In order to develop the first domestic and national aviation engine of Turkey, TEI started the "PD170 Operative UAV Engine Development Project" launched by the Secretariat of Defence Industries in 2013. The 170 horsepower turbodiesel aviation engine named PD170, which is the output of the project, is aimed to meet the power needs of MALE (Medium Altitude Long Endurance) class unmanned aerial vehicles, primarily ANKA platform.
As a result of intensive design, manufacturing and assembly activities, the TEI-PD170 turbodiesel aviation engine was started for the first time on January 30, 2017 and also the first flight was successfully performed with the ANKA platform on December 27, 2018. In addition, power and fuel consumption targets were quickly captured, and engine calibration and testing activities over 6,000 hours were completed and the official qualification tests process has also reached the final stage. After all this, documentation and data preparation processes which are necessary for the official closing of the qualification will be commenced. In the project, important collaborations with the supplier industry companies in the aviation field are conducted in our country.
TEI-PD170 turbodiesel aviation engine, whose design and production is completed with national facilities and whose copyrights are entirely under the Secretariat of Defence Industries, has the feature of being national between 85-90%, based on subsystem, material and labor costs and by the end of 2020, it is aimed to complete the localization studies of other remaining systems and by the end of 2020, it is aimed to complete the nationalization studies of the remaining systems.
While the project is continuing, negotiations with Turkish Aerospace were started at the beginning of 2019 for mass production and “TEI-PD170 Engine Supply Sub Agreement” was signed on November 23, 2019. Within the context of the agreement, 40 Engines (TEI-PD170 Engine, which meets the technical requirements of the Operational UAV Engine Development Agreement), will be shipped together with the Electrical Power Generation System Kit and Propeller Accessories Mounting Kit. All periodic intermediate maintenance (alternator and gearbox maintenance) and all warehouse level planned maintenance, throughout the 3,600 hour engine life, are the responsibility of TEI under the agreement ELD management. A different pricing shall be applied for unplanned maintenance, malfunctions and unit level interventions. All engine purchase orders (POs) which are 40 units, were delivered to TEI on December 26, 2019.
The first of the engines, which were planned for production until the end of 2020, was shipped to Turkish Aerospace on December 27, 2019 and the preliminary acceptance procedures of the other following engines will be completed in TEI with the participation of Turkish Aerospace and their deliveries will continue.
Within the scope of the agreement, for engine support equipment (hangers, chocks etc.) and ground support equipment that may be needed by the Turkish Aerospace, the agreement also includes “Engine Support Kit” and “Ground Support Kit” sales. Negotiations are continuing to supply these materials to Turkish Aerospace taking the responsibility by TEI.
