preliminary testing of the prototype fire protection system developed specifically for Russia’s MC-21 next-generation narrowbody aircraft. According to the holding’s parent company Rostec, the system’s certification is slated for 2017.

The trials were performed at two facilities: Ufa-based Molniya was responsible for testing the control unit, whereas the fire extinguishing subsystems were tested at the Respirator factory outside Moscow.

Curtiss-Wright participated in the development of the system, which started in 2013. The system is 15% lighter than Russian-made equivalents, the developers say. Its life cycle is 30 years, or 80,000 flight hours, or 60,000 cycles.

Although the system was designed for the MC-21, it can be used on other aircraft types, both regional and long-haul varieties. A helicopter version might also be developed. The system’s modular design adds to its flexibility, says a Rostec spokesperson.

Apart from the fire extinguishing system, Technodinamika’s contract with the Ministry of Industry and Trade includes the development of the MC-21’s emergency oxygen system, gas inerting system, and a system for actuating the control surfaces and high-lift devices.

Technodinamika started work on the systems after all the MC-21 suppliers had been selected. In the case of the fire extinguishing system, for instance, its rivalas had been the French company L’Hotellier and Hamilton Sundstrand.

The first MC-21 prototype is expected to be rolled out before year-end. It will represent the 160-seat МС-21-300 version, which should enter service in 2018. The airframer, Irkut, has accumulated a backlog of almost 300 orders for the new aircraft to date.