Aviadvigatel is preparing for flight testing of PD-14 engine (intended for MS-21 aircraft) onboard the Il-76 flying testbed. It was stated by the Managing Director and General Designer of Aviadvigatel, Alexander Inozemtsev.

«The start of flight tests is scheduled for June 2015. The Il-76 flying testbed has already been delivered to Zhukovsky, however, all the ground tests must be completed first. As for bench testing, the engine No.5 is being tested at the moment, testing of engine No.6 will be started in late December 2014 and engine No.7 – in February 2015. Another 5 engines will join the test program in 2015,» he noted. Moreover, according to Inozemtsev, the testing of engines carried out in thermal vacuum chamber will be started in April 2015.

At the first stage only Perm Engine Company (PEC) will be responsible for assembly and testing of the engines; NPO Saturn will join the testing in 2015. A total of 22 PD-14 engines should be assembled during the first stage of the test program; it is planned to obtain type certificate for the engine in 2017». 

Alexander Inozemtsev also explained that PD-14 has logged several hundreds hours so far, but the program needs to amass around 5000 or 6000 hours to complete the certification process. The engines are fitted with Russian-produced combustion chamber. Testing of an alternative combustion chamber developed by Motor-Sich and Ivchenko Progress (Ukraine) has been successfully completed. At present it is being adjusted in Zaporozhye and then it will be returned to PEC. Both combustion chambers have demonstrated similar characteristics.

As for MS-21 project, Inozemtsev reminded that it is planned to obtain the type certificate for MS-21 airliner in late 2018 and receive EASA certification in 2019.