News

24.02.2011

PD-14 Aero-Engine Excites Airlines Interest

In February 2011 Aviadvigatel OJSC, and Perm Engine Company OJSC took part in the meeting of the 2^nd Advisory Committee of Irkut Russian Aircraft Corporation. During the meeting, the representatives of Russian airlines were acquainted with the engines for the Advanced Russian Regional Jet labeled as the МС-21.

The MC-21 Regional Jet is being currently developed for bulk tours along air routes, where, at present, Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 occupy the dominant position. The new Russian aircraft is designed for airways up to 5,500 kilometers in distance and could operate in any climatic regions, at any time of day or night, in good and bad weathers. Compared to aircraft identical in design, the МС-21 will have a more lightweight airframe manufactured from composites and advanced metal alloys. Furthermore, the aircraft will be equipped with new airborne systems of a next generation, have better aerodynamic, etc.

Following the usual world practice, two engines are provided for the MC-21 aircraft. These are the PD-14 (the Lead Product Developer is Aviadvigatel OJSC, Russia) and the PW1400G (Pratt & Whitney, USA). From there, Airlines will have the opportunity to choose the aircraft powered by different engines.

The advanced PD-14 baseline engine from the family of future aero-engines being developed on the platform of the commonality-based high-performance gas generator under the auspices of United Engine-Building Corporation Managing Company is based on the traditional two-shaft turbofan configuration without fan and core airflows mixing. Aside from the MC-21, the PD-14 engines may power such aircraft as the Super Jet-130,
Russian-Indian МТА, modified models of the IL-76 transport aircraft and others.

As explained by experts, the chances of the new Russian engine inspire certain optimism. The engine competitive advantages are high fuel efficiency and low life cycle cost, as well as compliance with the environmental requirements of ICAO standards, etc.

New scientific, research and technological concepts and solutions adopted in the design of the new aero-engines family will give the PD-14 aero-engine and the engine modified models higher competitive power and marketability and, all in one,  bring the Russian engine industry to a qualitatively new technological level.

Such airlines as Aeroflot-RAL, Rossia, Red Wings, Lufthansa, UTair and others attended the Advisory Committee meeting. The results obtained in the process of the first testing phase of the Demo-gas generator of the advanced aero-engines family attracted particular attention and specific interest of the experts. According to the participants in the meeting, the successful and well-timed consummation of one of the key milestones in the development of the baseline engine of the next generation gives evidence showing that the engine can be really developed as scheduled.

Besides the PD-14 engine performance and technical capability, the engine cost was in the focus of Airlines representatives' attention. Alexander Inozemtsev, Aviadvigatel's General Designer, noted that one of the incontrovertible advantages of the Russian engine companies over western partners and competitors should be the price of the engine and the engine life cycle cost as well. Reasonable and adequate steps are currently being made with this end in view. Alexander Inozemtsev emphasized "The key point is that we, for the first time ever in our practice, are designing an engine, which must meet a specified production cost. Thus, the companies' production facilities are properly modified and re-equipped". As explained by the General Designer of the Perm Design Bureau, the price of the PD-14 should not be higher than 10 - 12% of the airplane cost.

Aviadvigatel Open Joint Stock Company (OJSC) is the leading Russian design bureau in the development of gas turbine engines for aviation and industrial applications. The company is a part of United Engine-Building Corporation, which is a 100% specialized subsidiary of OBORONPROM United Industrial Corporation and specializes in the engine companies' assets management and control.

OBORONPROM United Industrial Corporation is a diversified machine-manufacturing companies group formed in 2002. It is a member of the Russian Technologies State Corporation. The key business areas are helicopter industry (Russian Helicopters JSC), propulsion technologies (United Engine-Building Corporation Managing Company), other assets.

 Press Center of Aviadvigatel OJSC