Contributor - Business Aviation

James Wynbrandt

<p>Pratt &amp; Whitney Canada provided an update yesterday at NBAA 2011 in Las Vegas, addressing several programs and projects in development. The PW800 turbofan, which had been slated to power the <a href="?q=aviation-news/aviation-international-news/2009-07-28/textron-formally-cancels-citation-columbus">now-cancelled Cessna Columbus</a> large-cabin jet, is still in development while the company continues to seek a launch customer. However, P&amp;WC has completed a state-of-the-art production facility for the engine in Mirabel, Quebec, where the PW1523G (geared) turbofan will also be built. It has been selected to power the Bombardier CSeries, Mitsubishi MRJ and Irkut MC-21. Meanwhile, P&amp;WC is concurrently continuing to advance the technology and capabilities of its flagship PT6 turboprop family. Eva Azoulay, vice president of strategic planning and business development, said her the company is currently working to improve the engine’s specific fuel consumption by between 15 and 30 percent. P&amp;WC is also pushing to improve real-time engine diagnostics, especially since the cost of satellite transmission has declined markedly, making it economical to download large amounts of captured data for analysis on the ground.</p>


<p>News and developments about aircraft engines, including turbofan, turboprop, turboshaft and piston.</p>
