Pratt & Whitney Successfully Flight Tests PW1200G Engine

Pratt & Whitney announced today that it has successfully flight tested the PurePower PW1200G engine in its first flight test program on June 21. The successful test follows 23 flights and 127 hours on a specially designed stub wing aboard Pratt & Whitney's Boeing 747SP flying test bed. P&W began the flight test program on April 30 and has successfully validated the PW1200G engine's in-flight performance, operability and control systems. "We're pleased to have successfully completed our PW1200G engine's flight test program," said Bob Saia, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Development Programs. "To date, we have completed more than 3,000 hours and more than 9,000 cycles of full engine testing for the entire PurePower Geared Turbofan engine program and we continue to see the geared architecture's benefits in dependability, reduced fuel consumption, lower noise and emissions". The PurePower engine’s advanced gear system allows the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The engine core consists of an ultra-efficient high-pressure compressor, a low-emissions combustor, and state of the art high-pressure turbine module.