MOSCOW, April 28 (AVN) - The feasibility study and the choice of a new engine for the AN-38 local airlines plane have been accomplished at the local Baranov aviation engines development institute, Vladimir Skibin, the institute's director, said Friday.
Three engines were introduced for the purpose: the TVD-20 developed by the Omsk motor-building design bureau, the VK-1500 of the Klimov state-owned plant, and the TVD-1500 of the Rybinsk Motors enterprise, Skibin told the Military News Agency.
It was decided to form the certification schedule of AN-38 with TVD-20 engines, as the most prepared for batch production.
The Omsk motor-building design bureau, headed by Valentin Kostogryz, is known as the developer of the KA-25 Hormone Navy helicopter power system and a turbo-rotor engine for hover ships. The TVD-20 engine was developed on a conversion programme for the AN-3 agricultural plane.
In the course of the tests the bureau has already produced 20 such engines with a total of 7,500 working hours. In the beginning of February this year, the company received a quality certificate for the engine and is currently working on the certification of AN-3 equipped with TVD-20.
TVD-20 develops 880h/p at cruising speed and 1,375h/p at takeoff. AN-3 will be fitted with one engine and AN-38 with two.
The mass production of AN-38 after the certification will be conducted at the Novosibirsk aviation plant.