RuAviation

United Engine Corporation (UEC) has finalized preparations and is fully prepared to begin serial production of the PD-8 turbofan engine. This announcement was made in a UEC video featuring comments from Artem Badernikov, Deputy Chief Designer of the PD-8 program.

According to UEC, the first four production engines are scheduled for delivery in 2025, with plans to increase output to 30 units per year in subsequent years. The PD-8 is designed for the new-generation Superjet 100 regional jet and the Be-200 amphibious aircraft.

“We are entering the final phase of certification testing,” said Artem Badernikov. “This stage includes over one hundred rigorous test protocols covering all primary engine systems and assemblies. The Poluevo testing facility near Rybinsk is a state-of-the-art complex where the PD-8 undergoes comprehensive assessments, including crosswind effects, bird strike, hail, water ingestion, and even fan blade-off simulations.”

Badernikov emphasized that such extensive testing is possible only at specialized facilities equipped with advanced technology. He noted that successful operational flights of the PD-8 from the Russian Far East to the Moscow region represent a significant milestone for the Russian aviation industry. Moreover, the production rates achieved at UEC-Saturn are unprecedented in the history of Russian aero engine manufacturing.

The PD-8 builds upon core technologies developed for the PD-14 engine. The use of advanced Russian alloys and domestically produced electronic controls ensures both reliability and high fuel efficiency. UEC engineers have achieved a compressor pressure ratio of 28 and a bypass ratio of 4.4. The specific fuel consumption during cruise flight is below 0.62 kg/kgf·h.

Type certification for the PD-8 is scheduled for September 2025, after which full-scale serial production and deliveries to the Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft plant will commence. UEC is also adapting the engine for the Be-200 amphibious aircraft, which operates under harsher conditions due to frequent exposure to water.

The launch of PD-8 serial production will enable the resumption of Superjet 100 manufacturing in a configuration with fully domestic content. According to Badernikov, current test results and production pace provide a solid foundation for the stable development of the program.