Cessna has begun flight testing Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW615F small turbofan on a CitationJet testbed. The 1,350lb (6kN)-thrust engine will power the manufacturer's Citation Mustang entry-level business jet, scheduled for certification and first deliveries in late 2006.
Flight testing began on 27 April after more than 70h of ground runs at the Montreal-based engine manufacturer. Cessna says the PW615F is the first P&WC engine to be flown on an aircraft manufacturer's testbed before it has flown on the Canadian company's Boeing 720.
First in the PW600 series, the PW615F is scheduled for type certification in the fourth quarter of next year. Eclipse Aviation plans to begin flight testing the 900lb-thrust PW610F on the Eclipse 500 on 31 December, with certification of the very light jet planned for March 2006. The PW600 family is intended to span the 900-3,000lb thrust range and may spawn turboprop derivatives.
Source: Flight International
