Russia’s T-50 (also designated Perspective Frontline Aviation Complex, Russian acronym PAK FA) fifth-generation fighter aircraft powered by the second-stage engine will conduct its maiden flight in the fourth quarter of 2017, the press department of the United Engine Corporation (ODK, a subsidiary of the Rostec State Corporation) told journalists.

“The first flight of the aircraft powered by the new engine is expected [to be conducted] in the fourth quarter of 2017,” a UEC representative said. He pointed out that the engine programme is being developed “on the established time schedule”.

The first ground launch of the demonstrator engine was conducted at the Lytkarino Machine-Building Plant in November 2016. The engine is being developed by the Lyulka Design Bureau under auspices of the bureau’s Designer General-Director Evgeniy Marchukov. According to the Director General of UEC Alexander Artyukhov, “New design considerations of the Russian enginebuilding that remain unmatched” were used during the manufacturing of the demonstrator engine.

“In addition to the aforementioned demonstrator, the gasgenerators of the new engine were also produced separately. The second-stage jet engine intended for the PAK FA aircraft will feature a FADEC (Full Authority Digital Engine Control) system. The effectiveness of the Unit 30 should be 17-18 per cent higher compared to the performances of the first-stage engine (Unit 117).

“The second-stage engine for PAK FA is a fifth-plus-generation engine, even the fifth-plus-plus-generation one,” Marchukov said previously. The specific performances of the engine are 15-20 per cent better than the ones of its predecessors.

The PAK FA combat aircraft conducted its maiden flight in 2010. The first five serial fighters are supposed to be delivered to the military this year. The deliveries of PAK FAs to the military may start after 2018. At present, the fighter prototypes are powered by the first-stage engines (Unit 117).