The United Aviation Manufacturing Group of Russia stated that the PD-35 engine project for the CR929 wide-body passenger aircraft jointly developed by China and Russia will use parts made of polymer composite materials.
It is reported that the PD-35 engine with a thrust of up to 35 tons will be the most powerful aero engine ever developed in Russia. According to the report, the Russian United Aviation Manufacturing Group stated that the use of polymer composite manufacturing technology to produce engine fan blades is a basic requirement for the PD-35 engine project. If this technology is not used, the engine cannot meet the design performance requirements. Currently, there are two main manufacturing processes for engine fan blades: prepreg and 3D printing. Russia plans to conduct comparative tests on products manufactured using the above two methods in 2021 and release process documents. It is estimated that by 2022, the first batch of fan blade samples will be off the assembly line.
According to the report, part of the test will be carried out on the existing PD-14 engine, and the results may be used in an improved model of this engine. PD-14 is the first domestic-made civilian turbofan engine developed by Russia since the 1980s. On December 15, 2020, the MS-21-310 passenger plane equipped with PD-14 engine made its first flight.
The report quoted Roman Gusarov, editor-in-chief of the Russian Avia news network, as saying that the PD-35 engine and the PD-14 engine are "a family." He said: "The PD-35 will be a brand new engine. The basic technology and achievements of the PD-14 engine will be used on the PD-35. Many (technical) solutions have also been tested on the PD-14."
According to reports, CR929 aircraft can accommodate 250-300 passengers, and it is planned to build about 800 aircraft within 20 years. On July 8, 2020, Ravel Khakimov, president of the Russian Irkut Group Corporation, stated at a meeting of the Russian Federation Council that the delivery of the CR929 passenger aircraft may start from 2028 to 2029.