Press release
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A Engine Completes First Run
December 20, 2002NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CCNMatthews
FOR: PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA
DECEMBER 20, 2002 - 14:24 EST
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A Engine Completes First Run
LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC--Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) completed
its first run of the new PW307A engine, selected last year for
the Dassault Falcon 7X business jet, marking a major milestone in
its development program.
The PW307A, the latest member of P&WC's popular PW300 family of
engines, performed smoothly during the test at P&WC's facilities
in Mississauga, Ontario on December 6. The engine has
accumulated over 10 hours of operating time reaching its maximum
rated thrust, and will perform a series of initial testing until
January 2003. It will then be removed in preparation for other
testing.
"This first run was completed only 15 months after the engine
program launch in September 2001 and we are on target to meet our
customer requirements," added Mike Perodeau, Vice President -
Corporate Aviation, P&WC.
"This milestone was achieved because of the remarkable work by
our engineering and operations teams. We are proud of the engine
performance and we are now looking forward to seeing it fly on
the Falcon 7X," added Alain M. Bellemare, President, P&WC.
The new-generation Falcon 7X, which is scheduled to enter service
in 2006, will be powered by three PW307A engines and carry eight
passengers over distances of 5,700 nautical miles. This will
allow nonstop flights from Paris to Tokyo and from San Francisco
to Moscow. The PW307A engines promise to provide passengers with
new standards in cabin comfort thanks to low noise and vibration
levels, as well as exceptional fuel economy and low maintenance
costs.
Dassault Aviation selected P&WC to supply the PW307A engines as
well as the integrated powerplant system for the Falcon 7X in
October 2001.
The PW307A selection came just a year after Dassault Aviation
chose P&WC to supply the complete propulsion system, including
PW308C engines, for its new Falcon 2000EX business aircraft,
scheduled to enter service in early 2003.
P&WC has selected MHD, a joint venture between Hurel-Hispano and
Aermacchi, as the supplier of the nacelle aerostructure and
thrust reverser for the Falcon 7X, while MTU of Germany is a
partner on the PW307A engine, responsible for providing the
low-pressure turbine module.
"In developing the PW307A engine, we are incorporating product
refinements based on best practices and lessons learned from the
PW300 engine family field experience," said John Saabas, Vice
President - Engineering, P&WC.
New fan technology provides a very low external noise signature
meeting the latest and most stringent noise standards by a
significant margin, and provides higher efficiency and increased
airflow compared to current technology fans of like diameter.
Other design improvements include: core up-flow capability for
increased thrust; a low-volume combustion chamber for increased
durability and reduced emissions that are significantly better
than the FAA/EPA and ICAO standards; improved aerodynamics and
efficiency in both the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines;
and a high-efficiency mixer for lower thrust specific fuel
consumption.
Flat rated at 6,100 lbs. to ISA +18.4oC, the PW307A will enter
service with a 7,200-hour time between overhauls (TBO) with
outstanding warranty coverage, guaranteed maintenance plans and
worldwide support from P&WC.
To date, the PW300 engine family in the field has accumulated
over 2 million hours with more than 230 operators in 30 countries
worldwide and demonstrated an outstanding record for reliability
and durability.
P&WC, based in Longueuil, Quebec, is a world leader in aviation
engines powering business and regional aircraft and helicopters.
The company also offers advanced engines for industrial
applications. P&WC's operations and service network span the
globe. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation
(NYSE:UTX), a high-technology company based in Hartford,
Connecticut.
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Contact
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:
Pratt & Whitney Canada
Annick Laberge
(450) 647-4113
(450) 647-7251 (FAX)
Annick.laberge@pwc.ca
Web Site: www.pwc.ca
