Dreamliner Killer: What Three-Engine Aircraft Could Be Built in Russia

Aviation expert Marzhetsky called for not wasting time and developing a wide-body aircraft with three power plants at once

Russia is developing a promising PD-35 aircraft engine, which may be useful for a new wide-body passenger aircraft. Expert Sergey Marzhetsky shared his thoughts on the future aircraft, but suggested using three engines instead of the traditional two.

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Three Instead of Two

According to him, very high hopes are pinned on the promising PD-35 in Russia. Without it, it is impossible to create either a competitive wide-body long-range aircraft or a military transport aircraft to replace the aging An-124 Ruslan.

Apparently, in this adjusted project, the PD-26 will widely use technologies developed on the PD-35, and a less powerful engine can really be obtained by 2030. The question is, where can it be put, where can it be put.

According to Marzhetsky, the PD-26 could replace the Ukrainian D-18T series 4 engines with a thrust of 25,400 kgf, which were installed on the An-124.

This would make it possible to really revive the production of a domestic analogue of the Ruslan in Russia, which can only be welcomed. But everything is more complicated with a wide-body civilian aircraft.

Sergey Marzhetsky, aviation expert

Don't Waste Time and Resources

Marzhetsky noted that the thrust of only two PD-26s would not be enough for a long-range aircraft, and four would be excessive and economically impractical.

Therefore, I would like to draw attention to the technical solutions already used by Western competitors to solve this problem. In particular, you can recall the American Lockheed L-1011 TriStar and McDonnell Douglas DC-10 airliners, which were built according to a three-engine scheme.

Sergey Marzhetsky, aviation expert

One engine was installed under each semi-wing, and the third was at the base of the keel. Three is worse than two, but better than four.

Perhaps, Marzhetsky is sure, it makes sense to start developing a modern wide-body aircraft right now specifically for the PD-26 and specifically for the three-engine scheme, so that you don't have to do the same later, but spending precious time and resources on it.

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