Pratt & Whitney PurePower® Engine for Airbus A320neo Soars on Wing: Begins First Flight Test Program

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., June 3, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- The Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engine successfully completed its first flight May 15, launching the engine family's flight test program. The PW1100G-JM engine for the Airbus A320neo aircraft flew on Pratt & Whitney's Boeing 747SP flying test bed at the company's Mirabel Aerospace Centre, in Mirabel, Quebec, Canada. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company (NYSE: UTX).

"This first flight milestone adds to the more than 460 hours of flight testing already logged for the PurePower engine program," said Bob Saia, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Development Programs. "The first flight went smoothly and cleared the way for about 40 flights planned for this phase of the program. We are very pleased with the overall design maturity of our PW1100G-JM engine this early in the test program. Our family design strategy is enabling this program to initiate flight testing and certification testing earlier than our earlier programs."

The successful ground test program led to more than 365 hours of ground performance and operability testing which cleared the way for this first flight. Three additional PW1100G-JM engines are conducting rigorous ground testing at Pratt & Whitney. To date, the PurePower engine program has completed more than 4,800 hours and 13,700 cycles of full engine testing.

Engine certification for the PW1100G-JM engine is planned for third quarter of 2014 with entry into service planned for the fourth quarter of 2015. 

Results continue to validate that the PW1100G-JM is on track to meet all program commitments including: durability, reduced emissions, drastically lower noise footprint and double digit fuel burn reduction. The PurePower engine family uses an advanced gear system allowing the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The combination of the gear system and an all-new advanced core deliver double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency, environmental emissions and noise.

A key development resulting from technology improvements and rigorous testing of the PW1100G-JM engine was optimizing the engine fan's configuration. Airbus and Pratt & Whitney agreed to simplify the propulsion system by removing the Variable Area Fan Nozzle (VAFN) from the A320neo nacelle after the fan blade demonstrated better performance across the flight spectrum.    

The PurePower engine family also shares advanced aerodynamics, lightweight materials and advanced turbine materials.  The engine's advanced core consists of an ultra-efficient high-pressure compressor, a low-emissions combustor, and state of the art high-pressure turbine module.

Pratt & Whitney's sister company, UTC Aerospace Systems supplies the Nacelle and Thrust Reverser systems, which provides improved fuel savings and noise reduction, a complete package of controls and accessories, Electric Power Generation Systems (EPGS) and the Overheat Detection System.

Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, auxiliary and ground power units and small turbojet propulsion products. United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit the website or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.

This release includes "forward looking statements" concerning anticipated business opportunities that are subject to risks and uncertainties, including with regard to the programs described in this release. Risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or implied in forward looking statements include the effect of economic conditions in the markets in which we operate, including financial market conditions, and fluctuation in interest rates, commodity prices and foreign currency exchange rates; levels of end market demand in the aerospace industry, including levels of demand for the new aircraft described in this release; levels of air travel; financial difficulties of commercial airlines; the financial condition of suppliers; and challenges in the design, development, production and support of advanced technologies and new products and services. For information identifying other important economic, political, regulatory, legal, technological, competitive and other uncertainties, see UTC's 10-K, 10-Q and other reports filed with the SEC.

For more on the Pratt & Whitney PurePower engine visit: www.purepowerengines.com 
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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney