Pratt & Whitney plans to run the first engine tests of its PW6000 turbofan in July 1999, and will flight test the initial engine on powerplant manufacturer Pratt & Whitney Canada's Boeing 720 testbed in early 2001.
The timescale depends partially on Airbus giving the go-ahead for the formal "industrial" launch of the A318 in early 1999, although P&W programmes vice-president Bob Leduc says: "We're both pretty much behaving as if the industrial launch has taken place."
Leduc says further orders are expected to be ratified "around mid-to-late January" that will "-solidify the marketplace of the aircraft within North America and Europe, and which will probably give Airbus Industrie the confidence to go ahead with industrial launch".
The engine is to begin flight tests on the first A318 around August 2001, making this a 40% faster-paced engine development programme than anything attempted before by P&W. The first run of the new generation high pressure compressor (HPC) is due to take place during the first quarter of 1999.
The low parts-count HPC consists of six stages, three featuring variable geometry. The PW6000 will also have a 1.42m-diameter solid shroudless (wide chord) fan. "That isn't such a stretch for us," says Leduc. "It is a lot smaller than our other shroudless [hollow] fans, and is not really high risk."
The engine is sized to cover the 16,000-24,000lb (71-107kN) thrust range and will be certificated at the top power level. It will enter service at the slightly de-rated 21,000-22,000lb thrust level, however, says Leduc.
The engine is also being offered for Bombardier's proposed BRJ-X regional jet. "We think that's a leading opportunity, if they do it," says Leduc, adding that the PW6000 is aimed at "anything with 90 seats and above".
Development of the geared fan PW8000, which uses the PW6000 core, has taken a back seat while the smaller engine development accelerates. The PW8000 continues to be the keystone of the company's propulsion strategy, however, and is designed to be scaled "up and down" to form a geared fan portfolio ranging from 25,000lb to 100,000lb "at some stage", according to Leduc.
The PW8000 has no application other than a generic 150-passenger subsonic narrowbody. P&W mentions neither the Airbus Industrie A320 or Boeing 737 families in its projections for the engine.
Source: Flight International
