Second Pratt & Whitney Engine Program Powering Next-Generation Airplanes

The FAA has certified the PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine for the Airbus A320neo family. The PW1100G-JM engine is the latest PurePower GTF engine model to be certified.

"We are proud to achieve FAA certification for the PW1100G-JM engine for the A320neo as planned. This milestone further validates our GTF technology's reliability and robustness," said Greg Gernhardt, president, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. "In advance of this accomplishment, our engine has already completed more than 50 flights on the A320neo flight test aircraft and has performed extremely well. We look forward to continued success as we support Airbus in their aircraft certification efforts."

The GTF architecture allows room for growth as demonstrated by the additional 2 percent fuel burn enhancement which will further reinforce the A320neo's 20 percent fuel burn savings per seat by 2020. The PW1100G-JM engine's technology also makes it the most powerful engine on the A321neo. The A321neo is available with a 35K thrust rating at altitude that will give airlines the capability to fly routes of greater distance while carrying more passengers or payloads.

The PurePower GTF engine offers customers a dramatic reduction – up to 75 percent – in the noise footprint compared to today's aircraft. The environmentally friendly engine also reduces regulated emissions by up to 50 percent, and will reduce CO2 emissions at a level equivalent to planting almost 1 million trees or taking 3 million cars off the road – per aircraft per year.

The PurePower engine family has completed more than 13,500 hours of testing, including 2,000 hours of flight testing and more than 26,500 cycles of testing.  Pratt & Whitney now has two certified PurePower engine programs powering the next generation of aircraft. The PW1500G engine for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft achieved Transport Canada type certification in early 2013.

(Image from file)

FMI: www.purepowerengines.com