Russian aircraft designers have tested the operability of the PD-8 engine for the Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional passenger aircraft in the event of a potential collision with a flock of birds. This was the penultimate cycle of bench tests before the power plant is certified.
The tests took place at the "ODK-Saturn" site in Rybinsk. The engine, which was in maximum take-off mode with a thrust of 8 tons, was fired at with "birds" from a four-barreled gun. Four carcasses were released from the unit in 1 second.
Engineers simulated the conditions of a potential emergency. The carcasses were thrown into the PD-8 fan, taking into account the aircraft's speed of 103 m/s, which it maintains during take-off or landing.
The so-called birds hit the fan blades and the aerodynamic fairing. During the experiment, the engine was not damaged and remained controllable, said Sergey Mosin, Deputy Chief Designer of the PD-8 for the nacelle and integration with the aircraft at ODK-Saturn. According to him, the PD-8 is able to withstand "an encounter with a flock of birds."
Rostec reported that the engine certification will be completed in the near future. It will be installed on import-substituted Sukhoi Superjet 100s, which are scheduled to be delivered in 2026.
