Snecma’s half share in the PowerJet SaM146 turbofan may represent the Safran Group’s biggest contribution to the Sukhoi Superjet project, but nearly a dozen other subsidiaries are supplying equipment and services for that airplane.

Aircelle is responsible for the complete nacelle that houses the SaM146, including the butterfly-type thrust reverser. It incorporates a significant proportion of composites for weight reduction and the same advanced acoustic treatment that the company applies to the Airbus A380 nacelle. The Superjet nacelle includes single-piece perforated acoustic panels inside the air inlet and on the mixed-flow exhaust nozzle, which is made almost exclusively of composite materials.

Microturbo makes the engine’s ATS 337-02 air turbine starter, Sofrance supplies the engine filtration system and Techspace Aero designs and manufactures the lubrication unit. Hispano Suiza is prime contractor for the complete engine control system and subcontractor for a total of 46 components and subassemblies; Snecma Propulsion Solide designs and manufactures the mixed flow nozzle; and Sagem Défense Sécurité worked with Hispano Suiza to develop and integrate the overspeed protection function. Technofan supplies all the fans used on the aircraft.

A crucial contribution to the engine’s development is the open air test cell that Cenco International built near Rybinsk. And once the new powerplant is certified and in service, operators will benefit from the efforts of Snecma Services, which is in charge of setting up customer support operations–tools, technical documents and training–as well as maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.

The support and MRO functions are to be carried out on behalf of PowerJet and in conjunction with NPO Saturn. Snecma Services used its CFM56 experience to advise Sukhoi on setting up its customer support center, Web site, spares distribution and customer interfaces, and last April it offered the first course providing a general overview of the new engine.

Messier Dowty, finally, is responsible for managing the design and production of the Superjet 100’s entire integrated landing gear system. The system encompasses not only the dressed nose and main landing gears, plus subsystems for landing gear control and indication, emergency extension and steering control, but also the electrical harnesses, door mechanisms, actuators, uplocks and extension/retraction and steering systems.