AI-25
Ivchenko-Progress AI-25TL turbofan engine
Type Medium Bypass Turbofan
National origin Soviet Union
Manufacturer Ivchenko-Progress
First run 1966
Major applications Aero L-39 Albatros
Hongdu JL-8
Yakovlev Yak-40
Number built 9,360+
Developed into DV-2
An AI-25 from an Aero L-39 Albatros

The Ivchenko AI-25 is a family of military and civilian twin-shaft medium bypass turbofan engines developed by Ivchenko OKB of the Soviet Union. It was the first bypass engine ever used on short haul aircraft in the USSR. The engine is still produced by Ukrainian based aircraft engine manufacturing company, Motor Sich.

Development

The AI-25 was designed to power the Yakovlev Yak-40 tri-jet airliner, often called the first regional jet transport aircraft, and is the starting point for the Lotarev DV-2 turbofan engine.[1] The project was launched in 1965, with the AI-25s first test flight in 1966, and finally cleared for production in 1967. In 1972, the AI-25 was selected for the Polish PZL M-15 Belphegor, the world's only jet-powered biplane.

Development of the AI-25 continued and the uprated AI-25TL was designed for use by the Czechoslovak Aero L-39 Albatros military trainer with the first flight occurring in 1968. The L-39, would go on to become one of the most popular, and widespread trainer aircraft in the world, with over 3,000 L-39s produced, and with 2,900 examples still in active service today. A smaller version of the AI-25TL, the AI-25TLK has equipped the People's Republic of Chinas Hongdu L-11 fighter-trainer.

The AI-25TLK is also licensed built in the People's Republic of China as the WS-11. Another variant of the AI-25, is the AI-25TLSh in the 1990s, which underwent flight testing by the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense in 2002. Ivchenko-Progress is currently marketing the AI-25TLSh as an upgrade to existing L-39 and JL-8 operators that would extend the service life of the aircraft and improve performance. The latest AI-25 is the AI-25TL Series 2 designed for the Mikoyan MiG-AT.[2]

For the demand of a stronger turbofan engine by Turkey for its jet-powered Bayraktar MIUS UAV the Ukrainian company developed the stronger AI-25TLT variant[3]

Variants

M-15 powered by AI-25 turbofan engine
AI-25
AI-25A
AI-25TL
AI-25TL series 2
AI-25TLT
(Black Sea Shield - turbofan) The AI-25TLT licence-built by Turkish-Ukrainian joint venture BSS based in Istanbul for the Bayraktar MIUS[4]
AI-25TLK
AI-25TLSh
AI-25W
AI-25WM
WS-11
(WoShan - turbofan) The AI-25TLK licence-built in China for the Hongdu L-11
Walter Titan
(AI-25WM)[5]
Walter Sirius

Applications

Specifications (AI-25TL)

An Estonian L-39 Albatros in flight powered by an AI-25TL turbofan engine

Data from [6][7][8][9]

General characteristics

Components

Performance

See also

Related development

Comparable engines

Related lists

References

  1. ^ "AI-25". Retrieved 2009-02-21.
  2. ^ "More detailed information about AI-25 engine family". Archived from the original on 2013-01-26. Retrieved 2009-02-20.
  3. ^ "Baykar Savunma MİUS Sürprizine Hazırlanıyor" (in Turkish). 2021-07-17. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
  4. ^ "MİUS'un Motorları İçin Ukrayna İle Yeni Anlaşma" (in Turkish). 2021-11-11. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  5. ^ Wilkinson, Paul H. (1970). Aircraft engines of the World 1970 (21st ed.). Washington D.C.: Paul H. Wilkinson. pp. 172, 219.
  6. ^ Gas Turbine Engines. Aviation Week & Space Technology Source Book 2009. p. 120.
  7. ^ Motor Sich product specifications. http://www.motorsich.com/eng/products/aircraft/tde/ai-25tl/ Archived 2017-01-10 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ^ "AI-25TL, AI-25TLK turbofan: Performance". SE Ivchenko Progress. Retrieved January 12, 2020.
  9. ^ General arrangement drawing.http://www.leteckemotory.cz/motory/ai-25tl/

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Ivchenko AI-25.
Ivchenko-Progress aircraft engines
AVIC aircraft and aero engines
People's Republic of China military aircraft engines
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