Contributor - UK

David Donald

Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada (P&amp;WC) is celebrating a number of milestones this year, including amassing one billion flight hours with its engines, the 60th anniversary of the PT6 turbine, and delivering the 6,000th PW300-series turbofan in May. Earlier this month, the division announced its 200th engine certification when Transport Canada signed off on the PW127XT-L for the ATR 42-600S regional airliner.
Current activity includes getting the PW812D into service on the Dassault Falcon 6X. The engine is certified, and the first customer deliveries of the twinjet are imminent. The 6X is one of four aircraft types to operate with the PW800 series, in addition to the Gulfstream G500 and G600, as well as the in-development G400. Also under development by the company is the PW545D engine for the Textron Citation Ascend, which was announced at EBACE in May.
Of the billion total flight hours, the ubiquitous PT6 accounts for around half, with the current PT6E-series surpassing 100,000 flight hours in July. Development of the evergreen turbine continues unabated.
According to the company, the engine remains entirely relevant and competitive, and it sees no requirement to replace it with a new engine. The architecture of the 60-year-old engine has proven to be highly accommodating of technology insertion over the decades. It remains just as accommodating today, with the latest variants introducing digital control and single-lever engine/pitch operation.
P&amp;WC is also looking to the future and is researching, developing, and maturing technology that will be applicable to advanced air mobility projects as well as shorter-term efforts such as the wider use of synthetic aviation fuel. The company is researching hydrogen fuel and fuel cell technology.
A major project that is being led by P&amp;WC is a hybrid-electric flight test demonstrator based on a Dash 8-100 regional airliner. The aim of the project is to reduce fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by 30 percent compared with current advanced turboprops. The Canadian and Quebec governments are supporting the project, as is airframer de Havilland Canada.
Fellow RTX business unit Collins Aerospace has developed a one-megawatt electric motor at its Solihull, UK factory to partner with an advanced P&amp;WC gas turbine. Low-speed engine runs began at P&amp;WC’s Longueuil, Quebec facility in December 2022, and the full hybrid powerplant entered ground testing in June. P&amp;WC and its partners hope to fly the demonstrator later next year.

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