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Solving a fundamental problem: Iran's engine development programs

Aspahbod

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Iran, Islamic Republic Of
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Iran, Islamic Republic Of
The main reason Defense Industries Organizations was established, was for Iran to gain self sufficiency in manufacturing her basic military needs. During the Iran-Iraq war, Iran's military suppliers were a handful of countries that sold her low quality military equipment ten times their price.

After the war, DIO expanded by license building, reverse engineering and developing a large number of military equipment. Some heavier equipment were not totally built in the country, as some parts could be found in the global market easily.

But as years passed, western sanctions grew larger and such parts became unavailable. This pushed Iran further to manufacture as much parts as she could domestically. The problem rose when some advanced parts could not be built inside the country. This included engines, which are the heart of any moving military equipment.

There are many Iranian projects that were either cancelled, or never went further than a small number of produced units because of engine unavailability.
For example, Shafaq project stopped before a prototype could be built, as Russians refused to deliver the intended RD-2000 engines (a version of RD-33 without afterburner) due to American pressure. The same engine was to be used in another fighter jet project that didn't went further than some small models.
shafaq-image2.jpg

Shafaq project was cancelled with only this mockup being built

Shahed-278 and Shahed-285 will not be produced in high numbers as sanctions stopped Iran from buying the engines (Or as some sources say, an improved version of them) legally from Canada. The smuggler that had been supplying Iran with the engines was caught, limiting the total production of the said helicopters to 17, which is the number of delivered engines.
Zulfiqar tank, Raad-2 SPA, and many other projects faced the same problem. Perhaps the most famous of the cases is that of Jamaran frigate. Even the Iranian officials, which tend to insist that 100% of such equipments are produced locally, admitted that they faced such a problem for the first frigate. Reportedly, German company of MAN refused to deliver the two 10000 hp naval engines to the country due to US pressure, forcing Iran to buy them from France, probably at a much higher price. When the engines were delivered, US prevented the French from sending the shafts. This delayed the project further until a private company was able to build the important part for the navy.

These cases motivated the defense ministry to establish its own engine manufacturing infrastructure despite the high price of such an act.
The first successful project of this kind has probably been done by SAHA, or Iran Aircraft Industries, which was able to make small 25hp piston engines for drones. Over the years, other projects came to fruit. Among them are Tolue-4 and Tolue-5 mini turbojets, Bonayn-1 and Bonyan-4 naval diesels, and a variety of UAV engines by SAHA and more interestingly, PANHA (Iran Helicopter Renewal and Support Company)!!!
IRIB-TV1_12_11_2012_19_08_58_3.jpg

UAV engine parts by SAHA, Kish Airshow 2012

Still, a long way remains. It is known that a project to manufacture IrAn-140's TV-3 engine fully in Iran has been completed by around 50% in 2004. There have been many reports of an Iranian turbofan engine under development for fighter jets, and a small one for UAVs (my own guess is for Sofreh Mahi). The first one was to be shown in Army Parade in 2012, a promise that was not fulfilled.
Also according to slides, one of the main purposes of Armita flying laboratory is to test aircraft engines.
113914.jpg

Armita's different configurations, the one in the bottom for engine thrust test

As developing turbine engines is not a task to be done in a short time, I doubt that we'll see an operational engine in near future. The fact that Iran has just recently showcased some crucial techniques like single-crystal blade making, further increases the chance that there is at least 10 years remaining for an Iranian medium thrust turbofan engine.
a10.jpg

Tolue-4 engine

Also there was a report about making Wankel engines for drones, which could refer to the engine used in Shahed-127, as the original British drone used a Wankel.
The gap of numbers between Bonyan-1 and 4 could mean that there are other naval diesels under development, probably filling the 4150hp gap between the two. Some suggest that Iran may use MAPNA built gas turbines for her warships, especially the proposed 3000 tonnes frigate. But I doubt that Iranian officials risk sanctions on the private company. Still, I may be wrong.
bonyan-4-2.JPG

Bonyan 4 engine, four of these are to be used in Sahand frigate

With the direction both Iran's defense industries and the sanctions are going, I think we'll hear more news of engine developments from Iran.

Omid.D (Aspahbod)
 
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Nice job! I always follow engine developments of other countries especially China!
I have some questions though.
1. Iranian MAPNA is practically sanctioned. Am I wrong?
2. You meant Shahed 129, I assume.
3. What is all the hype about Iranian turbofan engine in 2013? If happens, what is your expectations about quality and reproducible?
4. Is Bonyan 4 used in any ship yet?
5. Where did you get the news about the helicopter engines from Canada?
6. Look at this article by an Iranian regarding blade production:
http://www.ajbasweb.com/ajbas/2009/2979-2988.pdf
I think that is what MAPNA is doing. yeah?
 
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1. Iranian MAPNA is practically sanctioned. Am I wrong?
There are individual countries that have sanctioned MAPNA. But there is no UN sanction against the company. A full UN sanction would certainly hurt the company (not to mention the economy in the time where every non-oil export is very important)

2. You meant Shahed 129, I assume.
Oh. Yes. My mistake.

3. What is all the hype about Iranian turbofan engine in 2013? If happens, what is your expectations about quality and reproducible?
If we indeed see the engine in 2013, it would be a prototype of the smaller turbofan intended for UAVs. One of the main problems of Iran in this matter is that we don't have a clear overview of the "process" of the development. But then again, I don't think we'd be seeing it in near future.
In terms of quality, it is for sure something behind the ones currently developed in great powers. But it will be enough to power something in class with Shafagh. Our need is great and urgent, so the first versions will be a little off the world's standards. But it will see a gradual improvement over the years.
I couldn't understand the last part due to my poor English.

4. Is Bonyan 4 used in any ship yet?
That's a good question. There is a high possibility that it is used on Jamaran 2 because there won't be any alternative after all those problems caused during the first project. And we know that the engines were installed on Sahand even when the upper structure was not complete because they moved it on its own power from Bushehr to Bandar Abbas. So the answer is yes.

5. Where did you get the news about the helicopter engines from Canada?
That has been reported in one of the articles of Janes in 2006. I don't have the original article but there is an article mentioning it. You can find the exact line by just searching "Canada".
The Arkenstone -

6. Look at this article by an Iranian regarding blade production:
It is done in one of MAPNA's subsidiaries called PARTO. But we must remember that MAPNA's turbines are generally used in power plants and are different from aerial turbine engines used in helicopters and aircraft.
 
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Wankel engine are not reliable engine. So why so difficult engine program? And wankel engine are not for diesel feul, the best reliable engine for uav is ottomotor systems. Or you have to make turbofan engine.
 
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That has been reported in one of the articles of Janes in 2006. I don't have the original article but there is an article mentioning it. You can find the exact line by just searching "Canada".
The Arkenstone -
so one of the countries (poppet of UK) with most problems with Iran, sells helicopter engines to us? and Iranian defense crew have counted on Canad for producing an Armed helicopter?
Man you read too much web reports, if we wanna refer to them, then our every god damn missile is either Chinese or North Korean. their official reports turn out to be a complete lie, what do we expect from these unofficial ones?
regarding the aircraft engine, Vahidi said design and test phase of Qaher's engine is already finished, and it enters taxi tests immediately, Now either we should trust our defense minister or believe western media.
 
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so one of the countries (poppet of UK) with most problems with Iran, sells helicopter engines to us? and Iranian defense crew have counted on Canad for producing an Armed helicopter?
Man you read too much web reports, if we wanna refer to them, then our every god damn missile is either Chinese or North Korean. their official reports turn out to be a complete lie, what do we expect from these unofficial ones?
regarding the aircraft engine, Vahidi said design and test phase of Qaher's engine is already finished, and it enters taxi tests immediately, Now either we should trust our defense minister or believe western media.

:tup: :tup: :tup:
 
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so one of the countries (poppet of UK) with most problems with Iran, sells helicopter engines to us? and Iranian defense crew have counted on Canad for producing an Armed helicopter?
Man you read too much web reports, if we wanna refer to them, then our every god damn missile is either Chinese or North Korean. their official reports turn out to be a complete lie, what do we expect from these unofficial ones?
regarding the aircraft engine, Vahidi said design and test phase of Qaher's engine is already finished, and it enters taxi tests immediately, Now either we should trust our defense minister or believe western media.

He never said Canada sold the engines. Read his original post. He said the engines were smuggled and the smuggler was caught.

Anyway, great thread. Very informative.

P.S. Vahidi can say whatever the fuu he wants. Since when are these nimche akhoonds and their minions telling the truth about anything? The fact that you even quote one of these animals to back up a claim is just plain odd.
 
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P.S. Vahidi can say whatever the fuu he wants. Since when are these nimche akhoonds and their minions telling the truth about anything? The fact that you even quote one of these animals to back up a claim is just plain odd.

can you back up your words? can you show me which one of his words has been a lie? or you are just claiming.
 
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can you back up your words? can you show me which one of his words has been a lie? or you are just claiming.

boro baba

The people on this site are so wack.

Everybody is either a wahabi suicide bomber or a braindead hezbollahi akhoond supporter.

Now vahidi, an ugly mofo representative of an arabesque 6th century theocratic dictatorship, is the source of truth??
 
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@ Mods

Can you please ban Abii? I'm sick of seeing him everywhere in every thread, no matter wich topic, always with his totally unqualified comments without any sources, and always in this dirty asocial rhetorik...what a disgrace!


He is a totally useless member without any value, he is absolutely no enrichment for this forum!

Seriously Mods, why do you accept such a arazal obash???

He should be banned!!!
 
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Wankel engine are not reliable engine. So why so difficult engine program? And wankel engine are not for diesel feul, the best reliable engine for uav is ottomotor systems. Or you have to make turbofan engine.
Wankel engines produce more power than a piston engine of their size will be able to. That's what makes them suitable for drones (which should be built as much compact as it can be)

so one of the countries (poppet of UK) with most problems with Iran, sells helicopter engines to us? and Iranian defense crew have counted on Canad for producing an Armed helicopter?
Man you read too much web reports, if we wanna refer to them, then our every god damn missile is either Chinese or North Korean. their official reports turn out to be a complete lie, what do we expect from these unofficial ones?
regarding the aircraft engine, Vahidi said design and test phase of Qaher's engine is already finished, and it enters taxi tests immediately, Now either we should trust our defense minister or believe western media.

That was back in 2006. And as you can see we didn't rely on them for the systems. We just wanted the process to go as smoothly as it can.
And Vahidi (or Iranian officials as a whole) has said too many questionable statements to be taken seriously on this matter. I don't think Qaher will enter a prototype stage in less than 5 years.
 
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Better to say: Israel doesn't want to develop its own engines as long as it can import them from Germany.

i honestly don't know , but yes as long as they can get them for free from germany , no one knows if they can ever develop war-efficient diesel engines , sorta like iran.
 
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@ Mods

Can you please ban Abii? I'm sick of seeing him everywhere in every thread, no matter wich topic, always with his totally unqualified comments without any sources, and always in this dirty asocial rhetorik...what a disgrace!


He is a totally useless member without any value, he is absolutely no enrichment for this forum!

Seriously Mods, why do you accept such a arazal obash???

He should be banned!!!

I shoud be be banned, but I'm not

You hezbollahis should all be shot in the head, but instead you're walking in Germany and Canada with Iranian people's money

Life isn't fair, get used to it.

nice thread , even israel can't develop their own engines , they import from germany

why should Israel develop its own engine? They're not sanctioned to the stone age like we are. They can buy the damn engine at a fraction of the cost.
 
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