Honeywell TPE331-12 was certified almost 40 years ago
Head of «Rusaviaprom» Alexey Kryukov said that reverse engineering (essentially, creating a copy) of the American Honeywell TPE331-12 turboprop engine for the TVS-2MS light aircraft (modified An-2 «Kukuruznik») will take from three to five years. At the same time, Rusaviaprom, which produces TVS-2MS, is ready to provide an American engine for recreating the technology.
«Rusaviaprom» initiated a project for reverse engineering of a Honeywell engine together with specialists from the Novosibirsk State Technical University. The Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics SB RAS, the Institute of Thermophysics SB RAS, OKB im. A. Lyulki branch of PJSC «ODK-UMPO», Institute of Engines and Power Plants of Samara University, Tomsk Polytechnic University, CIAM, S7 Space, Center for Technological Competence of Additive Technologies, Rosatom Fuel Company «TVEL» and a number of others. According to Alexey Kryukov, in the process of reengineering it is possible to modernize some engine components. Let us recall that Honeywell TPE331-12 was certified in December 1984.
According to Alexey Kryukov, Russia now needs at least 60 such engines. In the world, about 50 thousand engines of this class are produced annually. «If we take at least 5% of the market, it will be 2.5 thousand, and this is already a good volume to produce them in series» , — said the head of «Rusaviaprom».
In May last year, Alexey Kryukov wrote a letter to the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation, Mikhail Mishustin, in which he proposed that the government carry out reverse engineering of Honeywell TPE331-12. The letter said that it would take three years to create a domestic copy and would require about 9 billion rubles. Now, as we see, the period has increased to five years.