Clouds of dry ice swirled around onlookers as Pratt & Whitney revealed a full-scale model of its new “PurePower” PW1000G geared turbofan (GTF) on its stand yesterday. The engine is performing “outstandingly well” in flight tests now under way, said Pratt & Whitney president Steve Finger, who added, “This is the first of a new generation of ultra high bypass engines.”
Such is the confidence in the program that the company is now talking openly about the GTF concept, until now aimed at the next generation of 150- to 250-seat aircraft, applied as a replacement for its much larger PW4000. Bob Saia, Pratt & Whitney’s vice president, next generation product family, said talks with “one of the OEMs” about a GTF-based engine for future large widebody aircraft have already taken place. “We’ve been doing studies for a next generation widebody which would enter service in 2020–2025. We’d need to commit to an engine four or five years before that,” he said.
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