D-30F6 ENGINE POTENTIAL KNOWS NO LIMITS

MiG-31 multipurpose fighter-interceptor aircraft

The supersonic MiG-31, a fighter-interceptor aircraft that came to the Soviet air defense over 25 years ago, still remains the most high-speed and high-altitude combat aircraft in the world. To a great extent its unique characteristics result from capacities of its power plant containing two D-30F6 engines. It should be noted that D-30F6 became one of the first bypass engines used in supersonic aviation. With this engine, an electronic control system in advance of foreign items of similar specifications was used for the first time.

It took eight years for Perm engineers to build the D-30F6 engine which made a revolution in aviation. And it is a very short time! As early as in 1981 the first aviation unit was equipped with new fighters and went on alert. In the years of operation combat capabilities of MiG-31 are constantly amplifying. Today a group of four MiGs can control 800...900 km of air space. Two D-30F6 engines develop thrust up to 15,500 kgf and permit to catch up to any adversary. In the West the MiG-31 is called Foxhound, not without reason but for its speed. Its combat capabilities are unparalleled either in Russia or in the West.

If necessary, this fighter-interceptor aircraft can destroy any air-supported target including small-size cruise missiles, helicopters, high-altitude high-speed air scouts. 

Another famous aircraft equipped with a modernized D-30F6 engine is an aircraft designed by Myasischev Design Bureau and named as M-55 Geophysica. Geophysica aircraft is a unique machine unparalleled in the world. With its first flight in 1988 it set up sixteen world records. It can perform a long-term (up to six hours) flight at the altitude of over 20 km. It has bigger safety factor and carrying capacity in comparison with western counterparts. It enables the plane to take off and land not only in halcyon weather but with strong wind too, and to carry up to 1.5 tons of scientific equipment.
A lot of peaceful work emerged for the airplane: supervision over natural disaster areas, ice reconnaissance, and mineral exploration. In one working hour, the aircraft can provide control of at least one hundred thousand square kilometers of earth surface. And when the world began talking of ozone holes, the scientists remembered at once about the high-altitude plane.

In ten years under different international programs a number of flights were made over Europe, Arctic, Antarctica, Australia, the Indian Ocean, Latin America, the equator. No Russian aircraft has ever experienced such severe conditions as Geophysica has done. All aviation equipment in the world is intended for operation in the -60 to +60 ºC temperature range. Perm-built engines showed their worth even in extreme temperatures.

D-30F6 engines are also installed on an experimental aircraft of the fifth generation: Su-47 Berkut with the swept-forward wing. The first flight of Su-47 took place on September 25th, 1997. And at the beginning of 2005 General John Jumper, Chief of Staff, US Air Force, declared that US Air Force's chances to conquer control of the air looked rather doubtful if Russian companies would start production
of the fifth generation fighters, Su-47 Berkut first of all.