Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW800 Business Aviation engine is poised to enter into service on a third platform—the Dassault Falcon 6X—in 2023. It has been an exciting few years for the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) team that brought the engine to market. According to Anthony Rossi, vice president, Sales and Marketing at the company, a quick assessment of recent developments shows how the PW800 is rapidly achieving critical mass, as befits an engine of this pedigree.

“Consider that it was 1971 when the company’s inaugural business jet engine – the JT15D – took to the fledgling skies of business aviation powering the first generation of the Cessna Citation,” says Rossi. “For Pratt and Whitney Canada, the year was a turning point reflecting our decision to expand our business focus beyond the PT6A turboprop. Business aviation was not as ubiquitous as it is now, and the company took the risk – and seized the opportunity – to get in on the ground floor.”

How times have changed.

A Success Story

The JT15D engine pioneered the business aviation market segment with its introduction; over the years 6,745 engines were produced, with a remarkable 4,344 engines still in service. New turbofan engine models followed – the PW300, PW500, PW600 and most recently the PW800 which powers the new generation of large-body business jets. In total to date, P&WC has produced roughly 20,200 Business Aviation engines, 16,500 of which are still in service, with the fleet having flown more than 108 million hours.

“The PW800 is the embodiment of all the learning and innovation surfaced by its predecessor turbofan models,” says Rossi. “It is the most modern, efficient and environmentally responsible engine in its class. It offers double-digit improvements in fuel burn, emissions and noise as compared to the current generation of engines. The PW800 derived its core from the geared turbofan (GTF) engine, which is a proven game changer, reducing fuel burn and CO2 emissions by up to 20% for single-aisle aircraft, and reducing NOx emissions by 50%.”

The PW800 engine was unveiled in 2017 and entered into service on the Gulfstream G500 in 2018 and on the Gulfstream G600 in 2019. It was also in 2018 that Dassault announced it had selected the PW812D engine to power its new Falcon 6X business jet. The engine received type certification from Transport Canada in December 2021 and received EASA Type Certification this past August. 

Third Gulfstream Platform

In October 2021, Gulfstream announced that it had selected the PW812GA engine to power its new G400 aircraft. That engine received Transport Canada Type Certification in September with EASA Type Certification pending.

“We will deliver a fully integrated powerplant solution comprised of the PW812GA engine and nacelle system provided by Collins Aerospace,” says Rossi. “The PW812GA extends the application of the PW800 architecture, with optimizations for the advanced requirements of the G400 aircraft, including the latest full authority digital engine control (FADEC), sophisticated technology to support engine health monitoring and the use of advanced materials such as titanium and composites to deliver superior performance and availability”

Not long after announcing the PW800 engine, P&WC also took steps to put in place its support network. In 2019, the company revealed it was investing $30 million in its engine services facility in Bridgeport, West Virginia, for the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of PW800 engines.

“We chose the Bridgeport facility to provide PW800 MRO services because of the site’s wealth of technical expertise in business aviation engines and its excellent record in providing quality, speed and value for our customers,” says Rossi.

Carbon Offset Service

Rossi says the company is very much aware that concerns over the impact that aviation has on the environment has reached a tipping point for many of its customers, especially in business aviation. He points out that today the aviation industry contributes 2-3% of CO2 emissions. If left unchecked that is forecasted to increase to 18% by 2050.

“In late 2020, we launched our Carbon Offset service for business aviation customers whose engines were enrolled in our Eagle Service™ Plan (ESP™) pay-per-hour maintenance plan,” says Rossi. “With the service, operators offset their aircraft’s carbon footprint, while contributing to greater environmental sustainability. We have now extended the service to all our engine models.”

As part of the carbon offset service, Pratt & Whitney Canada and South Pole -- a globally recognized provider of environmentally sustainable solutions -- take on the role of estimating and compensating aircraft emissions for the customer. The enrollment is easy, and the service is convenient, transparent, cost-effective and flexible, with customers paying service charges on their ESP invoice only when their aircraft is in flight. All customers will receive a certificate confirming that their carbon emissions have been offset.

Rossi says Pratt & Whitney Canada has a long-standing commitment to offering environmentally responsible products and solutions to its customers. This includes being one of the first companies to certify its engines for use with sustainable aviation fuels to finding ways to minimize the impact of its operations and engines on the environment throughout their entire lifecycle. Pratt & Whitney is part of an industry-wide commitment to achieve net zero air transport carbon emissions by 2050, in support of the Paris Agreement 1.5C goal.

The company is translating that commitment into innovative, concrete actions.

“One of the advantages of manufacturing engines that serve the entire aviation market, is that developments in one engine family can be easily transferred to another,” says Rossi. “For example, the learnings from our hybrid-electric demonstrator program using a regional turboprop aircraft can be applied across our entire product portfolio, including Business Aviation.” 

30% Reduction in Fuel Burn

The hybrid-electric demonstrator targets a 30% reduction in fuel burn and CO2 emissions, compared to a modern regional turboprop airliner. This will be enabled by optimizing performance across the different phases of flight. In the hybrid-electric arrangement, an electric motor and thermal engine work in tandem, providing an electric power boost during takeoff, when the engine power is needed the most. 

“This allows the size of the thermal engine to be reduced and optimized for cruise power, reducing overall aircraft weight,” says Rossi. “This weight reduction, along with the need for less heavy fuel, helps accommodate the weight of the battery.”

P&WC is working with De Havilland Canada to integrate this hybrid-electric technology into a De Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 flight demonstrator with a 30-passenger capacity. This demonstrator will include an advanced electric motor and controller from Collins Aerospace. Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are sister companies operating under Raytheon Technologies Corporation. In May 2022, the company announced that H55 S.A. will provide the battery systems for the program. The Swiss-based company’s core competencies are in developing propulsion and energy storage solutions which are modular, lightweight, and safe.

The companies are targeting ground testing of the demonstrator engine in 2022 with flight testing to follow in 2024.

Sustainable Aviation Fuels

“We are also making major strides in the use of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF),” says Rossi. “The tests we have been running are important steps in establishing industry standards and acceptance of 100% SAF.”

He says P&WC is working with its OEM customer ATR on achieving 100% SAF compatibility. In June, ATR flew an ATR 72 aircraft (owned and operated by Braathens Regional Airlines) with two production configuration PW127M engines using 100% SAF in both engines with stellar results. This was the first time a test of this type has been conducted.  Earlier in the year, ATR had flight tested one of P&WC’s latest PW127XT-M engines on 100% SAF with the other engine burning standard jet fuel.  Embraer has also flown one of its E-Jets E2 aircraft with one GTF engine running on 100% SAF, again with excellent results. 

Hydrogen Fuel

“Beyond SAF, we believe that hydrogen represents a zero-carbon opportunity – providing the industry finds solutions to infrastructure challenges relating to hydrogen production, storage, and distribution systems,” says Rossi. “It is important to point out that engine technology to burn hydrogen is not a limiting factor and Pratt & Whitney is capable of converting our engines to allow for direct combustion of gaseous H2.”

P&WC is a leader in business aviation with a portfolio spanning all segments, from very light jets to large-cabin aircraft. They power more than one-third of all business jets worldwide. However, P&WC is also known for its reliable and dependable engines across all market segments, such as its iconic PT6A engine. A growth mindset and customer first approach, along with a commitment to innovation and sustainable initiatives is what has ensured the company’s success across all their activities.

Whether it’s extolling the virtues of the PW800 engine or pointing out Pratt & Whitney’s leadership in sustainable aviation, Rossi is obviously bullish on the company’s prospects.

“As an engine OEM all that we do must deliver value to our customers,” says Rossi, “and that imperative will continue to serve us well as we confront the many opportunities and challenges that the future holds.”