Pratt & Whitney Canada's (P&WC) new PW600 small turbofan is one of two engines being considered for the Eclipse 500 personal jet. Eclipse Aviation is expected to make a powerplant selection early in 2003, but has not disclosed the terms of its settlement with Williams International over the termination of the EJ22 engine (Flight International, 3-9 December).
Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Eclipse will not identify the "two major engine manufacturers" it is in negotiations with, stating only that one is offering a new centreline design and the other an adaptation of an existing core. The latter is believed to be a turbofan derivative of the Honeywell LTS101 turboshaft.
P&WC says that, unlike the 1,500-1,700lb-thrust (6.7-7.6kN) PW615F being offered for Cessna's Citation Mustang personal jet, the PW610 variant proposed to Eclipse is rated at around 1,000lb thrust. The engine maker did not expect to be "in the frame" for the Eclipse, but has decided to bid now that the aircraft's maximum weight has been increased to 2,500kg (5,500lb).
"We know who we want," says Eclipse chief executive Vern Raburn, but the investment required to develop a 900lb thrust-class engine for the aircraft calls for top-level approval before a deal can be signed. Raburn acknowledges that agreeing to supply engines to a start-up such as Eclipse represents a "tough challenge" for an established manufacturer.
The Eclipse certification schedule will depend on which engine is chosen. "We were facing a lengthy delay with the EJ22, but no matter how much the Williams engine was delayed, it was faster than a new engine," says Raburn. "The programme is now very definitely engine-paced, not airframe-paced." Eclipse has told customers it will refund the deposit on any order cancelled.
Eclipse plans to fly the proof-of-concept aircraft - flown just once with EJ22s - with drone engines for 100-150h to collect aero-dynamic data. Certification test aircraft will be modified before flight. A new round of financing will be required, and aircraft price will "probably" rise, Raburn says. "There is an increase in engine cost, but not at the magnitude people are predicting."
Source: Flight International
