Prepares for Airbus Flight Test Program
Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1000G demonstration engine has
completed the first phase of flight testing on a company-owned
747SP flying test bed.
The PW1000G engine completed 12 flights and ran approximately 43
hours with tests focused on engine performance and operability. The
demonstration engine has been shipped to Toulouse, France, to be
installed on an Airbus-owned A340 flight test aircraft. A joint
Airbus and Pratt & Whitney flight test program will begin in
the fourth quarter, as part of Airbus' on-going, extensive research
into new, greener engine architectures.
"The PurePower PW1000G engine continues to perform flawlessly
and has accumulated a total of 306 hours of ground and flight
testing to date," said Bob Saia, Pratt & Whitney vice
president, Next Generation Product Family. "The first phase of our
flight test program included full power takeoffs, in-flight
performance up to 40,000 feet altitude, engine operability
including in-flight starting, and engine operation at extreme
aircraft maneuvers. The PW1000G engine's performance has met all of
our pre-flight performance targets."
The PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine, with Pratt &
Whitney's patented Geared Turbofan technology, completed a 250-hour
ground test program in May. The ground test program follows
thousands of hours of development testing accumulated on 16
technology rigs at Pratt & Whitney and partner facilities
around the world.
"We now look forward to testing the PW1000G engine on the Airbus
A340 flight test aircraft," Saia said. "This second phase of
testing, which will include approximately 75 flight hours, will
focus on engine performance and acoustic testing while providing
valuable installation and operating data."
Airbus will be the first aircraft manufacturer to fly the
PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine on their own flight test
aircraft. Test results will contribute to the company's long-term
research and technology assessment of new engine configuration
developments.
In 2007, Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1000G engine was
selected as the exclusive power for the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet
and the Bombardier CSeries. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet program
announced its first customer in March 2008, with an order from All
Nippon Airways. The CSeries was launched in July 2008 with a letter
of interest for up to 60 aircraft from Lufthansa. Both aircraft are
scheduled to enter service in 2013.
The PurePower PW1000G engine is an all new center-line engine
that includes next generation technology in every major module.
Pratt & Whitney targets double-digit reductions in fuel burn,
environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs, using a
gear system that allows the engine's fan to operate at a different
speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine.