GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC
Cessna has selected the Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) PW615F engine to power the Citation Mustang entry-level business jet. Selection over the rival Williams International FJ33 is a strategic win for P&WC, which last year lost the competition to power the Citation CJ3 to Williams.
Cessna is the launch customer for the PW600 family, intended to cover the 1,000-3,000lb (4.5-13.4kN) thrust range. The PW615F for the Mustang is flat-rated at 1,350lb thrust. A 1,000lb-thrust version, the PW610, is one of two engines in contention to power the Eclipse 500 personal jet (Flight International, 31 December-6 January).
Development of the PW615F is a three-year programme, leading to certification in late 2005 and production in 2006, says P&WC president Alain Bellemare.
The Mustang is scheduled for certification in mid-2006, leading to first deliveries late that year. Cessna has taken deposits on 320 aircraft, but parent company Textron has yet to approve formal launch of the programme.
Bellemare says P&WC's proposal met Cessna's performance requirements and offered "very attractive" pricing and aftermarket support. The PW615F features dual-channel full-authority digital engine control, has 40% fewer parts than a comparable PW500, and will enter service with a 3,500h interval between overhauls.
P&WC flew a 2,500lb-thrust PW625F demonstrator engine late last year, and Bellemare believes that the launch of the PW615F will "trigger more activity and open doors to other potential customers".
The company has studied turboshaft and turboprop variants of the PW600, he says.
Source: Flight International
