At India Aviation 2012, Jacques Desclaux, Chairman and CEO of PowerJet, briefed the media about his company and the latest product from its stables, the SaM146 1S18 that powers the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 produced by United Aircraft Corporation of Russia. Powering the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 with the power plant from PowerJet has, as per Desclaux, “set a new standard in regional jet propulsion”. The aircraft was showcased both on the ground and in the air.

The PowerJet company with state-of-the-art design and production facilities, is an equally owned alliance, a joint venture between Snecma, a subsidiary of the Safran Group of France and NPO Saturn of Russia. Specialised in aerospace propulsion, Snecma is one of the world’s leading manufacturers of aircraft and rocket engines while NPO Saturn operating at the cutting edge of Russian engine technology, is the leading designer and manufacturer of gas turbine engines for civil and military aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, electric power plants, gas pumping units and for marine applications.

The two aero engine manufacturers had begun to work together as far back as 1997 when Snecma subcontracted the production of components for CFM56 engines to NPO Saturn. However, it was only in 2004 that Snecma and NPO Saturn teamed up to develop and commercialise the SaM146 engine, the most modern new propulsion system designed specifically for the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 which Desclaux described as “an aircraft that will redefine the regional jet market”. The Chairman went on to explain, “In the joint venture company PowerJet, Snecma is responsible for the core engine, the full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) system, transmissions including accessory gearbox, transfer gearbox, overall engine integration and flight testing. NPO Saturn is responsible for the components in the low pressure section, installation of the engine on the Sukhoi SuperJet 100 regional jet and ground tests. Both partners are endowed with extensive experience in the manufacture of aero engines.”

The SaM146 engine is the result of an in-depth investigation into all the qualities needed for a durable aero engine offering high performance to power a regional jet. Employing “Blisk” technology, the SaM146 engine has been designed to power a family of aircraft and as per PowerJet, is an ideal product for the regional jet market. The compact, high technology engine and its optimised architecture for simplified access provides for low maintenance and ownership costs. It’s improved aerodynamic features; reduced weight due to extensive use of composites and highly efficient combustion with 99.8 per cent efficiency; collectively result in lower fuel consumption. With low levels of emissions, the SaM146 meets with and even exceeds the most stringent environmental requirements pertaining to noise and emission standards and is reputed for high reliability. Besides, building on the resources and experience of the two partner companies, PowerJet has developed a dedicated worldwide network of customer support, the organisation being designated as PowerLife.