Monday, February 27, 2012

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Powers 200th Mission of Centaur Rocket, Places Communications Satellite for U.S. Navy into Orbit


[Video credit: United Launch Alliance, via YouTube]

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne once again demonstrated the consistent reliability of its propulsion systems by successfully powering the Centaur upper-stage rocket on its 200th mission and placing the first in a series of Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellites for the U.S. Navy into orbit. The payload launched from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the Centaur is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10 engine.

The Atlas V Centaur upper stage is powered by a single RL10A4-2 engine that delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust. The Atlas V Common Core booster is powered by the RD-180 engine and delivers nearly 1 million pounds of thrust. The RD-180 is the only liquid oxygen/kerosene fueled engine with an oxygen-rich staged-combustion cycle flying in the United States today.

Click here to read the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne press release.

Click here to read the United Launch Alliance press release. (Includes a photo gallery.)

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Thursday, February 23, 2012

Lieberman: 'I'm Going To Fight To Keep That Eagle Flying High and Strong'

U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman visited Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford, Conn., this week. Company leaders, including P&W President Dave Hess, took time to thank the senator for his support throughout his four terms in the U.S. Senate. Lieberman has supported the Pratt & Whitney-powered F-22 Raptor, C-17 Globemaster III, F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the selection of Boeing and Pratt & Whitney for the Air Force aerial tanker contract.

Lieberman offered his ongoing support with some encouraging words for the employees gathered in the P&W Museum:
" ... As hard as we fight, and as much as we've learned about how to fight successfully in Congress, we wouldn't be successful unless you here at Pratt & Whitney turned out the best damn jet engines in the world."

" ... I'm going to continue fighting for Connecticut and for Pratt & Whitney right until that last day next January. And I'm going to fight to keep that eagle flying high and strong because I know that when the eagle flies high and strong, America is well protected. And I know that that eagle has under his great wings thousands of jobs for thousands of great workers and managers here in Connecticut."
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Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Gearing Up for Certification: PurePower® Geared Turbofan™ Engine Test Program Progressing Rapidly

Continuing its engine certification program, Pratt & Whitney has initiated certification icing testing for its PurePower PW1524G engine that will power the Bombardier* Cseries* aircraft family. The company anticipates completing engine certification by the end of 2012.

To date the PW1524G engine test program has run more than 1,200 hours of full engine testing – including more than 200 flight hours on its 747 flight test airplane. The PurePower PW1200G engine for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet has completed more than 600 hours of full engine testing and is scheduled to begin its first flight test campaign in April. Certification testing for the PW1200G engine is scheduled to begin by the end of the second quarter. These first two PurePower engine applications have accumulated more than 1,800 hours and 4,800 cycles of full engine testing.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Successfully Completes J-2X Powerpack Test

Video Credit: NASA / SSC

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne successfully completed the first in a series of powerpack hot-fire tests on the J-2X engine, which is being developed for NASA to power humans further into space than ever before. Powerpack tests are designed to evaluate the full range of operating conditions of the engine's components during flight. NASA selected the J-2X as the upper-stage propulsion for the Space Launch System (SLS) – an advanced heavy-lift launch vehicle.

The powerpack consists of components on the top portion of the engine, including the gas generator, the oxygen and fuel turbopumps, and the ducts, valves, and controls that bring the propellants together to drive the turbines of the two turbopumps. Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will perform hot-fire tests on the powerpack through summer, using varying pressures, temperatures and flow rates to ensure the engine is ready to support exploration to low-Earth orbit, Mars and possibly beyond.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners Signs Maintenance Agreements with Japan Airlines

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 15, 2012 – Japan Airlines Co., Ltd. has selected Pratt & Whitney for a Fleet Management Program agreement and a part repair agreement to provide maintenance for the airline's Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft engines and engine parts.

Under the Fleet Management agreement, Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners' Singapore-based Eagle Services Asia engine overhaul facility will provide maintenance services for the airline's PW4090 engines. Pratt & Whitney will also provide part repair services for the airline's fleet of Pratt & Whitney PW4074, PW4077 and JT9D engines through the Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners part repair network. These seven-year agreements are expected to be worth a combined value of approximately $450 million to Pratt & Whitney over the life of their terms.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne to Power Centaur Rocket Mission

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne will power the Centaur upper-stage rocket on its 200th mission and to place the first in a series of Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) communications satellites for the U.S. Navy into orbit on Feb. 16. The launch is scheduled to take off from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, with a Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10A4-2 engine providing the upper-stage propulsion.

The payload will launch from Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida on a United Launch Alliance Atlas V rocket. The Atlas V is powered by the RD AMROSS RD-180 booster engine, and the Centaur is powered by the Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne RL10A4-2 engine, which delivers 22,300 pounds of thrust.

Editor's note: The launch has been rescheduled for Friday, Feb. 24.

Pratt & Whitney Teaches Singapore Polytechnic Students to Power the Future

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW – Singapore, Feb. 15, 2012 – Singapore Polytechnic (SP) and Pratt & Whitney signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) today enabling students to participate in an Overseas Industrial Training Program (OITP) at Pratt & Whitney’s Customer Training Center in China.

The MOU extends an agreement initially signed by SP and Pratt & Whitney at the 2010 Singapore Air Show. To date, more than 150 students have participated in the program. Pratt & Whitney anticipates at least 300 more students will train at its Beijing or Guangzhou, China locations through 2017.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Go Airlines Selects Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1100G-JM Engines for Airbus A320neo Aircraft Family

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 15, 2012 – Go Airlines (GoAir), a leading provider of low fare services in the growing Indian aviation market, has selected Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engines for its order of 72 firm A320neo aircraft. The agreement represents 144 firm PW1100G-JM engines and is anticipated to include a PureSolutionSM maintenance package. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2016.

Each Airbus A320neo family aircraft purchased by GoAir will be powered by two PurePower PW1100G-JM engines with benefits including double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs when compared with today's engines.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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TransAsia Airways Selects Pratt & Whitney PurePower® PW1100G-JM Engines to Power Airbus A321neo Aircraft

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 15, 2012 – TransAsia Airways has selected Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G-JM engines to power its order of six firm and six option A321neo aircraft. The deal includes a 10-year PureSolutionSM maintenance service agreement for 27 engines, including spare and option engines. Deliveries are scheduled to start in 2017.

TransAsia Airways also selected International Aero Engines’ (IAE) V2500 engine to power its order for six A321 standard aircraft.

Each TransAsia Airways Airbus A320neo family aircraft will be powered by two PurePower PW1100G-JM engines with benefits including double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs when compared with today’s engines.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Share of V2500® Engine Order from ICBC Valued at US$100 Million

ICBC Financial Leasing Co. Ltd, a subsidiary of the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China Ltd. (ICBC), has selected International Aero Engines to provide V2500 engines to power its fleet of 15 new A320 series aircraft. The deal is valued at US$100 million for Pratt & Whitney.

Deliveries will commence in January 2013 and continue into 2015.

View Pratt & Whitney's press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Share of V2500® Engine Order from Sichuan Airlines Valued at US$80 Million

Sichuan Airlines has selected International Aero Engines to provide V2500 engines to power eight new A320 series aircraft. The order includes a long-term aftermarket services agreement. The deal is valued at approximately $80 million for Pratt & Whitney.

Deliveries will commence in January 2014 and continue into 2015.

Over the past 16 years, IAE has provided engines and services to Sichuan’s A320 fleet that has grown to 85 aircraft in service and on order. Since 2008, IAE has held the distinction of being the airline’s preferred engine supplier and supports Sichuan’s current fleet operations of 60 V2500-powered aircraft.

View Pratt & Whitney's press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Powers Learning with National Formosa University Students

National Formosa University (NFU) and Pratt & Whitney signed a three-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). The agreement allows NFU students to participate in a well-designed curriculum for commercial engine maintenance as well as other professional training at Pratt & Whitney’s Customer Training Center (CTC) in China.

As a result of the program, NFU’s students will gain relevant exposure and training in aviation at Pratt & Whitney over a six-week period. Students receive the same training, both instructional and practical, as aircraft maintenance engineers.

View Pratt & Whitney's press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners Begins Construction on New Seletar Aerospace Park Facility

Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners has begun construction on the company's new facility at Singapore's Seletar Aerospace Park. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

The new, approximately 15,000 square-meter (160,000 square-foot), manufacturing facility and office building will be the latest addition to Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners' comprehensive suite of businesses in Singapore, with an office area housing production management, various support functions and Global Services Engineering – Asia, which provides aftermarket repair design innovation to provide airline customers optimum air-worthy, high quality, cost effective material reuse solutions. The new facility will utilize some of the most advanced technologies in the world. It is expected to be ready for initial occupancy during the first quarter of 2013.

View Pratt & Whitney's press release.

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Hawaiian Airlines Awarded First Ever Aviation Carbon Credits Using Pratt & Whitney’s EcoPower® Engine Wash

Hawaiian Airlines, a subsidiary of Hawaiian Holdings, Inc. was awarded the first ever aviation-based carbon credit. The credits are Verified Carbon Units, issued under the requirements of the Verified Carbon Standard using a new methodology developed by Pratt & Whitney. The methodology provides a validated process for calculating the CO2 savings achieved from using EcoPower engine wash.

Since 2005, Hawaiian has saved more than 2.5 million gallons of fuel and 26,000 gallons of water, eliminated potential soil and groundwater contamination, and reduced its CO2 emissions by 22,000 metric tons as a result of continued use of the environmentally-friendly EcoPower engine wash.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Monday, February 13, 2012

Asiana Airlines Selects Pratt & Whitney Fleet Management Program

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 14, 2012 – Asiana Airlines has selected Pratt & Whitney for a Fleet Management Program agreement to provide engine maintenance for three of the airline's Pratt & Whitney-powered aircraft. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

Under the six-year agreement, Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners' Singapore-based Eagle Services Asia engine overhaul facility will provide engine maintenance for the airline's six PW4090 engines.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Wins $200 Million PW4000 Advantage70™ Engine Order from Korean Air

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 14, 2012 – Korean Air selected Pratt & Whitney’s PW4170 Advantage70™ engine to power five new Airbus A330 aircraft. The agreement, valued at approximately $200 million, represents 10 firm PW4170 engines.

Pratt & Whitney offers the Advantage70 both as a new engine and as an upgrade kit for existing PW4168 engines. The upgrade includes a suite of technology enhancements that can be incorporated into a fleet during engine overhaul. Advantage70 technology delivers superior engine performance, including a 2 percent thrust increase, more than 1 percent reduction in fuel consumption, increased durability, and reduced maintenance costs.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Receives Maintenance Contract to Support F100 Engines for Royal Jordanian Air Force

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Feb. 14, 2012 – Pratt & Whitney has received a $19.2 million Material Management Program (MMP) contract with three, one-year options from the United States Air Force in support of F100-PW-220E engines powering the Royal Jordanian Air Force fleet of Lockheed Martin F-16 fighters. This two-year parts and maintenance program covers 68 engines, scheduled to be serviced at Pratt & Whitney San Antonio Engine Center.

Under the terms of this MMP, Pratt & Whitney will provide key support of the F100-PW-220E engines in the intermediate engine shop and at the depot level. The program has the potential for revenue growth up to $72 million if the optional years are exercised.

Pratt & Whitney’s F100, powering F-15 and F-16 aircraft worldwide, is one of the most successful fighter engines in history. The combat proven engine has more than 27 million engine flying hours of experience. More than 23 air forces around the world have chosen the F100 for safe, reliable power. Pratt & Whitney has built more than 7,200 F100 engines for customers around the globe.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Pratt & Whitney Receives Silver Boeing Performance Excellence Award

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Feb. 14, 2012 – The Boeing Company has recognized Pratt & Whitney as a 2011 Boeing Performance Excellence Award winner. Boeing issues the award annually to recognize suppliers who have achieved superior performance. Pratt & Whitney maintained a Silver composite performance rating for each month of the 12-month performance period, from Oct. 1, 2010 to Sept. 30, 2011. This is the second consecutive year that Pratt & Whitney has received the honor.

Pratt & Whitney Military Engines supplies F117-PW-100 engines to Boeing for the C-17 Globemaster III and F100 engines for the F-15 Eagle fighters and PW4062 engines for the KC-46 Tanker.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

Turbine Overhaul Services Celebrates 30th Anniversary

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Singapore, Feb. 14, 2012 – 2012 marks 30 years since the formation of Turbine Overhaul Services (TOS), a Singapore-based joint venture between Pratt & Whitney and Singapore Technologies Aerospace Limited (ST Aerospace). Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

Since opening, TOS has become well-known in the aerospace industry for its efficiency and high quality overhaul services on JT8D, JT9D, PW2000, PW4000, V2500® and CFM56® Turbine airfoils, as well as High Pressure Compressor Blades. In 2002 TOS became the first manufacturing site in all of United Technologies Corp. to achieve Gold status, the highest recognition in Achieving Competitive Excellence (ACE), the corporation's lean operating system.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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F119 Engine Marks Major Milestone

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Feb. 14, 2012 – Pratt & Whitney’s F119, the world’s first fifth-generation engine and the predecessor to the F135, has surpassed the 200,000 flight hour milestone powering Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Raptor. This milestone recognizes the F119 as a fully mature engine. In addition, the F119 has demonstrated the safest and most reliable introduction of a fighter engine in United States Air Force history.

The progression from the F119 to the next generation F135 engine significantly decreases the operational risk of the single engine F-35 aircraft. The F135 is the only engine powering the F-35 aircraft and currently in production for customers worldwide.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

F135 Exceeds 20,000 Total Engine Hours

SINGAPORE AIR SHOW, Feb. 14, 2012 – Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine – exclusively powering Lockheed Martin’s fifth-generation F-35 Lightning II – exceeded 20,000 total engine hours while powering the fleet of F-35 flight test aircraft, including 17,700 ground test hours and 2,500 flight test hours. This marks yet another milestone for Pratt & Whitney and its partners.

The F-35 includes three variants to meet the unique needs of the U.S. armed forces as well as the international participants in the program – the Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL), the Carrier Variant (CV) and the Short Takeoff and Vertical Landing (STOVL). To date, the F135 propulsion system has completed more than 1,600 flight tests producing more than 2,500 flight hours and nearly 300 vertical landings. The successes of the F135 engine program validate the reliability, safety and performance of the engine.

View the Pratt & Whitney press release.

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Friday, February 10, 2012

Flight: P&W-Powered F-16s Delivered to Pakistan

Flight International reports that Pakistan recently received three F-16D Block 52 aircraft from the United States. The Block 52 aircraft are powered by Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 engines. Check out the Flight story, which includes photos from the Pakistan air force.

The F100-PW-229 EEP (Engine Enhancement Package) engine is the only fighter engine funded and qualified by the U.S. Air Force to 6,000-cycle capability and is the latest evolution of the F100 family of fighter aircraft engines.

The F100-PW-229 EEP engine increases the engine depot inspection interval from seven years to 10 years and provides up to a 30 percent cost reduction over the life the engine. The EEP will also offer significant safety benefits, with an expected 25 percent reduction in the already low probability of in-flight shutdown.

AvWeek: Royal Air Force Adding a C-17

Aviation Week reports that the United Kingdom plans to add another C-17 Globemaster III aircraft to its fleet. The Royal Air Force now has seven C-17s in its fleet.

Four Pratt & Whitney F117 engines provide exclusive power for the C-17 Globemaster III - the world’s premier heavy airlifter. The F117-PW-100 is the sister engine of Pratt & Whitney’s PW2037 commercial engine powering the Boeing 757. With more than 50 million hours of proven military and commercial use, the F117/PW2037 has consistently proven itself as a world-class dependable engine.

Thursday, February 9, 2012

Sixth Lot of F135 Engines 'Powers The World'

The Connecticut Business News Journal recently reported on Pratt & Whitney's recent $194.1 million contract award for F135 engines. The contract - the first production contract to include two of our key international partners and customers - covers long-lead materials for the sixth lot of F135 engines.

The sixth lot calls for 37 install engines, including 18 conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) engines for the U.S. Air Force; seven carrier variant (CV) engines for the U.S. Navy; six short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion systems for the U.S. Marine Corps; four CTOL engines for the Italian Air Force; and two CTOL engines for The Royal Australian Air Force. The main engines deliveries in LRIP 6 are slated to begin in June 2013.

The headline? "P&W Powers The World" - we love it!

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FT4000 SWIFTPAC Featured in Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production

Cogeneration & On-Site Power Production reports on the FT4000 in an article published this week.

The FT4000 is based on the flight-proven PW4000 class turbofan engine, which has 26 million hours on more than 850 engines for the Airbus A330 and Boeing 777. Designed for simple cycle, combined cycle or cogeneration and available in 60 and 120 MW power blocks, the FT4000 SWIFTPAC will provide the highest power output of any aeroderivative gas turbine generator package available in the market.

The FT4000 is now in full scale development. Pratt & Whitney Power Systems expects a prototype to be available in 2013, with full-scale production under way in 2014.

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BSkyB Uses Power Systems / Turboden Technology

Biomass Magazine and the Forest Business Network reported on the installation of a Pratt & Whitney Power Systems / Turboden Organic Rankine Cycle turbine at the BSkyB studio in London. BSkyB aims to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions and improve its energy efficiency with biomass boiler at its "sustainable studio."

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Tuesday, February 7, 2012

'Unique Advantage' of P&W Power Systems Products

Swift Tarbell of Pratt & Whitney Power Systems discusses the advantages of the PWPS product portfolio in this story in the UK-based Gas To Power Journal. The FT8 MOBILEPAC, FT8 SWIFTPAC, FT4000 and Organic Rankine Cycle products are mentioned in the article.

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ATW: IAE V2500 - The Engine of Choice

Air Transport World features a video overview of International Aero Engines. The video reports that IAE was due to assemble its 5,000th V2500 engine in January. Click here to view the video via ATW online.

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne Signs Agreement for Commercial-Scale Gasification Demonstration Plant in China

Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne has signed a negotiation framework agreement with two energy industry leaders to design, construct and operate a commercial-scale advanced gasification demonstration plant in China’s central eastern Henan Province. The agreement is a key step toward commercializing technology designed to lower the cost of coal gasification and provide an alternative fuel source that reduces water use and carbon dioxide emissions.

Under the framework, Zhongyuan Da Hua Group Company Ltd. and East China Engineering Science & Technology Company will share development costs for construction and operation of a demonstration plant with Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne, subject to the terms of a formal agreement currently being negotiated between the parties.

Click here to read the press release from Pratt & Whitney Rocketdyne.

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