Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES
PRATT & WHITNEY Canada, is studying a new growth variant of its PW500 engine family, aimed at the Cessna Citation VII and potential business aircraft in planning or under study.
The engine maker is helping to unseat the AlliedSignal TFE731 on the Citation VII with a new engine combining elements of the 13kN (3,000lb)-thrust PW530A being developed for the Citation Bravo, and the more powerful 20kN PW545A, planned to power the Citation Excel.
P&WC chairman and chief executive David Caplan confirms that, "...we are also looking at the PW500 for other variants".
Engineers plan to test-run a PW500 core at higher speed, to produce the extra power needed to drive the engine up to 22kN. The study is expected to recommend an additional low-pressure compressor stage and an increase in fan diameter, which will boost mass flow.
The company's immediate priority, however, is certification of the PW530A, which is "on course" for approval in December. Eight development engines have amassed more than 4,000h, of which 230h have been carried out on the company's Boeing 720 testbed. Around 170h have also been built up on Cessna's Citation Bravo prototype, which was first flown on 19 April, in addition to around 100h on Cessna's T-47 testbed.
Five development engines are now being run in the PW545A programme, which is aimed at certification for the Excel in December 1996. The PW545A is fitted with a single-channel full-authority digital engine-control system, but will be operable when manual control only is available.
Source: Flight International
