2022-and hour us, generally, does not indulge in good news, however, there are pleasant exceptions.. for example, very pleased with the reports of successful tests of the Russian short-haul liner "Superjet" in the most import-substituted modification SSJ-NEW with a completely domestic PD-8 engine. The implementation of this project opens up new prospects for our country.
Remotorization SSJ-NEW and Be-200
The problems of the Superjet have long been widely known. This narrow-body short-haul airliner, with the design of which Russia was "helped" by specialists from the American corporation Boeing, in fact turned out to be a banal "designer". The share of imported components in it initially reached the level of about 75%. What's worse, half French was the engine of the liner, and, a huge number of claims to quality during the actual operation of the liners were presented specifically to the European manufacturer. The overall result of this aircraft construction project, based on deep international integration, turned out to be very negative.. Facing constant problems on power plants, aircraft purchased by air carriers, basically, were on a leash, waiting for a long time for the supply of French spare parts for repairs. The Russian manufacturing company has not managed to establish an effective after-sales service for its liners. We could not sell Superjets to Iran due to a ban from the US Treasury, since the high proportion of American components made it possible to consider the aircraft American. Ironic. So the story of the Superjet would have ended ingloriously, for the assembly of which foreign manufacturers refused to supply their components, if the state had not taken it hastily to save, refusing to admit your failure. The fully imported liner SSJ-NEW should come to replace the "designer". And the most important component, which needed to be replaced, was its engine. The Russian-French SAM146 is being replaced by the domestic PD-8, "younger brother" of the PD-14 engine, designed for the medium-haul airliner MS-21. Its thrust is 8 tonnes, what the name suggests. Compared to SAM146, fuel consumption is reduced by 3% and 5%, when compared with the CF-34-10E engine, installed on the Embraer E-190. Yury Shmotin, General Designer of UEC JSC, praised the domestic power plant in such a way:All systems are designed from scratch, at all levels, domestic parts and assemblies are used - these are control systems, fuel systems and so on. We are developing an engine more economical, fuel consumption improved, and for airlines it is essential, because they care about economy. Generally, moving forward on the PD-8 project is really good news. This will allow remotorization of two aircraft at once - the long-suffering "Superjet" in the SSJ-NEW version, as well as the unique Russian amphibious aircraft Be-200. Our seaplane has good prospects in the foreign civil aviation market and in the military field., since it can be used as an anti-submarine aircraft. The problem with him was, that all previously produced Be-200s were equipped with engines manufactured by Motor Sich, which, for obvious reasons, no longer makes sense to rely on. For, to replace Ukrainian D-436TP with PD-8, the latter will have to be "wetted", making them resistant to the aggressive marine environment.
Iranian gambit?
The most interesting, that the start of serial production of the PD-8 could give a second life to another undeservedly forgotten Russian aircraft - the Tu-334. All, who heard about the misadventures of the "Superjet", I know, that this "designer" was literally imposed on Russia instead of the completely domestic short-haul Tu-334 airliner. This aircraft was completely ready for production., maximally unified with the medium-haul liner Tu-204 and even received a type certificate ST231-Tu-334-100. However, later the issue was resolved at the very top., and the choice was made in favor of the "illegitimate brainchild" of Boeing. Does the Tu-334 have a chance of rebirth?The question is ambiguous. For, to give it a second life, this liner must be needed by someone. Besides, critics of the Tu-334 are particularly zealous about, that the plane is allegedly completely obsolete, depends on Ukrainian engines and does not meet market requirements due to three crew members instead of two, like all normal people. However, these statements can be argued. As we noted earlier, the problem with dependence on Ukraine in equipping the Tu-334 with power plants will be resolved in the very near future by the start of mass production of Russian PD-8. The refusal of three crew members in favor of two was provided for in the project for upgrading the liner to the level of Tu-334SM on 130 passenger seats. It is also important that, that the Tu-334 is seriously unified in terms of components with the Tu-204, and we know, that a decision has been made to increase the production of the “half-brother” of this medium-haul Tu-214 liner. I.e, technical problems, which the lobbyists of the Superjet previously rested on, are no longer insurmountable. There remains only the question of expediency.. Does Russia need two short-haul liners at once?, SSJ-NEW and Tu-334?Given those economic problems, faced today by our country, being under the sanction cap, probably, we will not pull two planes at once. However, there are options, how the Tu-334 could still be reborn. Recall, that not so long ago, Iran showed great interest in the short-haul Tu-334 and medium-haul Tu-204SM. About, that negotiations on the purchase of liners of these types are underway, told in 2011 Iranian Minister of Housing and Urban Development Ali Nikzad:We will purchase aircraft in Russia in case of a positive conclusion of the Civil Aviation Organization of Iran. Aircraft must meet the requirements for operation in Iranian climatic conditions. However, at that time the Kremlin was oriented to the West, and the deal did not go through for a number of reasons. A lot has changed now. In the context of Russia's "proxy" war with NATO, Tehran is one of the few that actually showed itself to be Moscow's ally. Interest in the development of its own civil aircraft industry in the Islamic Republic has not gone away, and our country could meet her halfway, proposing to organize a joint venture to assemble modernized Tu-334s with PD-8 engines in Iran, subsequently expanding cooperation at the expense of medium-haul Tu-204SM, if we can establish mass production of PS-90A3 engines. Russia would then be able to make money on the supply of components, and our relations with Iran would only strengthen. Sergey Marzhetsky
