The baseline model of the PD-14 with the 14,000-kgf takeoff thrust is designed for powering the MC-21-300 airliner. The shorter version, the MC-21-200, is supposed to be equipped with 12,500-kgf PD-14A engines, and the PD-14M enhanced-thrust (15,600 kgf) variant is designed to fit the MC-21-400 stretch.

According to calculations, the PD-14 is on a par with its foreign rivals PW1400G and LEAP-X in terms of fuel efficiency, while having a slightly lower bypass ratio.

The engine development and production efforts have involved most of UEC’s subsidiaries, with the leading part being played by Perm-based Aviadvigatel as prime contractor responsible for the development of the core, fan, low-pressure compressor, low-pressure turbine, engine nacelle, reverser, accessory drive assembly and noise-eliminating structures and by the Perm Engine Company as prime manufacturer responsible for the manufacture of the core, engine nacelle and reverser and for final assembly. NPO Saturn is taking part in the development of the fan and low-pressure compressor, UMPO in the manufacture of the fan, low-pressure compressor and low-pressure turbine, NPP Motor in the development of the low-pressure turbine, Salut (soon to join UEC in coming years) in the development and manufacture of the compressor interstage casing and accessory drive assembly, STAR in the development and manufacture of the FADEC system, etc.

Research into advanced commercial aircraft engines was launched in Perm with support of CIAM as far back as 1999. The requirements specification for the engine to power the MC-21 was released in late 2007. Gate I, during which the PD-14 concept was proven, was passed in July 2008. After that, full-scale engine unit designing as well as development and productionising of critical technologies relevant to the development of a new turbofan family had been launched in Perm within two years. The conceptual design approval (Gate II) was took place in March 2010.

Gate III, which provides the final decision on the engine configuration and preliminary design approval, was cleared in July 2011. In a little more than a year between Gates II and III, the core engine demonstrator was developed and put through the first stage of tests, the high-pressure compressor cleared the first stage of its trials, high-pressure turbine blades were made of advanced efficient-cooling materials and mounted on the core engine and demonstrator units were made of high-strength composite parts in addition to the approval of the preliminary design.

The bench tests of the PD-14’s core demonstrator commenced in Perm in autumn 2010. Its first bench start took place on 26 November 2010. Concurrently, Aviadvigatel launched the manufacture and assembly of the engine technology demonstrator. The latter’s bench tests began in June. In 2014 the demonstrator is planned for kicking off the flight test phase using a Il-76LL flying testbed. The certification of the PD-14’s baseline model is slated for 2014, which is to enable the engine to hit the market in 2015–2016 – bang in the run-up to the emergence of the MC-21.