Irkut MC-21 Airliner To Undergo Windtunnel Tests With New PD-14 Engine

Irkut MC-21 airliner will soon be undergoing windtunnel tests with the new Russian-made PD-14 high-bypass turbofan, developed by United Engine Company (UEC) subsidiary Aviadvigatel.

Central Aerohydrodynamics Institute researchers are to examine the flight characteristics of the twinjet, FlightGlobal reports. The institute says this will include simulation of high angles of attack, and assessment of the aircraft in take-off and landing attitudes.

The PD-14 is designed as an alternative to the Pratt & Whitney PW1400G geared turbofan to power MC-21, the Russian aerospace industry’s new single-aisle competitor to the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX families.

Aviadvigatel designed the PD-14 to offer specific fuel consumption 15 per cent better than current-generation Western engines such as the CFM56 family and the IAE V2500 and to offer 99.96 per cent dispatch reliability, the product description by the design bureau states.