IPTN is in advanced negotiations with Pratt & Whitney Canada to offer a variant of the PW119 engine as an alternative powerplant on the IPTN CN.235-330 which it is to propose to meet the Royal Australian Air Force's (RAAF) Project Air 5190 Light Tactical Airlift Capability (LTAC) requirement.
The competition to replace RAAF de Havilland Caribous now in service is also likely to attract interest from Alenia, AI(R) and CASA. The Indonesian company believes that the PW119 engine would provide sizeable advantages over the current General Electric CT7, including a 20% improvement in performance, lower fuel consumption and better growth potential.
Preliminary engineering studies suggest that the re-engineing could be achieved with minor wing structural modifications to accommodate the increased thrust, a marginally higher empty weight and a strengthened undercarriage to support a proposed new maximum take-off weight. The studies suggest that only minor re-working of the existing engine cowling would be needed to accommodate the change. Michael Jones of Aerospace Technical Services, which represents IPTN in Australia, says that the company is also negotiating with GE for an upgraded CT7 engine.
Project manager Agung Nugroho says that the detail of certification questions has yet to be addressed, but the company believes that about 80% would be accommodated within the Australian and Indonesian certification work already carried out.
At the show, IPTN and Hawker de Havilland Australia signed an authority to proceed, covering co-operative design and manufacture of composite components for the IPTN CN.235.
Source: Flight International