Pratt & Whitney’s first PW4000-100 Advantage70 development engine has completed endurance and flight testing in preparation for certification later this year.
The technology upgrade will deliver improved performance, fuel efficiency and lower operating costs for the Airbus A330 family of aircraft and the first upgraded engines are scheduled to enter service next year.
The engine builders claim that despite its additional thrust, the upgrade also helps the environment by reducing CO2 emissions by around 650 tonnes per aircraft, per year.
The flight test programme, which began in April, focused on validating engine performance and operability. This was complemented by ground endurance testing, including more than 1,000 cycles to demonstrate the durability and performance of the Advantage70 configuration. All testing met or exceeded performance expectations.
Airbus A330-200s and A330-300s will be the first to fly with Advantage70 in mid-2009 while the new technology will be included in the launch engine for the new A330-200F aircraft, scheduled to enter into service in late 2009.
Source: Flight International
