Russian President Vladimir Putin and Alexander Inozemtsev, General Designer of ODK-Aviaadvigatel, discussed PD-14 and PD-35 engines for civil and military transport aviation at a meeting in Perm on 19 October. Alexander Inozemtsev told the President about the current state of certification of the MC-21 aircraft with Russian engines.
“There are three MC-21 aircraft flying today. Two, the second one is now being finished in Irkutsk, will arrive in November-December. Thus, three MC-21 aircraft are flying with serial PD-14 engines,” Alexander Inozemtsev said at the beginning of the conversation in the presence of the press.
Apparently, the general designer was referring to the MS-21 prototypes with the flight numbers 73055 and 73057, which are currently in Irkutsk for retrofitting of aircraft systems under the import substitution programme. As well as the first prototype, 73051, which has undergone remotorisation from PW1400G to PD-14 in the second half of 2022. Aircraft 73057 (wing made of Russian PCMs, formerly 73361) is now undergoing remotorisation from American engines to PD-14.
Thus, within the timeframe specified by Alexander Inozemtsev, the certification tests will involve aircraft with flight numbers 73051, 73055 and 73057 – all with PD-14 engines.
The General Designer of ODK-Aviaadvigatel also told the President that a total of eight PD-14 engines have been created at ODK-Perm Motors in Perm, with plans to produce 12 next year and 24 engines in 2025.
“The pace is such that the eyes are afraid, but the hands do,” commented the designer. Inozemtsev also said that the main task for the next few years is to promptly eliminate problems with PD-14, which are bound to appear with the start of commercial operation of aircraft. At the same time, it is necessary to finalise the PD-14, modernise it, and at the same time ramp up production of new engines.
“Our task now – of course, at the beginning of operation there will be “childhood illnesses”, there is no other way – is to promptly eliminate them, modernise and finalise them. These are the tasks of the next few years with simultaneous increase in production volume. This is the situation today with PD-14,” said Alexander Inozemtsev.
Next, without the press, the discussion of the PD-35 high thrust engine took place.
