Fairchild Dornier has selected Pratt &Whitney Canada to supply a powerplant for the proposed turbofan-powered derivative of its 328 regional turboprop aircraft.
According to North American sources, the companies were poised to sign a contract at the time of going to press, once a final offset question had been resolved.
The Canadian engine manufacturer has offered a derivative of its PW306, believed to have a new low-pressure spool and a bigger fan. It has beaten off competition from AlliedSignal Engines, with a version of its LF507, and General Electric, offering the CFE738.
Fairchild Dornier says that the initial deal covers only the 30-seat variant, the 328-300. The proposed 50-seat stretch, the 328-700, will be dealt with separately.
Candidates to power the 328-700 are the AlliedSignal LF507-2, the Allison AE3007G and the P&WC PW308. The fuselage is to be stretched with two plugs, and a longer, 23.4m, wing - possibly with additional sweep on the outboard section -will be added.
The manufacturer hopes to fly the 30-seat aircraft by January 1998, aiming for certification a year later. The -300 variant is expected to have a top cruise speed of 375kt (690km/h) at 22,000ft (6,700m), compared with the standard -110 turboprop's 335kt, and it should have a range of 1,650km .
Minimal modifications are required for the jet-powered variant, says the manufacturer, and all derivatives could be produced on a common production line.
Source: Flight International
