Modern computer modeling significantly accelerates aircraft creation. But even a single error in the "digital" realm can turn into a problem on a real airliner. That is why it is impossible to abandon testing and the accumulation of operational statistics, explained "Pervy Tekhnichesky" by Andrey Patrakov, founder of the flight safety service RunAvia and former Airbus auditor.
He gave a telling example from the history of the Superjet-100. According to Patrakov, calculations showed one fuel behavior in an emergency situation, but real operation demonstrated another.
Modeling showed that when the strut broke off, the fuel did not spread, but in practice, a series of incidents showed that this was not the case.
Therefore, digital methods can accelerate development, but do not provide an absolute guarantee of the absence of design errors, the specialist emphasized.
Patrakov added that this is especially important for the PD-8 engine. Modern modeling methods allow individual development stages to be completed faster.
However, the final design check only occurs when the engine begins to operate in real conditions.
Recall that in the history of the Superjet-100 airliner, three cases were recorded when a deformed landing gear strut destroyed the wing spar and punctured the fuel tank.
October 10, 2018 – during a rollout from the runway in Yakutsk, May 5, 2019 – during a hard landing at Sheremetyevo, November 24, 2024 – upon impact with the runway in Antalya.