Russia's United Engine Corporation (UEC) has delivered the first two production PD-8 turbofan engines for the Yakovlev SJ-100, another step toward the return of the regional jet to serial production with Russian-made systems.
UEC-Saturn CEO Ilya Konyukhov confirmed that the two engines have been manufactured and delivered to the customer under Russia's civil aviation development program. The PD-8 received its type certificate in June 2026 after several years of development and flight testing.
Follow Air Data News: WhatsApp | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter | Facebook
The engine is one of the most important components of the extensively modified Superjet, which was developed to replace foreign systems used by the original SSJ100. That aircraft is powered by the PowerJet SaM146, produced through a joint venture between France's Safran and Russia's UEC.
Western sanctions imposed after Russia's invasion of Ukraine effectively ended that industrial relationship and restricted access to imported components and technical support. Moscow subsequently accelerated work on a version of the Superjet designed to use domestically produced engines, avionics and other systems.
The PD-8 was developed using technology derived in part from the larger PD-14, which powers the Russian version of the Yakovlev MC-21. UEC says the new engine uses an electronic control system and incorporates changes intended to reduce weight and specific fuel consumption.
Rated at approximately eight tonnes of thrust, the PD-8 was designed primarily for the Superjet but is also planned for the Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft. Its development allowed Russia to replace the SaM146 without redesigning the Superjet around a substantially different powerplant.
Related news
Flight testing of the PD-8-powered Superjet began before certification of the engine itself. The aircraft is part of Russia's effort to restore domestic production of commercial aircraft after sanctions disrupted programs that had relied heavily on Western suppliers.
The delivery of the first two production engines now provides a powerplant set for one serial aircraft. Russia has not disclosed in the announcements how many production PD-8s UEC expects to deliver during the remainder of 2026.
First Deputy Prime Minister Denis Manturov said certification work on the Superjet and MC-21 is approaching completion. Russia is also attempting to increase production of the Tu-214 and begin deliveries of the Il-114-300 as it seeks to replace Western-built commercial aircraft in the country's airline fleets.
