The latest high-power gas turbine engine PD-35 can be significantly lightened by introducing new composites. This work is already underway, said Vladislav Antipov, General Director of the NRC "Kurchatov Institute" - CRISM "Prometey".
It is planned to introduce polymer composite materials for the manufacture of a wide-chord fan blade. A weight reduction of up to 30% can be achieved by using composites in the design.
Antipov added that heat-shielding coatings based on ceramic materials have also been developed for power units, which can withstand up to 1250 °C on the surface.
Assistant to the President of the NRC "Kurchatov Institute" and Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences Evgeny Kablov added that the unification of engine materials, in particular in the blades, is very important. This approach also leads to a reduction in weight.
Let's say the engine [thrust] is 35 tons. There are 11 stages of the compressor, with 90–100 blades in each stage. Then there are two turbine stages, with 80 blades in each. It is important to understand that unification is necessary.
In March 2026, it became known that a new test bench for testing prototype PD-35 engines is being built in the Perm region. The investment is estimated at 3.7 billion rubles.
As a reminder, Russia does not yet have an aircraft for the PD-35. There were ideas to "re-shoe" the wide-body Il-96 under it, but re-motorization would require rebuilding the entire structure of the aircraft, aviation expert Roman Gusarov warned.
