The SaM146 engine has been in operation since the Superjet-100’s first commercial flight from Moscow to Yerevan on 21 April 2011. In the two years since, the SaM146 has demonstrated its reliability, and in early 2013 exports of the engine to countries outside the CIS began.
There are currently 32 engines in operation, 30 of which are in service; one is undergoing maintenance and one is a spare. Aeroflot is the main operator of the Sukhoi Superjet-100 equipped with SaM146 engines, and the company has 10 in its fleet. Two aircraft apiece are owned by Yakutya Airlines (Russia) and Sky Aviation (Indonesia), while Lao Central Airlines (Laos) and Armavia (Armenia) have one each.
As of 22 April, the fleet of SaM146 engines had totalled 39,772 flight hours and 25,212 flight cycles.
According to official statistics from PowerJet, there have been no incidents concerning the engine. Georgy Konyukhov, deputy general designer at NPO Saturn and chief SaM146 project designer, cites the engines’ technical readiness coefficient as a key indicator of reliability. PowerJet publishes this coefficient every month in its reports. In March, for example, it was 99.87%, a very high result.
The SaM146 project is an equal partnership by Russia’s NPO Saturn and France’s Snecma for the design, production and promotion of the new SaM146 power unit for next-generation regional airliners. The project is seen as a major priority and has the support of the Russian and French governments.
The SaM146 project has been set up on the basis of a strategic partnership where all risks and revenue are divided on a parity basis. Under the division of responsibilities, NPO Saturn is in charge of designing, manufacturing and testing parts for the low pressure section, assembling the engine, carrying out all ground tests and delivering the engine to the customer. Snecma is responsible for designing and manufacturing parts for the high pressure system, for the FADEC control system and power transmission, as well as for test flights and engine integration.
NPO Saturn is an engine-building company specializing in the design, manufacture and after-sales service of gas-turbine engines for military and civilian aviation, naval ships, as well as power-generating and gas-pumping plants. NPO Saturn is part of the United Engine Corporation.
