Aircraft engines The Kuznetsov Bureau first became notable for producing the monstrous
Kuznetsov NK-12 turboprop engine that powered the
Tupolev Tu-95 bomber beginning in 1952 as a development of the Junkers 0022 engine. The new engine eventually generated about 15,000
horsepower (11.2
megawatts) and it was also used in the large
Antonov An-22 Soviet Air Force transport. Kuznetsov also produced the
Kuznetsov NK-8 turbofan engine in the class that powered the
Ilyushin Il-62 and
Tupolev Tu-154 airliners. This engine was next upgraded to become the about
Kuznetsov NK-86 engine that powered the
Ilyushin Il-86 aircraft. This Bureau also produced the
Kuznetsov NK-144 afterburning turbofan engine. This engine powered the early models of the
Tupolev Tu-144 SST. The Kuznetsov Design Bureau also produced the
Kuznetsov NK-87 turbofan engine that was used on the
Lun-class ekranoplan. (Only one such aircraft has ever been produced.) Kuznetsov's most powerful aviation engine is the
Kuznetsov NK-321 that propels the
Tupolev Tu-160 bomber and was formerly used in the later models of the Tu-144
supersonic transport (an SST that is now obsolete and no longer flown). The NK-321 produced a maximum of about of thrust. Kuznetsov aircraft engines include: •
RD-12 turbojet. •
RD-14 turbojet. •
RD-20 turboprop.
BMW 003; powered the
MiG-9. •
TV-022 turboprop. Reproduction of the Junkers Jumo 022. •
TV-2 turboprop. Improved version of TV-022. •
NK-4 turboprop. Powered the early
Antonov An-10 and
Ilyushin Il-18. •
NK-6 afterburning turbofan. Tested on the
Tupolev Tu-95LL and was considered for the
Tupolev Tu-22 and
Tupolev Tu-123, but this never happened. •
NK-8 turbofan. Powers the original
Ilyushin Il-62,
A-90 Orlyonok ekranoplan and the
Tupolev Tu-154A and B models. •
NK-12 contra rotating
turboprop. Powers all the versions of the
Tupolev Tu-95,
Tupolev Tu-114,
Tupolev Tu-126,
Antonov An-22 and the A-90 Orlyonok ekranoplan. Initially designated as TV-12, but renamed to NK-12 in honor of company founder Nikolai Kuznetsov. •
NK-14 nuclear-powered engine. Powered the inboard engine of the prototype
Tupolev Tu-119 nuclear-powered aircraft; a modified version of the Tupolev Tu-95. •
NK-16 turboprop. Was to power the
Tupolev Tu-96. •
NK-22 afterburning turbofan. Powered the
Tupolev Tu-22M0, M1 and M2. •
NK-25 afterburning turbofan. Powers the
Tupolev Tu-22M3. •
NK-26 turboprop. Intended for ekranoplans. •
NK-32 afterburning turbofan. Powers the
Tupolev Tu-160 and the later models of the
Tupolev Tu-144. : NK-321 (136 kN cruise 245 kN, NK321M 280 to 300/350 kN, max 386) : NK-32-02 for
An-124 Tu-160 and PAK DA •
Kuznetsov PD-30, a geared high-bypass turbofan variant for the
An-124 transport or airliners, derived from the
NK-32 300 kN (max 328/350) •
NK-34 projectural
turbojet. Intended for seaplanes. •
NK-44 turbofan. 400 kN (max up to 450 kN) •
NK-46 turbofan. Cryogenic design intended to power the Tupolev Tu-306 (a 450-seat derivative of the
Tu-304). and for a re-engine of the
Antonov An-124. The engine was proposed for use on the
Myasishchev M-90 giant detachable aircraft. •
NK-63 propfan. Ducted propfan based on the NK-32. •
NK-64 turbofan. 350 kN intended for Tu-204 •
NK-65 turbofan. Intended for PAK DA •
NK-74 270 kN engine for a modified Tu-160 for extended range •
NK-86 turbofan. Upgraded version of the NK-8, powers the
Ilyushin Il-86. •
NK-87 turbofan. Based on the NK-86, powers the
Lun-class ekranoplan. •
NK-88 experimental
turbofan. Powers the
Tupolev Tu-155 hydrogen and
LNG powered aircraft. •
NK-89 experimental
turbofan. Was to power the unbuilt
Tupolev Tu-156. •
NK-92 turbofan (modified to NK-93 further on). 220 to < 350 kN •
NK-93 propfan. Ducted, geared propfan intended for the
Ilyushin Il-96,
Tupolev Tu-204 and
Tupolev Tu-330. •
NK-94 propfan.
Cryogenic,
liquefied natural gas (LNG) version of the
NK-93. Proposed for the 160-seat
Tupolev Tu-156M2,
Tu-214, and
Tu-338. •
NK-110 propfan. Like the NK-62, this engine had four-bladed contra-rotating propellers of in diameter, and it supported a cruise speed of Mach 0.75 at altitude. The NK-110 had a takeoff thrust of and TSFC of . In cruise it provided thrust with a TSFC of . The engine was tested in December 1988 but was never certified because of funding problems. Intended for the
Tupolev Tu-404. •
NK-112 turbofan. Cryogenic design intended to power the twin-engine Tupolev Tu-336 (a 120-seat stretched derivative of the
Tu-334). •
NK-114 turbojet. Derived from the
NK-93. •
NK-144 afterburning turbofan. Powered the early models of the
Tupolev Tu-144 supersonic transport. •
NK-256 projectual engine with take-off thrust up to 200-220 kN •
NK-301 Industrial gas turbines Kuznetsov industrial gas turbines include: •
NK-12ST. Derivative of the
NK-12 turboprop. Serial production started in 1974. The engine is designed for gas pipelines. •
NK-14ST. (8 MW) 32 percent efficiency,
pressure ratio of 9.5, turbine inlet temperature of , exhaust gas flow rate of , fuel gas consumption of , and weight of .
Rocket engines In 1959,
Sergey Korolev ordered a new design of
rocket engine from the Kuznetsov Bureau for the
Global Rocket 1 (GR-1)
Fractional Orbital Bombardment System (FOBS)
intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was developed but never deployed. The result was the
NK-9, one of the first
staged-combustion cycle rocket engines. Kuznetsov developed the design into the
NK-15 and
NK-33 engines in the 1960s, and claimed them to be the highest-performance rocket engines ever built. As of 2011, the aging NK-33 remains the most efficient (in terms of thrust-to-mass ratio) LOX/Kerosene rocket engine ever created. The
Orbital Sciences Antares light-to-medium-lift launcher has two modified NK-33 in its first stage, a
solid second stage and a
hypergolic orbit stage. The NK-33s are first imported from Russia to the United States and then modified into Aerojet AJ26s, which involves removing some harnessing, adding U.S. electronics, qualifying it for U.S. propellants, and modifying the steering system. The Antares rocket was successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 21, 2013. This marked the first successful launch of the NK-33 heritage engines built in early 1970s. Kuznetsov rocket engines include: • Kuznetsov oxygen-rich stage-combustion RP1/LOX rocket engine family. Including NK-9, NK-15, NK-19, NK-21,
NK-33, NK-39, NK-43. The original version was designed to power an ICBM. In the 1970s some improved versions were built for the ill-fated Soviet Lunar mission. More than 150 NK-33 engines were produced and stored in a warehouse ever since, with 36 engines having been sold to
Aerojet general in the 1990s. Two NK-33 derived engines (Aerojet AJ-26) are used in the first stage of the
Antares rocket developed by Orbital Sciences Corporation. The Antares rocket was successfully launched from NASA's Wallops Flight Facility on April 21, 2013. This marked the first successful launch of the NK-33 heritage engines built in the early 1970s. •
RD-107A rocket engine. Powers the boosters of the
R-7 family including the
Soyuz-FG and
Soyuz-2. • RD-108A rocket engine. Powers the core stage of the R-7 family including the Soyuz-FG and Soyuz-2. ==See also==