NPO Saturn / UEC-Saturn · Aircraft Engine · Russia · Digital Age (2010–present)
Open in interactive gallery →The Saturn AL-41F1 is a Russian afterburning low-bypass turbofan developed by NPO Saturn (now UEC-Saturn) as the powerplant for the fifth-generation Sukhoi Su-57 Felon in its first production configuration. Designated Izdeliye 117 (and Izdeliye 117S in the closely related Su-35S variant), the AL-41F1 is a heavily reworked derivative of the AL-31F rather than a clean-sheet design.
Architecturally the engine retains the twin-spool low-bypass layout of the AL-31 but with a larger-diameter blisk-built fan, redesigned high-pressure compressor, single-crystal turbine blades, FADEC, and a fully steerable 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle. Sea-level static thrust is around 19,800 lbf dry and approximately 32,000 lbf with afterburner on the AL-41F1S used in the Su-35S; the Su-57 application (often cited as Izdeliye 117) sits closer to 33,000-34,000 lbf with reheat. Public specific-fuel-consumption figures vary across Russian sources, and the more aggressive 39,500 lbf thrust class is routinely quoted for the planned second-stage Izdeliye 30 (AL-51F), not the AL-41F1 itself.
Two AL-41F1S engines power each Su-35S, where the 3D thrust-vectoring nozzles give the airframe the post-stall manoeuvrability for which the type is best known on the airshow circuit. The Su-57 uses two AL-41F1s in early production blocks under a stage-1 propulsion plan; the Izdeliye 30 second-stage engine, with a different core and true supercruise targets, is the long-term replacement once it reaches series production.
The AL-41F1 family supports a degree of supercruise — sustained supersonic flight without afterburner — though Russian claims of Mach 1.3-1.5 dry supercruise on the Su-57 are not independently verified. The thrust-vectoring nozzles are mechanically simpler than the 2D paddle nozzle of the Pratt & Whitney F119 on the F-22, trading some signature reduction for lower mass and wider deflection angles.
Production runs at UEC-Saturn in Rybinsk. Total deliveries through the mid-2020s are in the low hundreds, paced by Su-35S and Su-57 production rates rather than engine capacity. Operators outside Russia include the small number of Su-35s delivered to Egypt and Iran. The AL-41F1 is not currently offered for export on the Su-57 platform, which remains a Russian Aerospace Forces asset.
The Saturn AL-41F1 is a powerful jet engine made in Russia. It was built by a company called NPO Saturn. The engine is used to power advanced fighter jets like the Su-57 Felon and the Su-35S.
This engine is based on an older design called the AL-31F. Engineers kept the same basic layout but added many new parts. They used special single-crystal blades inside the engine to handle extreme heat. A smart computer system called FADEC helps control how the engine runs.
One of the coolest features is the 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle. This lets the nozzle point in different directions. That helps the jet turn and move in amazing ways, even at very slow speeds. Pilots can pull off wild moves that most planes cannot do.
The engine pushes out around 32,000 pounds of force when the afterburner is on. That is heavier than a large school bus pushing through the air! The Su-57 version produces even a little more thrust than that.
Two of these engines work together in each Su-57 and Su-35S. Together they give the jet incredible speed and agility. The AL-41F1 is one of the most advanced jet engines flying today.
The AL-41F1 has a 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle that can aim in different directions. This helps fighter jets turn in amazing ways. It also uses a smart computer and special heat-resistant blades inside.
The AL-41F1 powers the Russian Su-57 Felon fighter jet. A version of it also powers the Su-35S. Each of these jets uses two of these engines at the same time.
No, it is not built from scratch. Engineers based it on an older engine called the AL-31F. They redesigned many parts to make it much more powerful and advanced.
With the afterburner on, the engine makes around 32,000 pounds of pushing force. The Su-57 version makes a little more than that. That is an enormous amount of power for a jet engine!
A derivative. The AL-41F1 keeps the twin-spool layout and overall architecture of the AL-31F but adds a larger blisk-built fan, a redesigned HP compressor, single-crystal turbine blades, FADEC, and a 3D thrust-vectoring nozzle. The original clean-sheet Saturn AL-41F (Izdeliye 20) developed for the cancelled MFI fighter in the 1990s is a different engine.
Izdeliye 117 (AL-41F1) is the first-stage Su-57 engine — a derivative of the AL-31. Izdeliye 30 (also called AL-51F) is the planned second-stage clean-sheet engine with higher thrust, a new core, and true supercruise (UEC official). First flight of an Su-57 with Izdeliye 30 was in 2017; series production followed later. The two are distinct programmes — Izdeliye 117 ships now, Izdeliye 30 is the long-term replacement.
The F119 produces around 35,000 lbf in afterburner with 2D paddle nozzles that vector pitch only and contribute to signature reduction. The AL-41F1 is in a similar thrust class but uses round 3D-vectoring nozzles that deflect in both pitch and yaw, trading some signature for wider deflection. The F119 has stronger supercruise credentials at Mach 1.7-1.8; the AL-41F1's dry-supercruise claims (Mach 1.3-1.5) are not independently verified.
Russian sources claim yes, at roughly Mach 1.3-1.5 dry on the Su-57. Independent verification is thin and the figure is widely treated as marketing-grade. Sustained supersonic flight without afterburner is one of the design goals of the Izdeliye 30 second-stage engine, which is expected to push the Su-57 closer to true supercruise figures.
Public Russian figures put the combined AL-41F1 and AL-41F1S production through the mid-2020s in the low hundreds. Output is paced by Su-35S and Su-57 airframe deliveries rather than the engine plant's capacity. UEC-Saturn assembles the engines at its Rybinsk facility.