MOSCOW. Nov 14 (Interfax-AVN) - Certification flight tests of the upgraded engine for the 64-seat Il-114 passenger plane will be completed this month, a source in the Russian defense industry told Interfax-Military News Agency on Monday.
"The Il-114 is being prepared for the flights that are to confirm successful results of operational development performed on the engine. Two to three flights are scheduled for November. They are to round up the flight stage of the engine certification as part of the aircraft," the source said.
The St. Petersburg-based Klimov plant, which developed the upgraded TV7-117SM engine for the Il-114, has already received a certificate for the engine. "Now the engine will be certified as part of the aircraft," the source noted.
The TV7-117SM engine is tested on the Il-114 plane that carries special hardware designed by the Radar-MMS research and production enterprise, also based in St. Petersburg. "The hardware is being tested in the interests of the Defense Ministry, and the tests are funded by this ministry," the source said.
"We cannot continue with tests of the Radar-MMS enterprise's hardware as long as the performance of the upgraded engines is not evaluated," he noted.
Experts say that TV7-117SM differs from the baseline TV7-117S engine by enhanced takeoff capacity, improved reliability and better quality. Its capacity in the emergency mode is up to 3,500 hp. Maximal takeoff capacity is up to 2,800 hp. The overhaul period is 6,000 hours, and specified service life is 20,000 hours.
Mass-production of Il-114 planes is handled by the Chkalov aircraft production association in Tashkent. The enterprise has a backlog of 30 planes of this type.