PW-1100 on Boeing 747 Flying Test Bed Aircraft The Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engine successfully complete...
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| PW-1100 on Boeing 747 Flying Test Bed Aircraft |
The Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engine successfully completed its first flight on 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.
The first flight went smoothly and cleared the way for about 40 flights planned for this phase of the program.
This first flight milestone adds to the more than 460 hours of flight testing already logged for the PurePower engine program.
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.
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, acomplete package of controls and accessories, Electric Power Generation Systems (EPGS) and the Overheat Detection System.
The A320neo is a re-engined variant of Airbus A320 airliner with two new advanced engine choices – the PW1100G PurePower from Pratt & Whitney and CFM International’s LEAP – along with Airbus’ Sharklets large wing tip devices for improved fuel efficiency.
These improvements will deliver fuel savings of 15 per cent and an additional flight distance of 500 nautical miles (950 kilometres), or the ability to carry two tonnes more payload at a given range.
