Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE
Pratt & Whitney has warned its International Aero Engine (IAE) partners that it will pursue development of the PW6000 and geared PW8000 turbofan family unless agreement can be reached on the future direction of the collaborative V2500 programme.
"Pratt can't survive without participating in the largest engine market in the world," says P&W president Karl Krapek. "We made the decision to launch because we had to get back into the narrowbody business. We had been unable to agree with the IAE partners on how to enhance or provide derivatives or change the V2500. Our actions have caused some serious new thinking."
The US engine manufacturer and its principal IAE partner, Rolls-Royce, along with Japanese Aero Engines, MTU and Fiat, are engaged in discussions to determine the future of the consortium and the V2500 engine family.
The need for a decision is being driven by growing competition from the CFM International CFM56 turbofan and the threat P&W perceives from the General Electric/Snecma partnership producing a "higher operating pressure ratio engine". At the same time, P&W faces a shrinking market share and loss of an important revenue stream as its ageing JT8Ds are phased out of service.
Krapek outlines several scenarios. "We could put the gearbox around an upgraded IAE engine that has some PW6000 core components, or we could go it alone with the PW6000 and PW8000. IAE then goes its own way with a new company and a new core that competes with the 6000/8000. We keep the old company and we run it out through the spare parts line."
P&W argues that the V2500's future lies in the use of a gearbox, rather than a higher pressure compressor, but it needs to convince its partners to support such a development. Rolls-Royce is believed to have presented its own series of improvement proposals based on the BR700.
"Something has to happen," warns Krapek, adding that it is not a prerequisite for a unanimous decision to be reached by all five partners, some of which have already agreed to join the PW8000 programme.
Source: Flight International
