Up next in 10
Russia is developing one of its most ambitious aerospace projects in decades — the PD-35, a next-generation ultra-high-thrust aircraft engine that officials are now calling a “technological platform of the future.”
At the Tenth Congress of the Russian Engineering Union, Industry and Trade Minister Anton Alikhanov said the PD-35 could be used not only for future aircraft but potentially even for power engineering applications. That statement has sparked growing attention around what Moscow really plans to do with the massive engine program.
Developed by Rostec’s United Engine Corporation, the PD-35 is designed to produce around 35 tons of thrust at takeoff, placing it among the largest and most powerful aircraft engines currently under development anywhere in the world. The engine features a fan diameter of roughly 3 meters and a total length exceeding 8 meters.
But the real story is the technology behind it.
Russian engineers say the PD-35 uses advanced carbon-fiber fan blades that reduce weight by more than 600 kilograms. The turbine blades are reportedly capable of operating at temperatures above 1,700 degrees Celsius thanks to internal cooling systems and heat-resistant materials developed by VIAM.
The program is also heavily focused on additive manufacturing, with complex engine parts being digitally produced using advanced industrial techniques. According to Russian officials, the modular gas-generator architecture could allow the development of an entire family of engines ranging from 24 to 50 tons of thrust.
In this video, we break down what makes the PD-35 so important, why Russia sees it as more than just an aircraft engine, how it fits into Moscow’s long-term aviation strategy, and why the project carries major geopolitical significance in today’s rapidly changing aerospace industry.
#PD35 #Russia #RussianAviation #AircraftEngine #Aerospace #Rostec #UEC #AntonAlikhanov #AviationNews #JetEngine #RussiaTechnology #Engineering #MilitaryAviation #CivilAviation #FutureTechnology #WidebodyAircraft #RussianIndustry #AviationIndustry #AircraftTechnology #GlobalAviation
Be a Member for exclusive privileges - https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCviEFTf1xIPKsjmyF_zvFug/join
Twitter : https://x.com/AltitudeAddicts
Website: https://www.altitudeaddicts.com
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:03
The PD-35,
0:05
a next-generation ultra-high thrust
0:07
aircraft engine that Russian officials
0:09
are increasingly describing as much more
0:12
than a traditional power plant, is
0:14
becoming one of the most strategically
0:16
important aviation projects in modern
0:18
Russia.
0:20
Anton Alikhanov, Russia's Minister of
0:22
Industry and Trade, made that very clear
0:25
during the 10th Congress of the Russian
0:26
Engineering Union when he stated that
0:28
the PD-35 can also be used for aircraft
0:32
for various purposes, and hopefully for
0:34
power engineering.
0:37
That one statement reveals something
0:39
much bigger.
0:41
Russia no longer sees the PD-35 as
0:43
simply another aircraft engine program.
0:47
Instead, officials increasingly describe
0:49
it as the foundation of an entire
0:51
industrial and technological ecosystem.
0:55
The project is being developed by United
0:57
Engine Corporation under Rostec, and it
1:00
has quietly become one of the most
1:02
ambitious aerospace engineering efforts
1:04
Russia has attempted since the collapse
1:07
of the Soviet Union.
1:09
And honestly, this is where things start
1:11
getting serious.
1:13
The PD-35 is intended to place Russia
1:16
among the very small group of countries
1:18
capable of independently developing
1:21
ultra-high thrust turbofan engines for
1:23
massive long-range aircraft.
1:26
In modern aviation, these engines are
1:28
considered some of the most
1:30
technologically difficult machines on
1:32
Earth.
1:34
They combine advanced metallurgy,
1:36
extreme heat resistance, aerodynamic
1:38
precision, digital control systems, and
1:41
highly specialized manufacturing
1:42
techniques, all into one giant rotating
1:45
machine that has to work flawlessly
1:48
thousands of meters above the ground.
1:51
Now, here's where the scale of the
1:53
project really becomes obvious.
1:56
The PD-35 is
1:57
enormous.
1:59
Russian officials say the engine is
2:00
expected to produce around 35 tons of
2:03
thrust during takeoff.
2:06
That puts it firmly into the category of
2:08
engines intended for wide-body passenger
2:10
aircraft, heavy cargo aviation, and
2:13
potentially even future strategic
2:15
aerospace platforms.
2:18
The physical dimensions alone are
2:20
impressive.
2:21
The fan diameter is roughly 3 m, while
2:24
the total engine length exceeds 8 m.
2:28
To put that into perspective, the engine
2:30
itself is almost the size of a small
2:32
bus.
2:33
Yeah, it's one of those machines where
2:36
you suddenly realize modern aviation
2:38
engineering is just on another level
2:40
entirely.
2:42
Engines of this class are built for
2:44
aircraft that fly huge international
2:46
routes or carry enormous payloads over
2:49
long distances.
2:51
But modern aviation is no longer only
2:53
about raw power.
2:55
Airlines today demand efficiency,
2:57
reliability, durability, and lower
2:59
operating costs all at the same time.
3:03
And that balancing act is exactly what
3:05
makes projects like the PD-35 so
3:07
difficult.
3:09
The significance of Russia entering this
3:11
segment cannot really be overstated.
3:15
For decades, the ultra-high thrust
3:17
engine market was dominated almost
3:19
entirely by Western aerospace
3:21
manufacturers.
3:22
So, the PD-35 is not just about creating
3:25
another aircraft engine.
3:28
It is also about reducing dependence on
3:30
foreign aerospace technologies in one of
3:33
the world's most strategically sensitive
3:35
industries.
3:37
And this is where Anton Alikhanov's
3:39
comments become especially interesting.
3:42
Because when he talked about the PD-35
3:45
potentially being useful beyond
3:47
aviation, he was basically hinting at a
3:50
much broader industrial strategy.
3:53
Russia increasingly sees the engine as a
3:55
technological platform instead of a
3:57
single-purpose product.
4:00
Modern gas turbine technology overlaps
4:03
with far more industries than most
4:04
people realize.
4:06
The same expertise required to build
4:08
advanced aircraft engines can also be
4:11
used for industrial turbines, maritime
4:13
propulsion systems, power generation
4:15
infrastructure, and large-scale energy
4:18
projects.
4:19
So, in theory, technologies developed
4:22
for the PD-35 could eventually spread
4:25
into multiple sectors of the Russian
4:26
economy.
4:28
Material science, turbine engineering,
4:31
advanced cooling systems,
4:32
high-temperature metallurgy, digital
4:34
manufacturing, all of these technologies
4:37
developed during the PD-35 program could
4:40
later appear in industries far beyond
4:42
aviation.
4:44
And this is one reason why Altitude
4:46
Addicts believes the project is being
4:48
treated inside Russia as something much
4:51
larger than a normal engine development
4:53
effort.
4:55
Fuel efficiency is also sitting right at
4:57
the center of the entire design
4:59
philosophy.
5:01
In modern aviation, efficiency is no
5:03
longer just a technical advantage.
5:06
It often decides whether an aircraft
5:08
remains commercially viable at all.
5:11
Long-haul aircraft burn enormous
5:13
quantities of fuel during operation.
5:17
So, even small improvements in engine
5:19
efficiency can save airlines millions of
5:21
dollars over time.
5:23
That's why aerospace companies worldwide
5:26
spend massive amounts of money trying to
5:28
squeeze even tiny efficiency gains out
5:31
of their engines.
5:33
According to Russian developers, the
5:35
PD-35 includes several advanced
5:37
technologies aimed at maximizing
5:39
efficiency.
5:41
One of the most important involves
5:43
turbine blades capable of operating at
5:45
temperatures above 1,700°
5:48
C.
5:50
And those temperatures are absolutely
5:52
brutal from an engineering standpoint.
5:55
The hotter a jet engine can safely
5:57
operate, the more efficiently it can
5:59
convert fuel into thrust.
6:02
But at those temperatures, turbine
6:04
components can literally begin losing
6:07
structural integrity if the materials
6:09
and cooling systems are not advanced
6:11
enough.
6:13
To solve that problem, Russian engineers
6:15
are using advanced internal cooling
6:17
systems combined with specialized
6:19
heat-resistant materials developed by
6:22
Viam.
6:23
These materials are specifically
6:25
designed to survive under extreme
6:27
thermal stress while maintaining the
6:29
strength required for long-term engine
6:32
operation.
6:34
And look, this part may sound overly
6:36
technical, but it actually matters a
6:38
lot.
6:39
Because the ability to manufacture
6:41
components that reliably survive these
6:43
temperatures is one of the clearest
6:46
indicators of whether a country truly
6:48
possesses advanced aerospace engineering
6:51
capability.
6:53
Another major innovation attracting
6:55
attention is the use of carbon fiber fan
6:58
blades.
6:59
According to Russian industry
7:00
statements, these advanced blades helped
7:03
reduce the engine's weight by more than
7:05
600 kg.
7:08
In aviation, that kind of reduction is
7:10
huge.
7:11
Every kilogram removed from an aircraft
7:14
engine can improve fuel efficiency,
7:16
increase payload capacity, or extend
7:18
operational range.
7:20
Over years of airline operations, those
7:23
savings become extremely important
7:25
financially.
7:27
Traditionally, large engine fan blades
7:29
were mainly constructed from titanium
7:32
because of its strength and durability.
7:35
But modern aerospace engineering
7:37
increasingly relies on advanced
7:39
composite materials because they provide
7:41
exceptional strength while remaining
7:43
much lighter than metal alternatives.
7:47
Manufacturing these massive carbon fiber
7:49
blades is incredibly difficult.
7:52
The blades must survive enormous
7:54
centrifugal forces while spinning at
7:56
extreme rotational speeds.
7:59
They also need to withstand bird
8:01
strikes, debris impacts, and sudden
8:03
temperature changes without catastrophic
8:06
failure.
8:07
If Russia successfully integrates this
8:10
technology into large-scale production,
8:12
it would represent a major achievement
8:15
for the country's aerospace sector.
8:17
And honestly, it would also signal how
8:20
rapidly aerospace manufacturing itself
8:22
is changing globally.
8:25
The PD-35 program is also heavily tied
8:28
to the rise of digital manufacturing and
8:30
additive production systems.
8:32
Russian developers say many complex
8:34
engine components are now being
8:36
digitally grown using advanced additive
8:39
manufacturing technologies.
8:42
Additive manufacturing, commonly called
8:45
industrial three-dimensional printing,
8:47
allows engineers to build parts layer by
8:49
layer instead of cutting them out from
8:51
solid blocks of metal.
8:54
This enables the creation of extremely
8:56
complex internal structures that would
8:59
be nearly impossible to manufacture
9:01
using traditional methods.
9:04
For aircraft engines, that approach
9:06
offers huge advantages.
9:08
It can reduce component weight, improve
9:10
cooling efficiency, minimize wasted
9:12
material, and simplify complicated
9:15
assembly processes.
9:17
Modern aerospace companies worldwide are
9:19
rapidly adopting these technologies
9:21
because they allow engineers to push
9:24
designs further than before.
9:27
And this is another reason why the PD-35
9:30
matters beyond aviation alone.
9:32
The project effectively acts as a
9:34
testing ground for Russia's broader
9:37
transition toward digitally integrated
9:39
industrial manufacturing systems.
9:42
There's also the modular design aspect,
9:45
and this part is genuinely important.
9:48
Russian engineers say the PD-35 platform
9:51
could eventually support an entire
9:53
family of engines producing between 24
9:55
and 50 tons of thrust.
9:58
That modular architecture dramatically
10:01
increases the project's long-term value.
10:04
Instead of building completely different
10:06
engines for every aircraft category,
10:09
manufacturers can adapt a shared
10:10
technological core across multiple
10:13
applications.
10:15
That reduces development costs,
10:17
simplifies maintenance logistics, and
10:19
accelerates future programs.
10:22
This trend is happening across the
10:24
global aviation industry right now.
10:27
Aerospace manufacturers increasingly
10:29
prefer scalable engine families instead
10:32
of isolated one-off designs.
10:34
It's cheaper, faster, and far more
10:37
efficient from an industrial
10:38
perspective.
10:40
And yes, okay, this next part sounds a
10:42
little geopolitical because it is.
10:45
The PD-35 program also carries enormous
10:48
strategic significance for Russia amid
10:51
growing international technology
10:53
restrictions and sanctions pressure.
10:56
Since relations between Russia and
10:58
Western countries deteriorated, the
11:00
Russian aviation sector has faced
11:02
increasing restrictions involving
11:04
technology access, industrial
11:06
cooperation, and aerospace components.
11:10
As a result, Moscow accelerated efforts
11:12
to build domestic alternatives in
11:14
critical industrial sectors.
11:17
Aircraft engines are among the most
11:19
strategically important technologies in
11:22
the modern world.
11:24
Only a small number of countries possess
11:26
the industrial ecosystem necessary to
11:28
independently design and manufacture
11:31
ultra-high thrust turbofan engines.
11:34
Achieving that capability requires
11:36
decades of expertise in precision
11:38
engineering, thermodynamics, metallurgy,
11:41
material science, and digital
11:43
manufacturing.
11:45
So, the PD-35 is not simply a commercial
11:47
aerospace project.
11:49
It is part of Russia's broader effort to
11:52
preserve technological sovereignty in
11:54
one of the world's most difficult
11:56
industries.
11:58
And Altitude Addicts has noticed that
12:00
Russian officials increasingly talk
12:02
about the project almost as a national
12:04
industrial symbol, rather than merely an
12:07
aviation engine.
12:10
Still, despite all the optimism
12:12
surrounding the project, major
12:13
challenges remain ahead.
12:16
Developing a modern high-thrust aircraft
12:18
engine is incredibly expensive and
12:20
time-consuming, even for the world's
12:23
largest aerospace companies.
12:25
The PD-35 must still undergo years of
12:28
testing, certification, operational
12:30
evaluation, and reliability validation.
12:33
Engineers need to prove that it can
12:36
maintain performance under real-world
12:38
operating conditions, while meeting
12:40
strict safety and durability
12:42
requirements.
12:44
Commercial success will ultimately
12:46
depend not only on technical capability,
12:49
but also on maintenance costs, long-term
12:51
reliability, and production scalability.
12:55
Airlines care deeply about these issues
12:57
because engine maintenance is one of the
12:59
biggest expenses in aviation.
13:03
But even before entering service, the
13:05
PD-35 has already become symbolic of
13:08
Russia's changing industrial strategy.
13:11
The project combines advanced materials,
13:13
digital production systems, additive
13:15
manufacturing, composite engineering,
13:18
and modular design into one enormous
13:20
aerospace initiative.
13:23
Anton Alikhanov's description of the
13:25
PD-35 as not just an engine, but a
13:28
technological platform of the future
13:30
probably captures the entire story best.
13:33
Because at this point, the engine
13:35
represents much more than aviation
13:37
alone.
13:39
It represents Russia's attempt to prove
13:42
that it can still design, manufacture,
13:44
and innovate at the very highest
13:46
technological level in the global
13:48
aerospace industry.
13:50
And whether the project fully succeeds
13:52
or not, the technologies being developed
13:54
around the PD-35 are already shaping the
13:57
future direction of Russia's industrial
14:00
ambitions.
14:02
That is why Altitude Addicts believes
14:04
the world will continue watching this
14:06
program very closely over the coming
14:09
years.
14:14
In contrast to market areas, the
14:16
situation in the defense industry is at
14:18
least part of the order more stable. The
14:21
state finances, investment projects,
14:23
procurement equipment, and our the from
14:25
enterprises guaranteed orders.
14:28
Well, of course, there is a need to talk
14:29
about this indirectly. And Sergey said
14:32
it is necessary to switch to fixed
14:34
prices.
14:37
Now, such an opportunity has arisen, but
14:39
all representatives of the defense
14:40
industrial complex know about it.
14:43
And together with you, we should work
14:45
with the customer's representatives to
14:47
move to long-term contracts with a fixed
14:49
price. This gives additional economic
14:52
incentives to work on increasing
14:54
efficiency when the funds that will be
14:56
saved.
14:58
Such efforts would allow enterprises to
15:00
retain saved funds, allocate salaries,
15:03
and invest in the development of fixed
15:05
assets.
15:08
I know that many integrated structures,
15:10
especially finishers within themselves,
15:13
financially balance their military and
15:15
civilian areas. Well, you understand
15:18
perfectly well that defense orders can't
15:20
grow indefinitely. The growth curve will
15:22
gradually plateau.
15:25
In this regard, we believe that it is
15:27
still capable of becoming a locomotive
15:29
for national projects.
15:31
Over the previous 5 years, defense
15:33
enterprises have supplied products worth
15:35
more than 2 trillion rubles for civilian
15:36
markets. And now the task of
15:38
diversification is becoming a challenge.
15:41
In ensuring the tasks of technological
15:43
independence and leadership, first of
15:45
all, it is necessary to ensure the
15:46
mutual flow of technologies between the
15:48
defense industry and civil society
15:50
between different industries, just as it
15:52
is implemented in the entire world
15:53
practice.
15:55
I will give only a few examples
15:56
conditionally dividing mechanical
15:58
engineering into two main blocks.
16:01
This serves as transportation for all
16:02
types of air, water, and ground
16:03
equipment, ensuring adaptability across
16:05
various domains.
16:07
We already have successful experience
16:09
when we adapt engines from combat
16:10
aircraft to gas turbine installations
16:13
and gas pumping units.
16:15
Now, under the national project new
16:17
nuclear and energy technologies, we plan
16:19
to create eight GTU on the basis of
16:22
different aircraft engines.
16:25
Engine under development according to
16:27
D-35.
16:29
It can also be used for military and
16:31
civil aircraft. And again, as we hope
16:33
for energy engineering, new small gas
16:36
turbine engines are suitable not only
16:38
for military drones, but also for heavy
16:40
civilian bases, both cargo and in the
16:42
future passenger, including as part of
16:45
hybrid systems. The same applies to
16:48
piston engines that are now being
16:49
created for small aircraft.
16:53
And the equipment designed within the
16:55
framework of the national project on
16:57
transport mobility of the general ship
17:00
will be unified not only within civil
17:02
shipbuilding, but also together with
17:04
military shipbuilding.
17:07
A separate major direction is unmanned
17:09
technologies, including in ground
17:10
transport. Here there is a large reserve
17:13
in the form of various operational and
17:15
technical complexes, which are already
17:17
used in special military operations
17:19
today. Such technologies can and should
17:21
be adapted to civil spheres. This is
17:23
first of all J2X.
17:26
Precision farming, mining, special
17:28
construction, and road machinery
17:29
leverage unmanned technology for
17:30
enhanced agricultural and industrial
17:32
applications.
17:35
If you like this video, please like,
17:37
share, and subscribe the channel.
17:39
Please also take the channel membership
17:41
to encourage us.
17:43
Last but not least, please type this
17:45
video if you are watching on a mobile
17:47
device.
#Science