Photo courtesy of United Aircraft Corp.
Russian airframe manufacturer United Aircraft Corp. completed the maiden flight of the MC-21-300 commercial aircraft at the airfield of Irkutsk Aviation Plant (IAP) May 28. Being a modern aircraft, the MC-21 incorporates a large number of computer-controlled systems that automate and support safety-critical flight functions.
This flight was the first “wheels-up” test of its capabilities. While this may have been the first time the onboard avionics and computers have been tested in flight, they have been successfully integrated and tested on the ground thanks to TechSAT’s Avionics Development System ADS2. This platform enabled UAC-IC (UAC’s Integration Center) to ensure the correct functioning of all avionic computers prior to the first flight test.
Features, functions and various operational scenarios were all tested during every phase of the design and development to ensure maximum safety and superior performance of the onboard avionics.
“The special feature of TechSAT’s solutions for the MC-21 simulation systems is that they integrate all the LRUs involved and the cockpit into a real hardware-in-the-loop setup. Collaboration with the UAC Integration Center was particularly trustworthy and extremely constructive,” said Marco Häde, director of operations at TechSAT.