Vedeneyev Experimental Motor Design Bureau OKBM
Motorbuilding Design Bureau Voronezh

Voronezhskoyeoptyno Konstruktorskoye Byuro Motorostroyeniya (VOKBM) of Voronezh, Russian Federation is the principal developer and producer of piston engines in Russia and has roots in the Soviet Union era. I.M.Vedeneyev was General Constructor of the Bureau from 1960-1973 and developed the M-3, M-14, and other well-known piston engines originally designed by A.G.Ivchyenko, who died in 1968. Professor A. G. Bakanov suceeded Vedeneyev in 1973 and is responsible for developing the HOAE described below (J95-96; VK). Details of all engines by VOKBM, including those below, can be found in Kotelnikov's book "Russian Piston Aero Engines" (VK).

Vedeneyev, established by Ivan Vedeneyev, is one of the smaller Design Bureaux of the former Soviet Union and is based at Voronezh. The Soviet authorities decided in 1959 to assigned all piston-engine development to Ivan Vedeneyev, who set up his own Design Bureau in Voronezh, also known as OKBM - Experimental Motor Design Bureau. Subsequently Ivchenko, which had worked on piston engines, concentrated on turbine engines, which they continue today. Under the Soviet system the actual manufacture of these piston engines was given to the Voronezh Mechanical Plant (VMP), which made a variety of aerospace products, including the Buran space-shuttle.

The radial engine is a reciprocating type internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinders point outward from a central crankshaft like the spokes on a wheel. This configuration was very commonly used in large aircraft engines before most large aircraft started using turbine engines. At least five companies build radials today. Vedeneyev engines produces the M-14P model, 360hp (up to 450hp) radial used on Yakovlevs, and Sukhoi Su-26 and Su-29 aerobatic aircraft.

The principal product of the Vedeneyev Design Bureau has been the M14 family of engines, originally designed as the AI-14 by the Ivchenko Design Bureau at Zaparozhye in the Ukraine. The first member of this engine family was born in 1947. The first tests of a nine cylinder engine designated the AI 14 were completed in the Ukrainian city of Zaparozhye. The engine was designed by the Design Bureau of Alexandr Ivchenko and was named AI 14 in honor of the first letters of his first and last name. The engine had a displacement 621 cubic inches and developed 260 HP. The first production version was released in 1950 and was designated the AI-14R. There was also a version called AI-14V designed for helicopters. Thousands of these engines were manufactured over the years in both Russia and many of the Soviet block countries.

Vedeneyev’s first engine was the AI-14RF, which produced 300hp. This in turn led to the M14P, which was introduced in its Series I form in the early 1970s. This produced 360hp, and Series II came out in the early 1980s, still delivering 360hp, but with a variety of internal improvements. The M-14P has also found great favor among builders of experimental aircraft, such as the Culp's Special, and Culp's Sopwith Pup, Pitts S12 "Monster" and the Murphy "Moose".

After the collapse of the Soviet Union the funding which Vedeneyev and VMP previously received stopped, as did the requirement for large numbers of engines. This made little difference to VMP, for whom the production of piston aircraft engines was a relatively small part of their business, but created a significant problem for Vedeneyev, for which the design of engines represented approximately half their business – the remainder being aerospace gearboxes. There was continuing large scale production of engines in the early 1990s with the last completed engine being manufactured by VMP in 1994. However they still had large numbers of major components and continued to produce small numbers of engines since then from these pre-existing components and subassemblies.

At the end of 2004, there were serious financial problems with the company. Because of this production was reduced to very small amounts, and the company was placed in a form of protective bankruptcy. In 2006, Vedeneyev was purchased by FK System – a major Russian group with a variety of interests, including Kamov Helicopters. They injected fresh capital, and reorganised the business, changing it from a Soviet style organisation into a much more modern and competitive business. However in the 2008 financial crisis, FK Systems then had its own major financial problem and finally OKBM ceased production.