"Expensive and Long": Former Vice President of UAC Explains Why the PD-35 Project Was Shelved

Leonid Komm, former vice president of the United Aircraft Corporation (UAC, part of the Rostec Group), said that the ambitious PD-35 aircraft engine project was sacrificed for a cheaper analogue - the PD-26. At the same time, the technologies developed for the "dream engine" still found application.

According to him, the designers, during the work, nevertheless came to the conclusion that more money and time are needed to produce power plants with a thrust of 35 tons, but even 26 tons is enough for the aircraft under discussion.

They decided that it was faster and cheaper to make an engine for 26 tons than to make one for 35 tons, but long and expensive. Since a modern turbojet aircraft engine is technically and in terms of the materials used much more complex than the aircraft itself, the creation time of the engine, as a rule, is 12-15 years, while today the creation time of the aircraft is 8-10 years, so engine builders must work ahead of schedule.

Leonid Komm, former vice president of UAC

At the same time, Komm is sure that the technologies used in the creation of the PD-35 will not disappear and will be used. The former vice president of UAC recalled that when a new product is created, a whole complex of new technologies immediately appears.

For the PD-14 engine, it was about 15 new technologies that had not been mastered in the country, for the PD-35 - about 20: a new gas generator, engine, new materials... The indicators that are laid down in the new line of PD-35 engines, the PD-14 simply would not be able to handle.

Leonid Komm, former vice president of UAC

Former Deputy Minister of Civil Aviation Oleg Smirnov stated that, at the suggestion of the country's top officials, additional money will be invested in the development of the PD-35 . There is no aircraft for the power plant yet. However, its "younger brother" PD-26 will also not appear in the next 5-7 years, aviation expert Roman Gusarov noted. The final tests of the PD-26 will be carried out at a flying laboratory.

Earlierwww1.ru reported thatODK-Klimov revealed all stages of production of aircraft engines for Il-114-300 and Ansata.