NAIS-2025: UEC Unveils PD-8 Engine at Moscow Expo

PD-8 engine at the NAIS 2025 / Photo by © UEC

United Engine Corporation (UEC) showcased the PD-8 turbofan engine at the NAIS 2025 exhibition in Moscow. The PD-8 is designed to power the SJ-100 short-haul airliner and is a key component of Russia’s import substitution programme within its aerospace industry. It will replace the Franco-Russian SaM146, previously installed on Superjets. This announcement came from the UEC press office.

The PD-8 is being developed by UEC-Saturn. The engine’s design incorporates cutting-edge technologies and achievements from the Russian engine-building sector, developed during the creation of the PD-14 engine. This includes the use of additive manufacturing for certain components. This approach accelerated the new engine’s development process, although challenges have slowed down certification and the start of series production. According to the Comprehensive Aviation Industry Development Programme, UEC is scheduled to produce 24 PD-8 units in 2025, but certification within the SJ-100 aircraft configuration is still pending.

“Only a handful of countries worldwide are capable of building their own aero engines, and Russia is among them. At NAIS, UEC is presenting a range of domestically-produced engines for passenger aircraft. The main novelty, without a doubt, is the PD-8 for the SJ-100 short-haul airliner, which is being showcased to the general public for the first time. Work on all these projects is entering the home stretch: necessary engine trials are underway, and simultaneously, we are ramping up capacity for series production,” said Vladimir Artyakov, First Deputy Director General of Rostec State Corporation.

According to him, the first flight of the SJ-100 powered by PD-8 engines is expected imminently, followed by the final stage of certification – flight testing in the aircraft configuration.

Preparations are currently underway in Komsomolsk-on-Amur to begin testing two SJ-100 prototypes: airframe 97012 (MSN 95157) with PD-8 engines and partial replacement of imported components, and airframe 97003 – with PD-8 engines and full replacement of imported components. The maiden flights of these aircraft are projected for the first half of 2025.

Following factory acceptance tests, the aircraft will be relocated to Zhukovsky, where they will be incorporated into the certification flight programme. Type certification for the import-substituted aircraft under the SSJ-New programme is scheduled for December 2025.

The PD-8 is a high-bypass turbofan engine, where a portion of the air compressed by the fan passes through the compressor, combustion chamber, and turbine, providing thrust and power. The other portion of the air passes through the outer duct, creating additional thrust and increasing the engine’s efficiency.

The NAIS 2025 exhibition also features the PD-14 engine and the TV7-117ST-01 turboprop engine, intended for the Il-114-300 regional aircraft. Additionally, the company’s stand showcases the VK-1600V helicopter engine, designed for medium-class helicopters.

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