Ground testing of PD-8 engines has begun in Komsomolsk-on-Amur

Ground tests of the newest Russian PD-8 engines, intended for installation on import-substituting aircraft, have begun in Komsomolsk-on-Amur aircraft SJ-100. Formerly the enterprise handed over several copies for installation and subsequent testing work.


The testing will be a key stage in the program to create a domestic aircraft engine that will replace the French-Russian PowerJet SaM146 power plant.

The first aircraft equipped with PD-8 was the experimental aircraft with serial number 95157. It is already equipped with a serial engine, but for now uses imported control systems.


In the coming months, a second aircraft, fully equipped with Russian systems and units, will join the tests. Both aircraft will be included in the certification program, which includes three aircraft. This will allow the PD-8 to be tested in various operating conditions.

To date, 11 airframes of serial SJ-100 aircraft have been assembled in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. After testing and certification, they will receive Russian engines and onboard systems. Deliveries of the first serial SJ-100 aircraft with PD-8 are scheduled for February 2026.

Flight tests of the SJ-100 with a Russian aircraft engine are scheduled to begin in March 2025. It is worth noting that the engine has already undergone a series of tests on the Il-76LL flying laboratory at the Gromov Flight Research Institute. More than 20 test flights have been completed.

At the same time, work is underway in Irkutsk to replace the medium-range airliner MS-21-310 with imports. The prototype aircraft has already been put under power, and its first test flight is scheduled for the summer of 2025.

In the future, a completely Russian airliner will be created on the basis of the MS-21-310, which will be able to meet all customer requirements.

In addition to installation on the SJ-100, the PD-8 is being considered as the main aircraft engine for the Be-200 amphibious aircraft. A modification for heavy transport is also being developed. helicopters, which will expand the scope of its application in aviation.


We remind you that the PD-8 is a two-circuit turbofan engine developed at the UEC-Saturn enterprise. The latest domestic materials and technologies were used in its creation, as well as experience working on the more powerful PD-14.

The engine has a maximum thrust of 8056 kgf, and its bypass ratio is 4,4 units. As part of the tests, UEC specialists use computer modeling methods. This allows optimizing the refinement process and accelerating certification.