Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1200G engine takes to the skies: begins first flight test program

The Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1200G engine successfully completed its first flight on April 30, launching the engine family's flight test program. The PW1217G engine for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) aircraft flew on a specially designed stub wing aboard 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).

"We're really pleased to have started our initial flight test program with the PW1200G engine," said Bob Saia, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Development Programs. "Results from altitude testing will complement the PW1200G sea level data we have collected during the more than 1,000 hours of full engine testing with over 2,000 endurance cycles. Overall, we have completed in excess of 2,400 hours and 7,600 cycles of full engine testing for the entire PurePower Geared Turbofan™ engine program, of which more than 250 hours have been in flight tests. Results continue to validate the geared architecture's dependability, reduced fuel consumption, lower noise and environmental benefits. We're very confident in its performance and that the PurePower engine programs will meet customer commitments. We currently have four PurePower engines at test and nine engines in the build cycle." This initial PW1200G flight test program will validate performance, engine operability and in-flight starting.

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.

The PurePower engine family also shares common, advanced cores and features flight proven, next-generation technology. The engine core consists of an ultra-efficient high-pressure compressor, a low-emissions combustor, and state of the art high-pressure turbine module.