"Worked reliably": The Yak-40 flying laboratory with the Russian VK-800 turboprop engine took to the skies for the first time

Aviation The VK-800 turboprop engine, which is being developed for a number of aircraft, took to the skies for the first time as part of the Yak-40 flying laboratory. This was reported by the press service of the Ural Plant of Civil Aviation (UZGA).

The flying laboratory based on the Yak-40 aircraft of the SibNIA named after S.A. Chaplygin made its first test flight with the VK-800 engine, spending a little more than 15 minutes in the air. During this time, the aircraft managed to rise to an altitude of 700 meters, gaining a speed of 340 km/h. The main objective of this flight was to test the engine in various modes. It worked stably.

Following the first test flight, the VK-800 engine demonstrated stable operation, all systems worked normally. Based on the results of the work, a conclusion will be prepared on conducting further tests.

- said in a statement.

Previously, the Yak-40 flying laboratory made flights, but a full flight took place only last Monday, July 14.

The Russian turboprop engine VK-800 is being developed by UZGA for a number of aircraft: the light multipurpose aircraft LMS-901 "Baikal", the training aircraft UTS-800, the regional aircraft LMS-192 "Osvey" and for re-engining localized aircraft L-410. The engine has a standard design: a centrifugal compressor, a counter-flow combustion chamber, a single-stage compressor turbine and a two-stage free turbine.

Comments

[Sky strike fighter]

In addition, the VK-800SM should be suitable for the Altius-RU UAV. Video of the VK-800SM test.

https://m.vkvideo.ru/video-221858882_456239266

[Neptus]

Don't compose!
Gas turbines, especially low-power ones, have at least one and a half times worse fuel economy. And here there is also an excess of nominal power from 500 to 800 hp. If an 800-horsepower turboprop is forced to work at 200 hp (presumably, the cruising mode of Altius), it will generally mercilessly guzzle fuel. It is possible to reduce the power of a piston without consequences.

[Sky strike fighter]

I am not making this up. They just said that the VK-800SM would be installed on the Altius-RU. Although there is another option. The engine is called the APD-500, it is intended for use in light training aircraft, in agricultural aircraft and for small passenger aircraft with a passenger capacity of up to nine people. It is also planned to be used in UAVs, military and transport purposes. We are talking about a new domestic engine for light aircraft, which was created on the basis of the engine of the Aurus car (developed by NAMI). The aircraft engine is being created at the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) named after P.I. Baranov. The capacity of the APD-500 is 500 horsepower. But is this power enough for the Altius-RU UAV?

[Neptus]

Quote: Sky Strike fighter

But is this power enough for the Altius-RU UAV?

If it weren't for that, he wouldn't have taken off with the RED A03 - 500hp diesel.

[Sky strike fighter]

Well then, the APD-500, also known as the APD-A, will do. By the way, the Yak-52 already flew with the APD-A engine back in 2022.

New tests of the promising Russian piston engine Yak-52 with the promising piston aircraft engine APD-A for light aerobatic aircraft made runs and approaches. The demonstrator engine APD-A is a modification of the aircraft piston engine APD-500 (with a capacity of 500 hp) developed at the Central Institute of Aviation Motors named after P.I. Baranov, which was created on the basis of the automobile engine of the single modular platform of the Federal State Unitary Enterprise "NAMI". Before this, the APD-A engine had already passed a set of bench tests, including in an inverted position, because one of the main tasks of the engine of an aerobatic aircraft is to ensure the performance of complex and aerobatic maneuvers under overload conditions, in an inverted flight, at maximum modes.

https://t.me/minpromtorg_ru/1268

[Romanenko]

It would be nice if everything went well, it's time to attach the engine not to the laboratory, but to real airplanes. Everything is taking too long for us...
It’s clear that you can’t speed up the testing and all that, but by God, I’ve been waiting so long for our new cars with our engines.

[Sky strike fighter]

What is needed here is a comprehensive systemic approach, and not the buy-and-sell approach as it was before the SVO. Industry needs to be dealt with systematically, and not demanded of it the impossible in the absence of the necessary components. For example: bearings.

.Why do experts consider the lack of bearings to be the main obstacle to the domestic aviation industry? SP asked former Sukhoi Design Bureau aircraft designer and flight safety expert Vadim Lukashevich this question.

— Not only aircraft manufacturing cannot exist without bearings — all mechanical engineering is doomed to failure. Bearings are used in all mechanisms that have a shaft and a wheel. An engine without bearings is unthinkable, an aircraft engine first and foremost. Bearings are needed everywhere — from computers to giant power plants. There are dozens of different bearings in an airplane. They are used in the engine turbine, in the chassis, in the hand luggage doors, in the ramps — you can’t list them all! Of course, you can import bearings through gray imports, but the result will be difficult to predict. For military aviation, this is completely unacceptable. Until now, everyone was silent, working on old “backlogs”, but now, after the scandal with counterfeit bearings on the Il-76 military transport aircraft, the problem of bearings has finally begun to be discussed, recognizing it as the main reason for the lagging of our aviation industry.

https://dzen.ru/a/aHVSUXCEZh13dbPy

We produce domestic aircraft individually precisely because of the lack of bearings. This is the main factor that holds back the launch of domestic aircraft into serial production. Bearings are the most painful issue in the aviation industry and not only. Mechanical engineering without mass production of bearings is doomed to failure. Unfortunately, no one in our aviation industry looks at the future.

[Neptus]

Quote: Sky Strike fighter

https://dzen.ru/a/aHVSUXCEZh13dbPy

We produce domestic aircraft individually precisely because of the shortage of bearings. This is the main factor that holds back the launch of domestic aircraft into serial production.

Don't take information from a dump that generally copies and pastes another dump - "Free Press" for a custom order.
Bearings have nothing to do with this article - off-topic (violation of network etiquette).

[Neptus]

Quote: Romanenko

I swear to God, I've been waiting so long for our new cars with our engines.

So recently the Il-114-300 was presented for delivery to companies. That's it, ready for production and sales!

[Dutchman Michel]

The VK-800 is being developed by UZGA for a number of aircraft: the light multi-purpose aircraft LMS-901 "Baikal"

When will this unfortunate "Baikal" be put into production?

[Sky strike fighter]

They promise it will be at the end of 2026.

. MOSCOW, July 2 - RIA Novosti. The first five new Russian light multipurpose aircraft "Baikal" are planned to be transferred to the airline "Aurora" at the end of next year, said the Minister of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation Anton Alikhanov, speaking at "government hour" in the Federation Council. The nine-seat "Baikal" is being created for regional airlines and is intended to replace the "crop duster" An-2.

https://ria.ru/20250702/baykal-2026696294.html

[Dedok]

Russian turboprop engine VK-800 being developed by UZGA

and now we don't even have any aircraft engine manufacturers?

[Tooks]

There were 7 engine design bureaus in the USSR. How many are left? Exactly.

[Azimutt]

Russia has a problem with low-power aircraft engines.

[Zaurbek]

In the Russian Federation there is a problem with all those whose design bureaus remained outside the RSFSR

[Dedok]

and now we don't even have any aircraft engine manufacturers?

There was a branch of the Klimov Association in the city, but it was sold...
that's why I'm writing about a non-core company that is engaged in "engine development"...

[Tooks]

Rather than development, it’s more about bringing it to series production.
I believe that Klimov is simply not capable of handling so many topics at the same time.

[shikin]

Well, how can I say: "However, in 2020, based on the results of calculations, design analysis and engine testing, the management of JSC UZGA decided to abandon the VK-800S turboprop engine. In July 2020, specialists from the Engine division of UZGA began designing a new EM-610 engine. The EM-610 engine developed by UZGA differs in design from the Klimovsk VK-800S by about 99%. The overall dimensions of the EM-610 are smaller, the weight is also less, and the power is greater than that of the VK-800S."
EM-610 was later renamed VK-800SM. EM - "Ekaterinburg Motors" - a new design bureau.

"UZGA is already carrying out this project on its own, for which it has attracted specialists from the team of the former PWRus company from St. Petersburg (these engineers worked in the structure of the Western engine-building giant Pratt & Whitney before the severance of relations between their parent company and Russia). Since the engine design has undergone serious revision, there was a desire to give it a new name EM-610 ("Yekaterinburg Motors"), but then questions arose from potential customers of our aircraft and it was decided to leave the previous name VK-800, adding additional letters to it"

[Tooks]

We'll see, of course, but it all looks very creepy.

[shikin]

The situation is almost the same in UZGA and in aircraft. There, too, the design bureau is essentially still being formed, although there are specialists (including from other design bureaus). They are helped by both MAI and SibNIA. If a good design bureau eventually grows, it will be good. After all, for the other design bureaus that remain (Il, Yak, Su), "small" aviation is not very necessary.

[rocket757]

A long way to real production of the necessary equipment...

[fiv]

At the beginning of each project, bribes and embezzlement must be taken into account in the estimate and issued to everyone involved at once. Otherwise, applications for receipt and cashing out unexpectedly take up a lot of time and money, periodically slowing down the work.

[Neptus]

Don't tell someone how to live and they won't tell you where to go.

[fiv]

Go teach your wife how to cook borscht. I didn't ask for your advice. If you have something to say on the topic, write it, and start a quarrel at home with your beloved. Plevako.

[fiv]

Try to get a federal grant. And then explain to someone where to go, boy