An AS 9100C and

ISO 14001-2004 Company

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HINDUSTAN AERONAUTICS LIMITED
| || , , |-| .|||| / Sukhoi Engine Division
,A Govt of India Undertaking Under Ministry of Defence)
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Sunabeda 763 002 Dist. Koraput ,Odisha,India
Phone : +916853 221200, Fax : +916853 222292
Fax : +91891-2755464 (Vizag)



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Corporate Office: 15/1, Cubbon Road, Bangalore-560 001 Phone: Office: 91-80-2232 0701, 2232 0903 Fax : 91-80-2232 0758
||||, / Website: www.hal-india.com


HAL/KPT/SED/D/2014/31 Date : 30-01-2014

To

1. Mr. V V Kiryukhin,
Chief Designer,
Lyulka SATURN, Moscow.
13,Kasatkin Street, Moscow-
129301
Fax: 007-495-6867566.

2. Mr. Igor Chechikov,
JSC OBORONPROM, MOSCOW,
29/141, Vereiskaya Street
p/o: #26, , 121357 Moscow, Russia
Fax: 007-495-2236414, 7975548.

3. Mr. A N Permyakov
Director License Programme
UMPO, UFA
2 Ferina Street, 45003
Russia
Telex: 162340RICA RU
Fax: 007-3472-383655.
4. Rpt: RM, Moscow



Sub: Improvements in Bearing Design to preclude recurrent failures of
AL31FP engines.

Operational confidence level of the Indian Air Force has significantly
reduced due to recurrent premature failures of AL-31FP Engines and increasing
trend of single engine emergency landings. Details of 41 cases of single engine
emergency landings were discussed in various forums such as IRSA and Tripartite
Meeting at Air HQ with OEM representatives. Of the total 41 cases, 11 cases were
due to Bearing failures (Inter Rotor and Inter Shaft Bearing).
Failure of both these Bearings could be the manifestations of various serious
Design deficiencies in the present Design for AL-31FP engines which are to be
identified explicitly on the highest priority, and the Design modifications are to be
incorporated in a time bound manner in order to boost the diminishing confidence
level of the Indian Air Force.


Contd 2


--2--
As a way forward Russian side has proposed 20 recommendations (11 for
Manufacturing and 9 for Exploitation) after Joint Investigation was carried out
along with Indian side. Recommendation is given for modification of Inter Rotor
bearing (Part No: 5-272822P2Y) with improved cooling of the Bearing by
introduction of additional Lubrication oil supply holes.
Indian side is of the opinion that this recommendation is a short term solution
to the Bearing failure problem. Other critical design aspects such as Material
characteristics of the Bearing races and Rollers, Micro-structural changes leading to
plastic deformation during operation, Material erosion and Load characteristics need
to be introspected and validated.
Preliminary findings/Analysis of the Cat-A Bearings vis a vis failed Engine
Bearing reveal the following:
1. Inter-shaft bearing (55-2672919P5):
a. Abrasive wear and moisture corrosion observed on raceway with
discoloration of outer ring.
b. Plastic deformation of inner ring with discoloration and abrasive and
adhesive wear on raceway.
c. Crack initiation on almost all cage pockets.
d. Spalling observed in cage pockets at roller contact.
e. High ovality noticed on inner and outer rings.
f. Signs of overheating seen with micro-structural changes leading to
deformation.
g. Hardness profiles of outer ring showed low hardness values from
raceway to core rather than from outer diameter to core which
confirms heat generation is high on raceway compared to outer
diameter.
2. Inter-rotor bearing (5-272822P2Y):
a. Outer ring and inner ring raceways shows false brinelling marks, spalling
and plastic deformation. Also fretting and micro cracks were observed
on one side of face end of outer ring.


Contd 3