MRJ Delays Fail To Dampen Pratt’s Celebration of PW1217G First Flight
Pratt & Whitney flew the PW1217G for the first time on April 30.
Pratt & Whitney next-generation product family v-p Bob Saia briefs reporters on the test status of the PW1217G in front of the company’s 747SP test bed in Hartford. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)
Pratt & Whitney next-generation product family v-p Bob Saia briefs reporters on the test status of the PW1217G in front of the company’s 747SP test bed in Hartford. (Photo: Pratt & Whitney)

If Pratt & Whitney executives felt discouraged by Mitsubishi Aircraft’s recent announcement that it would delay first flight and, likely, certification of the MRJ regional jet by a year-and-a-half, they didn’t show it last week after the airplane’s PW1217G geared turbofan flew for the first time on April 30 aboard Pratt’s Boeing 747SP test bed. In fact, the delay will not affect the PW1217G’s initial flight-test schedule, said next-generation product family v-p Bob Saia, as Pratt & Whitney continues to eye certification by early next year.