Simulated Flight Through Volcanic Ash is Undeterred

Russian aviation manufacturer Rostec announced an unorthodox test outcome this week for their newest PD-14 aircraft engine. The first modern turbofan engine created by the company, the project is key to upcoming aircraft in Russian service. Using volcanic ash from the Kamchatka volcano Shiveluch, the company said the engine continued to function under simulated cloud environments, usually a death sentence for turbine engines. Though a worst-case hypothetical scenario, it’s not entirely impossible for an aircraft to be subjected to ash cloud ejections from a volcanic eruption or similarly dense particulates in the air. Testing the functionality of an aircraft engine in such conditions is les