The programme on development of the advanced PD-14 family of engines designed to power future passenger and transport aircraft passed an important milestone when the first start of a PD-14 core engine demonstrator took place at a stand of the Aviadvigatel company in Perm on 26 November 2010. The programme’s priority is to develop an engine to be used as part of the powerplant of the future Russian short-to-medium-range airliner MC-21 under development by the Irkut corporation now. In this connection, the PD-14 programme is of key importance to the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) in terms of commercial aircraft engine development.

The Engines for the MC-21 Programme has been run by Aviadvigatel and the Perm Engine Company since 2000 in cooperation with the TsIAM institute and other Russian aircraft manufacturers. The engine is expected to hit the market in 2015–2016. The programme is being run in a phased manner. The tests of the core engine demonstrator assembled by Aviadvigatel on 28 October last year will have lasted until 2011. At the same time, manufacture and assembly of the full-scale engine demonstrator has been under way since 2009. The full-scale engine demonstrator is to be ready for testing by mid-2012 and is slated for flight tests in 2013. The PD-14 baseline model’s certification is planned for 2014.

The certification trials will be conducted on an open-air test bench of NPO Saturn in Poluyevo near the city of Rybinsk. The Perm Engine Company has launched preparations for production of the advanced engine, having renovated its shops and started construction of the building of a new thermal-resistant coating shop. Aviadvigatel has developed a cutting-edge test bench to test core engines.

The PD-14 is a two-shaft turbofan with separate fan and core flows and direct fan drive. All engines in the family have the same core engine with an eight-stage high-pressure compressor, an annular low-emission combustor and a two-stage high-pressure turbine, and other common units. This ensures their commonality. In particular, the MC-21-300 will be powered by the baseline 14,000-kgf PD-14 turbofan, the MC-21-200 is to be fitted with the 12,500-kgf PD-14A version operating under reduced power conditions, while the MC-21-400 stretch is going to be equipped with the PD-14M variant, with the thrust enhanced to 15,600 kgf by means of a turbine inlet temperature increase and an extra add stage.

The development of the PD-14 engine family for short/medium airliners and freighters was among the issues discussed at the Aircraft Engines of the 21st Century 3rd international scientific and technical conference in Moscow in late November and early December. The conference was dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the TsIAM Central Aircraft Engine Institute. Leaders of UAC, Aviadvigatel and TsIAM delivered a number of reports on the programme.

Mention was made that the modular design allows the baseline PD-14 to spawn a whole family of engines to fit regional and long-range airliners with a seating capacity from 70 to 350 passengers and transport aircraft with a carrying capacity of 10–60 t. The deputy Director General of the UEC joint stock company Alexander Ivakh said at the conference in TsIAM that talks with Sukhoi were under way on the feasibility of using the engine as part of the future 130-seat SSJ-130 derivative and plans were made to discuss with foreign partners proposals for using the PD-14 under the MTA programme. It was said during the conference that the engine family also could include the lower-thrust 7,900-kgf PD-7 and 9,900-kgf PD-9 turbofans as well as more powerfull 18,000-kgf PD-18R gear drive turbofan and even the PD-12V turboshaft engine rated at 10,000 hp.

As for the technical and operational characteristics of the engine family, the developer maintains the PD-14 is to ensure a 10–15% fuel consumption reduction and a 15–20% life cycle cost reduction over the current characteristics. In addition, there will be a hefty noise and emission reduction.

The baseline PD-14’s fan diameter will measure 1,900 mm, bypass ratio will account for 8.5 and specific fuel burn will stand at 0.526 kg/kgf.hr. The weight of the baseline 14,000-kgf engine is estimated at 3,780 kg.

Along with the prime contractors Aviadvigatel and Perm Engine Company, other members of the United Engine Corporation are participating in the development and future full-rate production of the engines of the PD-14 family. They include UMPO, NPO Saturn and NPP Motor as well as the MMPP Salut FSUE. The number of subcontractors is going to grow further down the line. At the conference, Aviadvigatel General Designer Alexander Inozemtsev said that the PD-14 preliminary design was to be considered in April 2011, with part and component suppliers to be selected a year later.