RuAviation

In Komsomolsk-on-Amur, the prototype Superjet 100 aircraft, registration number 97012, has now completed its tenth flight equipped with PD-8 engines. This was announced by the press office of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC).

“During the flight, which lasted 3 hours and 20 minutes, the aircraft reached an altitude of 12,200 metres and a speed of Mach 0.81. The total operating time at this altitude was approximately two and a half hours,” the statement read.

In accordance with the test programme and flight plan, the tenth flight included an assessment of the fuel efficiency of the PD-8 engines at maximum altitude. At medium altitudes, the engine’s operability was tested under zero-g conditions – a state of weightlessness was achieved.

UAC noted that this was the first time engine tests had been conducted on an aircraft at such altitudes, speeds, and g-forces. “Following the flight, the PD-8 engines demonstrated stable operation in all tested modes,” UAC added.

Aircraft 97012 was manufactured in 2018 for the Irish airline CityJet. Its maiden flight took place on 2nd March 2018. In the mid-2010s, the aircraft participated in a test programme for aerodynamic wingtip devices for the SSJ100 – ‘saberlets’.