Il-76LL The flying test bed for the SaM146 engine

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Snecma has chosen the Gromov Research Institute (LII Gromov) for the development of a flying test bed and the performance of flight tests campaigns for the SaM146 propulsion system.

The Sam146 propulsion system is developed by PowerJet, a joint-company of Snecma and NPO Saturn. Delivering 14.000 to 17.500 pounds pf thrust, the Sam146 was selected in April 2003 by Sukhoi Civil Company to power the Superjet 100 aircraft.

LII Gromov provides an Ilyushin 76 test bed, with one of its four engines being replaced by an SaM146 propulsion system.

LII Gromov also provides a dedicated crew for the performance of two series of tests campaigns in Zhukovski, near Moscow, and in Istres, in southern France, at one of Snecma's dedicated flight test centers.

Flight tests on the IL-76 test bed aircraft include airborne performance assessments operability tests, an exploration of the flight envelope, as well as establishing the in-flight restart envelope. 

IL-76 LL - Flying testbed for flight. Research SaM 146 engine, developed by SNECMA (France) and NPO “Saturn” (Russia)

The flying testbed is equipped by information instrumentation complex, which allows:
- to determine the prototype engine parameters and characteristics in flight.
- to present and record information on the board for providing the safety of experiment.
- to carry-out telemeter data transmission for providing the ground-based experiment control.

Three-view drawing

Technical specifications

Photos Il-76LL