The Russian narrow-body airliner Irkut MC-21, boldly advertised by the manufacturer to have a greater economic efficiency than Airbus and Boeing commercial jets, has another barrier on its way to mass production, previously
expected in 2020. The main specificity of MC-21 − a prolonged wing, called the “black wing”, turns out to have American composites that are now unlikely to arrive due to the imposed US sanctions.
On December 10, 2018, Russian media Kommersant
reported that US sanctions halted the supplies of Russian twinjet Irkut MC-21 composite materials. With reference to anonymous source, Kommersant
wrote that after Washington imposed sanctions on Russian company Aerocomposit (which is a part of United Aircraft Corporation, UAC), delivery of parts coming from American Hexcel and Japanese Toray Industries was abandoned.
According to the source, the composite wing supply cut off would affect aircraft entrance to market date,
delaying it for up to five years. “Now there is an option to use either Chinese composites, that are twice thicker and heavier, or wait for Russian enterprises to create something similar", Kommersant source suggested.