OREANDA-NEWS. January 26, 2012. On January 17, 2012, PowerJet received the type certificate for its SaM146 1S18 regional jet engine from the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

"The SaM146 1S18 type certificate marks another major milestone for PowerJet,” said Jacques Desclaux, Chairman and CEO of PowerJet. “This version of the engine significantly extends the range of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (SSJ100) regional jet.”

One of the main features of the new SaM146 1S18 version is higher takeoff thrust (16,100 lb), enabling the Sukhoi Superjet 100/95 Long Range to operate at higher maximum takeoff weight (MTOW) and increase its range to 4,578 km (2,470 nautical miles) with a full passenger load. It uses the same hardware as other engines in the family, requiring no change in aircraft configuration.

Since entering service in April 2011, the SaM146-powered Sukhoi Superjet 100 has confirmed its performance in revenue service. At December 31, 2011, the SaM146 has logged more than 6,500 flight-hours, flying to over 40 destinations worldwide. The SaM146 has also recorded excellent dispatch reliability, exceeding 99%.

To date, the Sukhoi Superjet 100 has logged a total of 168 firm orders.

PowerJet is taking part in SSJ100 sales and marketing initiatives along with the aircraft manufacturer Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company (SCAC) and marketing joint venture SuperJet International (Sukhoi/Alenia Aeronautica).

* EASA and Russian certification agency IAC AR (Interstate Aviation Committee Aviation Register) issued the SaM146 1S17 type certificate on June 23 and August 9, 2010, respectively, certifying the SaM146 for service on regional jet aircraft.

PowerJet is an equally-owned subsidiary of Snecma (Safran group, France) and NPO Saturn (Russia). It is in charge of the SaM146 propulsion system, including development, production, marketing, sales and support. Developing 15,400 to 17,800 pounds of thrust, the SaM146 is sized to meet thrust requirements for modern regional jets. The first application for the SaM146 is the new Sukhoi Superjet 100 regional jet.