Russia to direct over $1 billion to PD-35 engine development

The program is to benefit from the competence accumulated gained during the PD-14 development effort (UEC-Aviadvigatel)

Russia’s United Engine Corporation (UEC) will allocate 64.3 billion rubles ($1.13 billion) for R&D involved in the Aviadvigatel PD-35 engine program. This follows from information posted on the government’s procurement website.

The PD-35 is intended for the joint Russo-Chinese widebody aircraft program, dubbed CR929.

The funding will be allocated to UEC-Aviadvigatel, the company obliged to complete the requisite work from December 25, 2017 through December 25, 2023. According to the contract, 1.8 billion rubles will be provided in 2018. The sum has been earmarked in the federal budget in the form of an increase in UEC’s capital. The amounts for the years to follow will be specified later on. The current plan calls for gradually increasing the annual investment from 4.5 billion rubles in 2019 to 8.1 billion in 2020, 15.46 billion in 2021, 16.56 billion in 2022, and 17.88 billion in 2023.

The PD-35 program is expected to benefit from the competences accumulated during the development of the PD-14 powerplant, which is one of the engine options for Russia’s new Irkut MC-21 narrowbody airliner. In particular, the PD-14 core will be scaled up and an additional stage will be added to the high-pressure compressor.

Seeing as the PD-35 is to be developed specifically for the CR929, the associated technical documentation and certification concept are to be in line with the Chinese aviation regulations. The program has recently passed the critical design review phase, and is progressing toward design definition and the selection of suppliers for systems and equipment.

As reported earlier, overall investment in the project is to reach 160 billion rubles, including 60 billion for the setting-up of test benches and laboratories.