RuAviation

The cumulative operating time of PD-8 development engines has exceeded 6,100 hours across ground bench and flight testing, according to the United Engine Corporation (UEC). The figure reflects the late-stage development and certification campaign and includes operations on prototype aircraft as well as flights on the Il-76LL flying testbed.

Total accumulated hours serve as a primary metric for assessing engine operability and reliability and for demonstrating compliance with certification requirements. In the current test cycle, the figure exceeds that of comparable engines at a similar stage of development.

Flight testing is being conducted using three Superjet 100 prototype aircraft powered by PD-8 engines. As of mid-April 2026, the program has completed more than 140 development and certification flights. Recent activities have focused on gas-dynamic stability, climb performance, and high angle-of-attack envelope expansion.

The campaign has also included natural icing trials in the Arkhangelsk region and cabin noise measurements. Parallel bench testing continues to validate operating modes and verify key design solutions.

In late January 2026, one SJ-100 prototype aircraft (tail number 97024) flew to India to participate in the Wings India airshow. The round-trip flights, with a stopover in Tashkent, were incorporated into the test program to further assess engine performance on extended-range routes.

At a March board meeting of the Russian Ministry of Transport, Federal Air Transport Agency (Rosaviatsiya) head Dmitry Yadrov уточнил the certification timeline. Certification of the SJ-100 aircraft is scheduled for July 2026, while PD-8 engine certification is expected in April 2026.

The PD-8 turbofan engine is being developed by UEC-Saturn for the Superjet regional aircraft and the Be-200 amphibious aircraft as part of a broader UEC industrial cooperation program.