00:00In this footage, Russian Aerospace Facilities captures technicians meticulously assembling
00:04and inspecting the next-generation PD-8 turbofan engine. Workers are seen under bright workshop
00:10lighting checking fan blades, core casings, and advanced turbine sections as a fully domestic
00:15power plant sits on a specialized testing stand. This showcase surfaces immediately following the
00:20mid-May 2026 announcement by Rostec that the engine has successfully completed its grueling
00:25certification test campaign. The PD-8, a twin-spool high-bypass turbofan pushing roughly 17,600
00:32pounds of takeoff thrust, has logged over 6,500 total operating hours, including nearly 1,450
00:40flight hours aboard a flying laboratory. To achieve commercial clearing, the engine was subjected to
00:45extreme structural trials, including simulated natural icing, high-velocity bird strikes, and a
00:51final landmark hailstorm test in Rybensk, where it ingested 220 kilograms of ice at supersonic speeds
00:57without losing power. Developed by the United Engine Corporation using scale-down technologies from the
01:03larger PD-14, this system serves as a centerpiece of Moscow's sanction-proof import substitution doctrine.
01:09By entirely replacing the Western-dependent Franco-Russian SAM-146 engine on the newly localized
01:15Yakovlev SJ-100 regional jet, the program acts as a vital operations buffer, preserving domestic
01:22aerospace engineering talent, industrial tooling lines, and skilled workforce capacity despite strict
01:27international supply chain interdictions.
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