February 12, 2011 at 8:06 am
Does anybody know the engine plans for PAK-DA? Is variable cycle being considered?
I read the piece on AW´s Ares blog discussing the potential use of F135 engines on the currently paper NGB, and it made me consider the same possibility with PAK-DA and a SINGLE engine MCA (India). An uprated 117S/127 could power initial MCA flight testing (empty load), and the time-scales for MCA and PAK-DA aren´t really that far apart in the first place. It seems win/win for Russia and India, bringing down both development and operating costs for both platforms and likely an increase in capability vs. ´Snecma Kaveri´ in AMCA.
Pie in the sky? Probably…. I´d still like to know any info on engine plans for PAK-DA 🙂