Rostec the parent company of Sukhoi Civil Aircraft (SCAC) has revealed that work on a new engine for the Sukhoi SSJ100 regional airliner, the PD-8 has commenced to replace the SaM146 power plant currently produced by Powerjet, a 50:50 joint venture between France’s Safran and Russian NPO Saturn.
“Based on the solutions used in the PD-14 gas generator for MC-21, we are developing the PD-8 engine. This is a power plant with a wide range of applications – it can be used both as part of the Superjet and Be-200 (amphibious), and can be used in promising helicopters,” according to the first deputy general director of Rostec State Corporation Vladimir Artyakov
Replying to questions by a TASS reporter earlier this week who asked at what stage is the import substitution project for the SSJ100? When will the aircraft receive a domestic engine? Whether such an engine was needed at all, Artyakov said, “The question whether this project is needed is not even raised. Russian aircraft must use Russian engines. Otherwise, we become vulnerable: sanction pressure, as we see, is often used as an instrument of unfair competition.”
We plan to create a gas generator (PD-8 engine) next year, to pass certification in 2023. The investment volume is sufficient to ensure that all work to create a new engine is completed efficiently and on time, Artyakov added.
Regarding the PD-14 engine for the MC-21 airliner he said – We have already transferred the first PD-14 engines to Irkut Corporation for installation on an airplane. Currently, they are being installed on the airliner. Our specialists are making every effort to ensure that the first MC-21 with Russian engines takes off in 2020.
News of the of the PD-8 engine first emerged at the MAKS 2019 air show. Executives of Russia’s United Engine Corporation had mentioned of the project to defenseworld.net as a possible replacement for the current SaM146 over apprehensions that critical components for it may be denied due to European Union sanctions against Russia.
