The Russian aviation industry has been diligently engaged in the development and implementation of new engines for civil aviation in recent years. The PD-8 is one of these engines, which is a potential option for medium-haul passenger aircraft. The PD-8 provides a variety of benefits, such as environmental benevolence, reliability, and high efficiency. The PD-8 engine will be installed on a flying testbed, which is a critical step in the certification and testing process. This installation will enable the engine’s performance to be verified under actual flight conditions. This announcement was made recently.
The certification timeline for the PD-8 engine for the “Superjet” (SJ-100) and Be-200 aircraft was postponed from December 2023 to the end of 2024 in late 2023. In 2023, the flight testing of the PD-8 prototype, which was installed on the IL-76LL aircraft, was suspended. Yuri Slyusar, General Director of United Aircraft Corporation, informed the media that the PD-8 engine will be tested as part of the aircraft in 2024. The flight testing program could encompass more than 200 flights.
United Engine Corporation reported in December 2023 that additional work was necessary as a result of the identification of issues during PD-8 testing. Denis Manturov, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade, publicly acknowledged the significant obstacles to the PD-8’s development in late February 2024. He stated, “The PD-8 engine testing issues are perhaps one of the most challenging aspects.”
There are numerous advantages to installing the PD-8 engine on an airborne testbed. The engine will undergo testing in conditions that are as similar to those of real flight as feasible, which will assist in the identification of potential issues and the implementation of the requisite modifications. The engine’s certification for use on passenger aircraft is contingent upon successful testing on the flight testbed. Furthermore, the engine’s dependability and safety for future passengers will be guaranteed by conducting tests on its functionality in actual flight conditions.
The PD-8 engine is capable of being installed on a variety of medium-haul passenger aircraft variants following its successful testing and certification. This would enable Russian airlines to use engines that are manufactured domestically, thereby fostering the growth of the national aviation industry and decreasing their reliance on imported components.
The initial flight of the SJ-100 prototype (tail number 951570), which was equipped with PD-8 engines and foreign avionics, did not occur in late 2023. Ground testing is presently underway for this aircraft. The subsequent phase involves the airborne and testing of the SJ-100 (SSJ-New or “Superjet New”) prototype. Since 2018, the SJ-100 has been under development as a modification of the “Superjet,” which is officially known as the RRJ-95 New-100. This version is designed to incorporate PD-8 engines and the highest possible percentage of Russian-made components, parts, and systems. The new SSJ-100 version included the replacement of 38 systems and components in total.
The aircraft is now equipped with domestically produced systems for air conditioning, braking, electrical power, water supply, and refuse disposal, as well as crew oxygen, air leakage, ice detection, air temperature sensors, landing gear, and passenger seats. Nevertheless, complete import substitution has not been accomplished.
Rostec Corporation stated on March 1 that the SJ-100 (SSJ-New) will not be delivered to airlines until 2026. Led by PAO UEC-Saturn, the PD-8 engine program, which has a thrust of approximately 8 tons at maximal takeoff mode, started in 2019. UEC-Saturn’s research on the Russian-French SaM146 engine has been capitalized upon in the development of this sophisticated engine. The PD-8 is designed to replicate the SaM146’s dimensions.
According to Minister of Industry and Trade Anton Alikhanov, the certification of the SJ-100 equipped with domestic PD-8 engines is anticipated to be finalized by the end of the year, with deliveries of the engines for testing on the SJ-100 scheduled for early 2025.
“As for the engines, we already have the PD-14 certified both separately and for the MC-21 aircraft itself. So, the main issue with the engine there is fully resolved. Currently, some other components are being substituted,” he said.
“The work on the ‘Superjet’ is a bit more ambitious regarding engine development. It began a little later. However, ground tests of the PD-8 are now underway. The engine is ready, and testing is in progress. We expect to receive PD-8 engines for direct aircraft testing early next year. These engines should be delivered at the beginning of the year, and by the end of 2025, certification of the engines as part of the aircraft should be completed,” Alikhanov had said.
Alikhanov noted that minor schedule shifts are not critical. “I believe our aircraft manufacturers have much to be proud of… We should be thinking about exports and the international market. When entering the export market, the aircraft must meet all currently stated technical specifications,” he added, discussing the prospects for the new SJ-100.
“We must aim for this because, once again, our domestic market alone is insufficient to support the expertise and production volume we plan to establish. Therefore, the ministry, together with UAC and Rostec, will also propose new stages in the comprehensive development of civil aviation, including strategies for capturing a share of the international market,” added Alikhanov.
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