Type | State enterprise |
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Industry | Aerospace |
Founded | 1945 |
Headquarters | Zaporozhye, Ukraine |
Products | Aircraft engines Gas turbines |
Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB (Ukrainian: Запорізьке машинобудівне конструкторське бюро «Прогрес» ім. О.Г.Івченка, Zaporizhia Machine-Building Design Bureau Progress State Enterprise named after Academician O.H.Ivchenko), formerly OKB-478 and Ivchenko Lotarev, is a Ukrainian design house for aircraft engines whose products are widely used in both civil and military aircraft, most notably by Antonov, Beriev, Ilyushin, Tupolev, Mil and Yakovlev. Also PZL-Mielec has used a Progress engine in one of their cropdusters. Both the largest plane in the world, the An 225 and the largest helicopter, the Mi-26 are powered by Lotarev engines.
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The Company has been involved for 60 years in the design of engines to power aircraft and helicopters of various types, and also designs drives and special equipment for industrial applications.[1]
Three notable designers have led the development during this time:[2]
Initially General Oleksandr Ivchenko designed piston engines. These engines were denoted AI. Work on their first turbine engine, the TS-12, began in 1953. Since the beginning of 1960s the company have been developing bypass gas turbine engines. Under the direction of Volodymyr Lotarev, the organization developed the first operational Soviet high-bypass turbofans, the Lotarev D-36 in 1971.
This organization is now known as Ivchenko-Progress ZMKB and is based in Ukraine. Their engines are being operated successfully by numerous airlines around the world, including Volga-Dnepr, Antonov Airlines, Enimex, and Polet.
True to the Soviet tradition, design is kept separate from production. Many of the bureau's designs were or are produced at Motor Sich, located at Zaporozhye Airport.
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