We recall the history of the enterprise and the record flights that became possible thanks to its products.

Time of records

On October 19, 1912, a small production of aircraft engines of the French company "Gnome-Rhone" began work in Moscow, which was supposed to provide engines for the young Russian aviation. In 1915, the Motor aircraft engine plant was evacuated from Riga, and in 1917 the French built another plant in Moscow called Salmson. After the revolution, the entire aircraft industry was nationalised, and in 1927 the Moscow aircraft engine enterprises were merged into the plant number 24 named after. M.V. Frunze.

Workers of the mechanical workshop of the "Gnome" plant and the French engineering staff with the "Gnome" engine 60 hp, 1913

In 1927, the plant began mass production of the M-17 engine, on which in 1929 the ANT-4 "Land of the Soviets" bomber made a historic flight Moscow - Far East - Pacific Ocean - New York. Largely thanks to the work of the plant, the Soviet Union in a short time was able to gain independence from other countries in aircraft construction.

АНТ-4 «Страна Советов»

In the 1930s, under the leadership of the chief designer A.A. Mikulin at the plant number 24 produces a family of motors developed by him "AM". With their help planes TB-3 (ANT-6), DB-A, ANT-25, R-7 rose into the sky. The aircraft of these models have set many world records and made unique flights. For example, in 1937 the team of the pilot V.P. Chkalova on the ANT-25 plane flew without landing on the route Moscow - North Pole - United States of America. The Americans were surprised by the quality of the Soviet AM-34 aircraft engine, which did not require repairs for the return trip. This and subsequent flights became a triumph for all domestic aviation and engine building in particular.

Target #2 for German air raids

Before the start of the Great Patriotic War, the plant is concentrating on the production of a powerful AM-38 engine, which was installed on the Il-2 single-seat attack aircraft. This was a very good decision, since the aircraft, nicknamed the "flying tank", eventually became the most massive combat aircraft in history and played a vital role in the seizure of air superiority during the war.

Plant No. 24 in Kuibyshev

With the beginning of the war, plant No.24 doubled the production of engines. The importance of the enterprise in 1941 is evidenced by the fact that it was listed as target number 2 after the Kremlin on German maps for bombing Moscow. On October 15, 1941, the plant was evacuated to Kuibyshev, but just a few months later, when the enemy was driven back from the capital, production was restored. The plant receives a new number 45 and an impressive plan to produce 800 engines in 1942. The workshops are being recreated bit by bit, the team is assembled, and the plan is being implemented.

During the war years, the enterprise has won the honorary Red Banner of the State Defense Committee 19 times. In June 1945, for work on the production of aircraft engines for the front, plant No. 45 was awarded the Order of Lenin. During the war, the company produced 8470 power plants.

Aircraft engines under cover of kayaks

In the post-war years, when the world was divided into two opposing camps, for the sake of secrecy, the plant was given the neutral name "Salyut" and organized the production of civilian products: car engines, boat motors, kayaks, scales, meat grinders. It must be said that due to their quality these products were highly valued by consumers, and the Salut kayaks were for a long time the most popular among Soviet tourists.

Fighter MiG-15 with uncoated VK-1A engine

In 1947, the production of the first domestic turbojet engine TR-1 developed by Arkhip Lyulka was mastered at Salyut. Since 1948, under the leadership of the designer V.Ya. Klimov, the RD-45 engine and its modifications are produced for the MiG-15 fighter, one of the most massive jet combat aircraft in history. The year 1950 was marked by the production of the Klimovsk engine VK-1 and its modifications into the series (installed on the MiG-15bis, MiG-17, Il-28, Tu-114).

Then there were AL-7F1, R-15B-300, AL-21F engines for various Su and MiG aircraft models. Since 1984, Salyut has been producing the AL-31F engine, which is installed on the fourth generation Su-27 fighter, the most widespread Russian aircraft in the world. This turbojet bypass engine with afterburners helped the Su-27 to set a number of world records and allows it to perform the most difficult aerobatics - "cobra".

Modern developments and the digital future of Salyut

Since the 1990s, a design bureau has been operating at Salyut, where its own product samples are developed and modernised. However, the design work almost always supplemented the serial production of the enterprise. It is worth remembering the names of the outstanding designers A.A. Mikulin, V. Ya. Klimov, A.M. Lyulka, who were directly connected with "Salyut".

In 2015, Salyut was transformed into a joint stock company and entered the United Engine Corporation. This allowed the enterprise to cooperate more closely with the aircraft engine building industry and take an active part in the work on the creation of new and modernized products. And since January 2019, the enterprise has been a production complex as part of UEC JSC.

Today, the main area of ​​activity of the Salyut Gas Turbine Research and Production Center is the production of gas turbine aircraft engines of the AL-31F family and its modifications for the Su-27, Su-30, Su-33 combat aircraft. The enterprise also produces the AI-222-25 engine for the Yak-130 combat training aircraft and the RD-33 engine units and its modifications for the MiG-29 family of fighters. In cooperation with other enterprises, UEC Salyut is working on the production of engines of the TV7-117, VK-2500, PD-14 families and is participating in other projects.

AL-31F-M2 engine

In addition to aircraft power plants, the Salyut is also working on ground-based gas turbine equipment. With the help of Salyut specialists, the AL-21 engines that have served their time continue their lives in industrial gas turbine installations. They can provide heat and electricity to remote villages, oil and gas industry enterprises. Among other non-aeronautical developments of Salyut are waste processing and desalination plants.

Today, the production complex "Salyut" of JSC "UEC" is a full-cycle enterprise, has a powerful technological potential and all types of modern production facilities. The enterprise has a highly qualified staff of technologists, designers, engineers. Salyut is one of the pioneers in the implementation of digital technologies in production. Currently, the company is implementing projects to create "digital twins" of engines and to introduce an industrial Internet of things platform with elements of artificial intelligence. The system will track the manufacture of engines and allow simulating their tests in a virtual environment. These technologies will speed up production and testing, reduce development cycle times, increase the accuracy of numerical simulations, and reduce the cost of designing and manufacturing products for a manufacturing complex.