Air TransportSJ-100 aircraft with Russian PD-8 engines completes water ingestion certification tests
United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) has completed certification tests of the SJ-100 airliner equipped with Russian PD-8 engines at Zhukovsky, confirming the aircraft’s ability to operate safely in the presence of water on the runway, according to the company
The tests, conducted at the Flight Research Institute named after MM Gromov, aim to validate the performance of the domestically produced turbodans under water ingestion conditions.
The PD-8 engine replaces the SaM-146 turbofan, produced in partnership with Snecma of France, which ceased supporting the program after trade sanctions motivated by the Russian military invasion of Ukraine.
Test teams used a standardized water pool measuring over 70 meters in length and 12 meters in width to simulate runway water exposure.
Vadim Shirokikh, test pilot and head of the flight test complex at PJSC Yakovlev’s Regional Aircraft Branch, stated: “During the process of test, it was confirmed that when the aircraft moves, water does not interrupt the operation of its propulsion engines and auxiliary power unit.”
The SJ-100, with a capacity for 100 passengers, replaces the Superjet 100 as part of the Russian aircraft industry’s import substitution initiative, managed by Rostec. Russia expects to deliver the first production aircraft by 2026.
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