The PD-8 engine, being developed for the updated "Superjet", creates a foundation for heavier power plants – the PD-26 and PD-35. This is not just about a new product, but about transferring technologies, development approaches, and a service model to the next level, explained aviation expert Andrey Velichko.
According to him, the PD-8 should be viewed not just as a separate unit for an import-substituted airliner, but as an element that breaks dependence on the French SaM146 and Ukrainian D-436TP.
The PD-8 also practically solidifies the design and production school, Velichko emphasized. This is important not only from the perspective of unifying solutions but also as a test of the accelerated development approach.
In this sense, the PD-8 forms a technological transition to heavier programs, including the PD-26 and PD-35.
Recall that the main operator of Ukrainian D-436TP engines in Russia was the Be-200 amphibious aircraft. Now it will also be converted to PD-8.
Deputy Head of the Russian Ministry of Industry and Trade Gennady Abramenkov said a few days ago that the PD-8 may receive type certification within a month, although the procedure was originally planned to be completed in April. The deadlines were again "shifted to the right".
