Pratt & Whitney has completed assembly of its first PW1100G test engine that will eventually power the Airbus A320neo.
The geared turbofan will undergo testing at Pratt & Whitney's facility in West Palm Beach, Florida, the company says. The engine manufacturer plans to run eight PW1100G test engines over the next 24 months. These will be built at the engine manufacturer's facilities in West Palm Beach and Middletown.
Airbus plans entry into service for its re-engined narrow body family in 2015.
"The PurePower engine is an integral part of the Airbus A320neo family of aircraft," said Klaus Roewe, A320neo senior vice-president at Airbus, at a "last bolt" ceremony at the West Palm Beach factory on 25 October. "We continue to work closely with Pratt & Whitney to integrate the engine with the airframe, and we look forward to reviewing the initial test results from this first engine to test."
Pratt & Whitney has firm orders for 1,136 PW1100G engines. The powerplant's all-new core has a maximum rating of 33,000lb thrust to power narrowbody aircraft with 130 to 210 seats.
The engine is the third variant in the PW1000G engine family to undergo testing. The PW1200G for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet has started the testing process and the PW1500G for the Bombardier CSeries is nearing certification. The PurePower Geared Turbofan engine family has undergone more than 3,700h and 11,000 cycles of full testing, says Pratt & Whitney.
The engine is produced in collaboration with Japan Aero Engines and MTU Aero Engines.
Airbus also offers the CFM International Leap-1A to power the A320neo family.
Source: Air Transport Intelligence news
