Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) remains committed to its PW800 engine, still looking for a launch customer after failing to win a place on new Chinese and Russian regional jet programmes and, controversially, losing the competition to power the Airbus Military A400M.
A new US Navy contract to demonstrate engine technologies for unmanned air vehicle (UAV) applications has provided a lifeline for the PW800 programme.
"We will keep up the pace of investment, helped by the UAV contract," says P&WC president Alain Bellemare.
The PW800 was conceived to power new-generation regional jets, as well as large business jets. But P&WC lost the competition to power the Chinese ARJ21 regional jet to the General Electric CF34 and lost the Russian Regional Jet (RRJ) engine contest to the Snecma/Saturn SM146.
"In both cases we kind of expected to lose," says Bellemare. "We realise we have missed the first wave of regional jets, and are really gearing up for the next wave. We just have to be patient, as it may take five to 10 years. The end of the decade may be about right."
P&WC has embarked on a PW800 core technology demonstration, having completed a two-year programme to demonstrate the geared-fan low-pressure spool. This will feed into the UAV engine technology demonstration, with P&WC providing the core to US-based Pratt & Whitney, which will build the rest of the engine. P&W was awarded the 39-month, $12.7 million demonstration contract in May.
Latest in a series of blows to the company's hopes for the PW800 was last month's selection of the Europrop International TP400 to power the A400M, despite P&WC's bid being substantially cheaper.
"We are very, very disappointed [with the A400M decision]," says Bellemare. P&WC's bid was technically and financially attractive, Bellemare believes, "and we had committed to place a significant portion [of the programme] in Europe". The company invested a "significant amount of money" in its bid after being invited to compete "on commercial terms... on a level playing field", he says. "We are profoundly disappointed."
Source: Flight Daily News
