According to some reputable and well-known sources, VVS RF (Russian Air Force) should receive a certain number of a new Sukhoi aircraft in 2017, and that:
-10 aircraft KnAAZ – Komsomolsk-on-Amur Aircraft Plant (ПАО “Компания “Сухой” “КнААЗ им. Ю.А. Гагарина”) produced Sukhoi Su-35S, powered by two Saturn AL-41F-1S (изд. 117C), twin-shaft, TVC, afterburning turbofans (fan diameter: 36,7 in / 932,0 mm; BPR: 0,65:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 23,10:1, each rated at 86,30 kN / 8.800 kgf / 19.401 lbf dry and 142,20 kN / 14.500 kgf / 31.967 lbf with the afterburner,
-17 aircraft IAPO – Irkutsk Aircraft Production Assocaition (ПАО “Корпорация “Иркут”) produced Sukhoi Su-30SM, powered by two Saturn AL-31FP (изд. 96), twin-shaft, TVC, afterburning turbofans (fan diameter: 35,6 in / 905,0 mm; BPR: 0,56:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 22,87:1, each rated at 74,56 kN / 7.600 kgf / 16.756 lbf dry and 122,62 kN / 12.500 kgf / 27.558 lbf with the afterburner and
-16 aircraft NAPO – Novosibirsk Aircraft Production Association “V.P. Chkalov” (“НАЗ” “Новосибирский авиационный завод им. В.П. Чкалова”) produced Sukhoi Su-34, powered by two Salyut AL-31F M1 (изд. 99M1), twin-shaft, afterburning, turbofans (fan diameter: 36,4 in / 924,0 mm; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 24,00:1, each rated at 80,90 kN / 8.250 kgf / 18.188 lbf dry and 132,40 kN / 13.500 kgf / 29.762 lbf with the afterburner.

The images are the links to the articles …

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Once the PAK FA / T-50 / Изделие 701 become fully operational with the new Изделие 30 (Type 30) engines, I see no reason why the group of the engines of the lower, but superb, performances, Saturn AL-41F-1S (изд. 117C) and Salyut AL-31F M2 (изд. 99M2/99СМ), could not be amended with those engines that currently represent the top Russian technology in the construction of the military aircraft engines, AL-41F-1 (изд. 117) and Salyut AL-31F M3 (изд. 99M3) and, as such, find their applications, not only on some Russian fighter jets, like Su-30SM, Su-33, Su-34 and Su-35S, but also on those export versions of the Su-27 and Su-30 aircraft, not only as the part of the future newly-supplied aircraft but also as the part of the existing aircraft’s upgrade. So far, all the versions of Sukhoi Su-30 aircraft, as those export so and those Russian Su-30SMs, have been powered by the Saturn AL-31F either Saturn AL-31FP TVC turbofans. I wonder if there is any special reason why all the above mentioned engines could not become a great and highly profitable export products as the propulsion units for the future or those already existing Chinese J-11/16/15 (Su-27/30/33), Su-35SK, Su-30MKK and Su-30MK2 aircraft, Indian Su-30MKIs… I am aware of the fact it does not depend only on engines’manufacturers alone (their interest is, of course, to sell as much as they can produce) but on the decision brought by the Russian Federation’s President, Prime Minister, Federation Council, State Duma and Russian Ministry of Defense, but here we talk about the contracts of a very high value and of a high national interest. Once, for example, when China, extremly large market for the Russian aviation industry, become capable of designing and producing their own engines, that huge market for the Russian factories will start disappearing, so it is better to use the opportunity while it’s there because later on it might be just too late. Saturn AL-41F-1S, proven, and Salyut AL-31F M2, probably, are already in China. In a several years, once the Izdeliye 30 become operational, Saturn AL-41F-1 (изд. 117) and Salyut AL-31F M3 (изд. 99M3) engines could find their way to China, the same way as will Saturn AL-41F-1S (изд. 117C) find its way to India for their Sukhoi Su-30MKIs…

For example; the Salyut AL-31F M2 (изд. 99M2/99СМ), twin-shaft, TVC, afterburning turbofan (fan diameter: 924,0 mm / 36,4 in; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 26,09:1, rated at 142,20 kN / 14.500 kgf / 31.967 lbf on the afterburner, could be a low-cost option for the remotorization of Su-27, Su-30 and Su-34 fleet now operated by the Russian military and is likewise deliverable to the foreign customers. The technical specifications and requirements of Su-27SM and Su-34 aircraft, currently powered by Salyut AL-31F M1 (АЛ-31Ф серии 42/изд. 99M1), twin-shaft, afterburning turbofan (fan diameter: 924,0 mm / 36,4 in; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 24,00:1, rated at 132,40 kN / 13.500 kgf / 29.762 lbf on the afterburner, call for the engines with the increased thrust and improved fuel consumption, with the Salyut AL-31F M2 fulfilling these needs. The installation can be performed without any rework of the aircraft and could take place in the field conditions. My personal opinion is that this engine is quite comparable and on a par with the Saturn AL-41F-1S, recently used on RuAF’s Sukhoi Su-35S and PLAAF’s Sukhoi Su-35SK aircraft.

The 117S twin-shaft turbofan engine (fan diameter: 932,0 mm / 36,7 in; BPR: 0,65:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 23,10:1, originally known as the AL-37FU, now being marketed under the designation AL-41F-1S, is one of the most sophisticated and powerful variant of the AL-31F (изд. 99В) engine produced to date. It features 86,30 kN / 8.800 kgf / 19.401 lbf of dry thrust, 142,20 kN / 14.500 kgf / 31.967 lbf with the afterburner, Thrust Vector Control (TVC) system for the enhanced aircraft maneuverability, similar to that of the Saturn AL-31FP (изд. 96) engine. The Saturn 117S turbofan engine introduces a wider fan (932 mm compared with 905 mm in AL-31F), advanced low- and high-pressure turbines, and all new digital control system (FADEC). The service life of the 117S engine is 4.000 flight hours with the time between overhauls (TBO) increasing by 2 x to 1.000 flight hours compared with AL-31F service life of 1.500 flight hours and TBO of 500 hours. The new engine time for the first overhaul is 1.500 flight hours. NPO Saturn built five prototype engines, with the first engine entering the test program in March 2004. The engine development was funded by Sukhoi (40%), NPO Saturn (30%) and UMPO (30%). The first production 117S engine was shipped to KnAAPO (now KnAAZ) in early 2007 to undergo flight tests, powering the first Sukhoi Su-35BM prototype. The engine is produced by .
I am especially interested in the future of the AL-31F M3 (изд. 99M3), twin-shaft, TVC, afterburning turbofan (fan diameter: 924,0 mm / 36,4 in; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 3F–6HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 27,72:1, rated at 150,04 kN / 15.300 kgf / 33.731 lbf on the afterburner, the engine that was competing with Saturn AL-41F-1 (изд. 117) for the propulsion of the Sukhoi PAK FA / T-50 aircraft. Unlike the basic Saturn AL-31F (изд. 99В) engine and all its derivates produced by both Saturn and Salyut, including the latest Saturn AL-41F-1S (изд. 117C) and Saturn AL-41F-1 (изд. 117) engines, and that were designed on the 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT engine architecture, the Salyut AL-31F M3 engine was designed on the 3F–6HPC〧1HPT–1LPT architecture, with an all new 3-stage KND 924-3 fan/LP compressor and 6-stage HP compressor as and a new KLIVT thrust vector nozzles (also used on the MiG-29 derivatives: MiG-29M OVT – TVC demonstrator and recently presented MiG-35). Actually, the architecture of the new Izdeliye 30 engine, 3F–5HPC〧1HPT–1LPT, in a much greater extent resembles the one of the Salyut AL-31F M3 engine, 3F–6HPC〧1HPT–1LPT, than the engine architecture of the basic AL-31F engine and all its derivatives, 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT, regardless of whether they were designed by NPO Saturn or MMPP Salyut.

In the comparison with the NPO Saturn, the company MMPP Salyut was receiving somehow smaller part of the cake on the Russian market with their AL-31F M1 engine that found its place on the Russian Su-27SM, Su-33M and Su-34 aircraft, but was recording notable successes on the Chinese market with the custom-made engine on which the engine’s and aircraft’s accessory gearboxes were mounted beneath, and aimed for the Chinese CAC J-10 lightweight multirole fighter aircraft, where the J-10A was powered by AL-31FN (изд. 39) twin-shaft, afterburning turbofans (fan diameter: 905,0 mm / 35,6 in; BPR: 0,56:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 22,87:1, rated at 114,74 kN / 11.700 kgf / 25.794 lbf on the afterburner, and those later models of the aircraft, J-10B/C, by AL-31FN series 3 engine, rated at 122,58 kN / 12.500 kgf / 27.558 lbf on the afterburner. Salyut also offers AL-31FN M1 (изд. 39M1), twin-shaft, afterburning, turbofan engine (fan diameter: 924,0 mm / 36,4 in; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 24,00:1, with the new KND 924-4 fan/LP compressor (FPR: 3,68), rated at 132,39 kN / 13.500 kgf / 29.762 lbf on the afterburner. This is, very probably, custom-made version of the already known and above mentioned Salyut AL-31F M1 (АЛ-31Ф серии 42/изд. 99M1) twin-shaft TVC afterburning turbofan engine, but with the engine’s and aircraft’s accessory gearboxes mounted beneath, the same way as on the Salyut AL-31FN (изд. 39) engine and its sub-series. To my knowledge, China was receiving, so far, the engines with the conventional nozzles only. The current version of the Salyut AL-31FN engine with TVC has a thrust of 124,54 kN / 12.700 kgf / 28.000 lbf on the afterburner…

Since the Salyut has been Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group‘s preferred engines’supplier, it should not be a complete surprise if the custom-made engine model Salyut AL-31F/FN M2, twin-shaft, TVC, afterburning turbofan (fan diameter: 924,0 mm / 36,4 in; BPR: 0,61:1; engine architecture: 4F–9HPC〧1HPT–1LPT), OPR: 26,09:1, rated at 142,20 kN / 14.500 kgf / 31.967 lbf, indeed is Chengdu Aircraft Industry Group J-20‘s current powerplant, before than the Shenyang Aircraft Corporation WS-10B or WS-10G/IPE engine which design was based on the CFM56-7 engine’s core, and all until the appearance of the long-awaited and frequently mentioned SAC WS-15 (manufactured by Xi’an Aero-Engine Company) engine.

One thing is sure; every Russian (military) aircraft’s engine factory with such a great potential as undoubtedly are JSC NPO “Saturn” (ПАО “НПО “Сатурн”), “MMPP “SALUT” (“ММПП “Салют”), JSC “Klimov” (АО “Климов”), JSC “Kuznetsov” (ПАО “Кузнецов”), JSC “UEC-Aviadvigatel” (АО “ОДК-Авиадвигатель”) and AESTC “Soyuz” (ОАО АМНТК “Союз”), backed by a huge financial resources that may come from a very rich source, such as China, is able to develop its program far easier and faster, but a lot of that depends on the way how are the policy and national interest involved in the whole story. One of the key things in making some decisions is certainly the fact that such a rapidly growing and evolving China may pose a threat to everyone.

Interesting time ahead of us, but unfortunately and very unsafe …

Mario

Tu-160M2 production – Part 2

In the order to renovate a production of NK-32 engines, the (United Engine Corporation) has been implementing a program of re-equipment of production and testing facilities of (JSC “Kuznetsov”) just to re-engine front-line strategic bombers Tu-160M/M2. In the connection with the issuance of the initial batch of NK-32 series 02 engines in 2016, the plant continues intensive reconstruction of the fixed assets and infrastructure. During the project, the company has been developing a new technologies like large-sized magnesium castings and titanium casting of large-sized shapes. In 2016, the new test benches was put into operation for aircraft engines and another batch of machine tools will be bought. The complex of these measures will improve the quality of products and significantly reduce the time of manufacture of products thus increasing the production volumes. According to the Federal Target Program (FTP), 8 billion rubles was allocated to the program plus the own funds of the United Engine Corporation (UEC) by about the same amount. Total of about 17 billion rubles should be spent up to 2020 on that program.
In 2015 JSC “Kuznetsov” transfered to the Ministry of Defence the first NK-32 series 02 engine, and in 2016 the plant plant released 5 engines intended to equip the strategic bomber Tu-160M, and in the period 2020-2030 several tens of NK-32.02 engines will be delivered to the Russian military…

A few articles on the development of new NK-32.02 engine…

Please, just click on the images to read the articles

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No matter of the engine’s limitations, conditioned by its architecture and the core’s geometry, there are still many opportunities for the engine’s improvements: in its aerodynamics, higher rotational speeds, improved combustors, higher working parameters (temperatures, pressures – FPR, CPR and OPR, TIT, mass flow…), stronger cooling of the thermally most loaded engine’s sections, using of the new sophisticated materials like the CMC (Ceramic Matrix Composites)…

There is no doubt that the new NK-32.02 engine is thermally and mechanically more loaded engine, in comparison to its predecessor, but thanks to new materials used in its production, it will be at least as durable and reliable as the one before, and at the same time much more efficient. Thrust? I expect it to be noticeably higher. How much? We’ll see …

Kind regards

Mario