The new Russian aircraft engine PD-8 differs from previous generation power plants not only in efficiency but also in a fundamentally different control system. Aviation expert Roman Gusarov stated this to "Pervy Tekhnichesky".
According to him, fourth-generation engines used a complex hydromechanical control system with a large number of actuators and sensors.
Its complexity can be compared to an automotive carburetor, only many times more advanced.
In an old engine, the control system is like a carburetor, only multiplied by a hundred in complexity. But in fifth-generation engines, this work is performed by the electronic FADEC system.
Gusarov emphasized that the transition to fully electronic control allowed for simultaneous improvements in engine efficiency and manufacturability. As a result, the PD-8 proved to be more economical, quieter, and simpler to manufacture, despite a higher level of technology.
Also, for the first time, the PD-8 introduced a supersonic high-pressure turbine stage with a pressure ratio of 4. Such technologies are only found in engines of the Boeing and Airbus level.