Targeting Double-Digit Reductions In Fuel Burn, Emissions

Enginemaker Pratt & Whitney tells ANN it has completed assembly of a full-scale Geared Turbofan engine at the company's Engine Center in Middletown, CT and shipped it to the company's Advanced Test Facility in West Palm Beach, FL. The engine will begin ground testing early next month.

"This is an exciting time at Pratt & Whitney as we watch our next generation product, the Geared Turbofan engine, begin its validation testing program," said Bob Saia, vice president, Next Generation Product Family, Pratt & Whitney. "To date our 15 technology rigs have demonstrated that the Geared Turbofan engine components are operating at or above our expectations. This demonstrator engine will validate performance at the full engine level and demonstrate the game-changing characteristics of the Geared Turbofan engine."

Pratt & Whitney says a Geared Turbofan engine will deliver a 12% reduction in fuel burn, 50% reduction in noise and emissions, and 40% reduction in maintenance costs over today's commercial engines.

Ground testing of the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine will continue through May 2008 and flight testing will begin in mid-2008 on the Pratt & Whitney 747 flying test bed.

FMI: www.pw.utc.com