The FSUE “GTE-RPC “Salut”-produced AL-31FN series-3 engine receives code letter “O1”
April 10, 2014 the AL-31FN series-3 engine's design documentation was approved for full-scale engine production and assigned a code letter “O1”.
Salut has completed a range of works to provide for supply to its Customer (PRC) of the AL-31FN series-3 engines, intended for FX-B aircraft.
The extended equivalent-cyclic testing was performed according to accepted program to test the initial engine operation of 750 hours. The results confirmed the characteristics and performance capability of the engine, fault-free operation of all systems and units as well as the initial operation to first maintenance of 750 hours. The AL-31FN series-3 engine was proved to comply with the performance specification.
The special tests were performed at Salut's test benches to strain-gage the stage 1 and 2 low-pressure compressor blades; the self-oscillation check of the stage 1 low-pressure compressor rotor blades was performed at CIAM (Central Institute for Aviation Motors) with various flight imitation conditions. Results deemed satisfactory.
Additionally, as planned and agreed with the Customer's Representative, Salut performed special tests with the pre-turbine gas temperature increased by 25K, evaluated the performance of the engine at the rotation frequencies of the rotors higher than maximally allowed by 3%, strain-gaged the new pipework, took part in the interdepartmental testing of the engine digital control unit TsRD-99. All results deemed satisfactory.
Flight tests of the AL-31FN series-3 engine, installed in FX-B aircraft, were performed at the facility of Prime Contractor 156 to satisfactory results. The engine was proved to comply with the performance specification.
FSUE “CIAM” has issued the assessment of stability of AL-31FN series-3 engine at the operation time to first maintenance of 750 hours / 1000 flight cycles on the customer's FX-B aircraft.
In order to facilitate full-scale production of AL-31FN series-3 engine at FSUE “Gas-Turbine Engineering RPC “Salut” the Director of the State Defense Order Procurement Department under Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation has initiated the assembly of the inter-agency committee to perform assessment of completeness of the design documentation with subsequent assignment of the code letter “O1” (i.e. full-scale production documentation).
Upon Salut's presentation of the design documentation, the inter-agency committee has attested:
- compliance of the presented design documentation with the technical specification;
- thorough revision of the post-manufacturing and post-testing design documentation;
- compliance of the design documentation with requirements to completeness, content and layout; physical condition of the original documentation and suitability thereof for reprography;
- commonality of the engine and the prototypes: AL-31F series 42 and AL-31FN series 1, 2;
- conformity of the design documentation to the current production;
- compliance of the employed purchased integrated parts with the warranty terms, operation conditions and the documents stipulating use thereof with the engine;
- availability of the calculations and the documented performance stability tests, normative standardization documentation and test programs approved by the Customer's Representative;
- availability of the resolution of use protocols;
- availability of the engine assembly process documentation;
- technological availability of the production for the engines output;
- availability of the description lists of spare parts, tools and accessories;
- completeness of the engine spare parts, tools and accessories and compliance thereof with the description lists;
- provision of the measuring equipment for the in-operation engine checks;
- electromagnetic compatibility of components with the aircraft systems and the airfield equipment;
- commonality of the engine and engine prototypes processes;
- certification of the testing equipment according to GOST.
The Director of the State Defense Order Procurement Department under Ministry of Defense of Russian Federation approved the Inter-agency Committee Design Documentation Inspection Act on 10 April 2014. The AL-31FN series-3 engine's design documentation received approval as full-scale production documentation and was assigned a code letter “O1”.
The compliance of the engine with the specified and between-overhaul operation time is being further ascertained. The extended testing of the engine's between-overhaul operation of 750 hours is being performed.
The initial operation of the first batch of the FX-B production aircrafts with AL-31FN series-3 engines, year of manufacture 2013, is underway at the Customer's (PRC) facilities.
.Btw, there is nothing officially about characteristics of the engine except this old news that engine thrust is increased by 9.8kN and resource by 250 h .