RuAviation

The United Engine Corporation (UEC) has delivered the first examples of the PD-8 turbofan engines to the Yakovlev Production Centre in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, for installation on SJ-100 prototype aircraft for flight testing. This delivery marks a new stage in the aircraft’s certification programme. This was announced in a press release by Rostec State Corporation.

“Rostec’s enterprises are rapidly completing the import substitution programme for the SJ-100’s main systems and components. The PD-8 engines have been delivered to our aircraft manufacturers in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, who, together with representatives from UEC, will carry out final adjustments directly at the factory and prepare the aircraft for its maiden flight with domestically produced powerplants. Our goal is to begin flight testing and certification of a fully Russian airliner as quickly as possible,” said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy Director General of Rostec.

The PD-8 engine, developed using experience gained from the more powerful PD-14, is a high-bypass turbofan. To reduce certification timescales, the PD-8 design extensively utilises computer modelling techniques, allowing for the optimisation of the powerplant’s design and performance characteristics. This approach enables an accelerated engine entry-into-service timeline while maintaining high standards of safety and reliability.

It has previously been reported on multiple occasions about the preparation of two SJ-100 prototype aircraft: 97012 (mfr. no. 95157) and mfr. no. 97003, for flight testing with PD-8 engines. In 2023, Kirill Kuznetsov, Chief Designer of the Superjet 100 at the Yakovlev Production Centre, reported at a plenary session of the VI All-Russian Congress of Engineers in Komsomolsk-on-Amur, on the first engine start-up within the aircraft. Aviation of Russia website contacted its source at the Gromov Flight Research Institute (LII) for clarification regarding the “first” PD-8s delivered.

“I don’t recall UEC announcing the delivery of PD-8s to Komsomolsk for flight testing. The engines that were delivered to the factory underwent ground tests and checks. There was a lot of fine-tuning work going on there. Now, the PD-8 prototypes that underwent testing on the flying testbed and on the SJ-100 aircraft itself will be removed and sent for analysis. Remember, it was similar with the PD-14 prototypes; they were removed, new ones were installed, and those that had served their purpose were sent to Perm for complete disassembly and inspection. It’s the same here. Therefore, the engines that Rostec announced today are the first ‘operational’ ones that will get the prototype aircraft airborne,” the source explained.

It is anticipated that the aircraft fitted with the new PD-8s will soon begin flying. After the completion of factory acceptance tests (FAT), the aircraft will be redeployed to Zhukovsky, where they will join the certification flight programme.

In addition to the SJ-100, the characteristics of the PD-8 allow for the consideration of its use on other aircraft types, including the Be-200 amphibian aircraft. Furthermore, UEC is working on creating a domestic powerplant based on the PD-8 for heavy-lift transport helicopters, which expands the potential application of this engine and strengthens the position of the Russian industry in the field of aviation and helicopter engineering.