08.11.2012
Moscow/November 08, 2012. The United Engine Corporation and the Irkut Corporation have presented MS-21 aircraft with Russian-made fifth-generation PD-14 engines to the state client.
The presentation of the promising family of close- and mid-range MS-21 aircraft with Russian-made fifth-generation PD-14 engines for state clients – the Russian Ministries of Defence, the Interior, and Emergency Services, the Russian Federal Security Service, and the special flight division Rossiya under the Russian Presidential Administration – took place on October 30 in the demonstration hall of the Irkut Corporation in Moscow. The significance of this meeting of aircraft builders and potential clients for the new type of aircraft was due to the fact that in contrast to commercial aviation, state authorities can only purchase aircraft whose key components (including engines) have been manufactured in our country.
Irkut Corporation President Oleg Demchenko addressed those gathered for the presentation. High-profile people from the Irkut Corporation presented information about how the MS-21 program is going, specifics of the construction of the airframe, the special guidance system, electronic equipment, the interior, and also about the technological preparations for production and aftersales servicing for MS-21.
Igor Maximov – Deputy Chief Designer at Aviadvigatel and Chief Designer of PD-14 – spoke about the special operational characteristics and the current work to create the family of fifth-generation engines based on a unified gas generator. The Head Producers – Perm Engine Company – was represented by Alexei Suchalkin, Head of PD-14 project, and Sergei Polenov, Deputy Head of the aviation engine division. They presented reports on the progress of establishing production of PD-14 at the Perm Engine Company in cooperation with leading Russian engine-building companies, the technical retooling of the company, and also about organizing systems of aftersales servicing and accompanying the operational launch of the engines.
As was noted by representatives of state authorities who are potential clients for MS-21 aircraft with PD-14 engines, the project as presented largely meets their needs both on operational characteristics, and on the degree of localization of production within Russia. Thanks to the use of the unified gas generator, the family of 8-18 ton lift engines, developed and due to be made in Perm, meet the technical parameters for all modifications of this type of aircraft. They can also be used in the joint Russo-Indian transport airplane the MTA, and in the Sukhoi Superjet with expanded capacity (130 seats), whose production has already been agreed in principle.
Head of PD-14 project at Perm Engine Company Alexei Suchaklin:
“Looking at the total package of characteristics on MS-21 aircraft, PD-14 engine is the equal of any modern foreign analogue. A number of advanced technical solutions, such as for example the hollow blade ventilator, bring the technological potential of this family of engines up to a competitive level with those from international engine-builders (in addition to the Perm engine-builders, such technology is being actively used by just two other manufacturers – Rolls Royce and Pratt&Whitney).
The broad cooperation on the production of PD-14 allows us to apply to this project all the potential of our country’s entire engine-building industry. In particular, the hollow blade ventilator, high-pressure compressor rotors, low-pressure turbines, central drive case and connection, are being made at the Ufa Engine Industrial Association, which has the technology for titanium and aluminium smelting and electro-laser welding for large machine parts, which is unique, being specially created technology using linear friction welding. The preparation of the low-pressure compressor modules (LPC) and the intermediate casing is the responsibility of NPO Saturn (Rybinsk), which has practical experience in international cooperation on planning and mass producing LPC for SaM-146 engine. The possession of modern equipment to manufacture the cogs with an increased degree of accuracy allows Salyut (Moscow) to make the necessary parts for the central case and connection. Perm Company Star, which has experience in planning and manufacturing automated guidance systems and fuel systems for various aviation engines, is making these for PD-14.
In this system of cooperation, the function of making individuals parts (the high-pressure compressor starter, the combustion chamber, the high and low pressure turbines) as well as of final assembly, testing, sales, and aftersales service all falls to the Perm Engine Company, which has been confirmed as the lead producer of the only Russian fifth-generation engine for civil aircraft. This is ideal given the company’s existing and constantly improving technological potential, as well as its possession of a flexible, multi-tiered system to ensure seamless continual operation of engines, developed over 20 years of operation of PS-90A engines and which is the equal of any western manufacturer in terms of service methods. This system is already ready to take the new product and ensure that it works efficiently on the wing, which significantly lowers risk to operators at the most difficult, initial stage of use of the new type of Russian aviation technology.
Perm Engine Company (PMZ) mass produces aviation engines for civil and military applications, as well as industrial gas turbine units for power stations and gas transportation.
PMZ is a part of the United Engine Corporation, a wholly-owned subsidiary of OBORONPROM specializing in engine-building assets.
OBORONPROM is a multi-faceted machine-building group of companies, founded in 2002. It is a part of the Russian Technologies Group of Companies. Its primary activities include helicopter building (Russian Helicopters), and engine-building (UEC).