PowerJet SaM146
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Aerospace |
| Founded | 2004 |
| Founder | Safran (Snecma), NPO Saturn |
| Headquarters | France, Russia |
Area served | Global (commercial aviation) |
| Products | SaM146 turbofan engine |
| Parent | Safran Aircraft Engines, United Engine Corporation |
The PowerJet SaM146 is a turbofan engine developed through the PowerJet partnership, a collaboration between France’s Safran (Snecma) and Russia’s NPO Saturn. Delivering thrust ranging from , this engine is the propulsion system for the Sukhoi Superjet 100.
Within the joint venture, Snecma is responsible for the core engine, the control system (FADEC), transmission components, overall system integration, and flight testing. Meanwhile, NPO Saturn oversees the low-pressure section, engine installation on the Superjet 100 airframe, and conducts ground-based testing.
Design and development
The SaM146 is a product of a Franco-Russian collaboration between Safran Aircraft Engines (France) and United Engine Corporation (UEC) (Russia). The cold section—which includes the fan, low-pressure compressor, and turbine—is designed, manufactured, assembled, and tested by Saturn, a UEC subsidiary. Conversely, Safran’s Snecma handles the hot section comprising the combustion chamber, high-pressure compressor, and turbine, as well as the accessory gearbox, electronic control systems, and overall powerplant integration. Both the engine and its production process comply with EASA and IAC AR certification standards. PowerJet coordinates deliveries and after-sales support.
The SaM146 core architecture is largely derived from the CFM56, developed by Snecma with influence from military propulsion programs such as M88 and DEM21. It incorporates a six-stage compressor and a single-stage high-pressure turbine equipped with active blade-tip clearance control. Advanced features include single-piece bladed disks (blisks), which contribute to improved fuel efficiency and lower maintenance requirements. The engine's thrust output ranges between 62 and 77.8 kN.
In April 2003, Sukhoi chose the SaM146 as the powerplant for its Superjet 100 regional airliner (seating between 75 and 95 passengers). PowerJet secured EASA certification for the SaM146 in June 2010, followed by Russian certification in August of the same year.
The Superjet 100 has achieved moderate commercial adoption with operators such as Mexico’s Interjet; Russia’s Aeroflot, Moskovia Airlines, Yakutia Airlines, Gazpromavia, Centre-South, UTair Aviation; Laos’ Lao Central Airlines; and Indonesia’s Sky Aviation.
By August 2017, UEC–Saturn had produced its 300th SaM146 engine for use on the Superjet 100 fleet, which had collectively accumulated over 700,000 flight hours.
Nevertheless, in 2018 reliability concerns emerged when Red Wings and Yakutia retired their Superjet 100 aircraft due to combustor failures occurring between 2,000 and 4,000 operating hours. Efforts have been underway to modify the combustor design to resolve these issues.
In September 2018, initiatives were announced to equip the Beriev Be-200 amphibious aircraft with a SaM146 variant for export markets as a replacement for non-certified Progress D-436 engines.
By December 2018, European aviation authorities authorized the SaM146 for ETOPS operations up to 120 minutes.
Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, international sanctions have barred sales or support of aircraft components to Russian organizations. As a result, in March 2022 PowerJet terminated contracts related to parts supply, technical assistance, maintenance, and repair services for the SaM146 engine.
Applications
- SaM146 1S17
- SaM146 1S18