P&WC starts testing 2,000hp turboprop demo's

Pratt & Whitney Canada has launched a series of component demonstrators for a future 2,000shp turboshaft engine for the general aviation market, says Nicholas Kanellias, vice-president of marketing for general aviation.

P&WC has dangled the prospect of the next-generation turboprop engine for several years, but is yet to commit to a timeframe for a launch decision and entry into service.

In a news conference at the show on Monday, Kanellias did not make a full commitment to the project, but made it clear the project was moving forward internally.

The new turboprop would compete against the 2,000shp advanced turboprop engine now in development by GE Aviation for Textron Aviation’s Cessna Denali, which is aimed at the single-engine turboprop segment occupied by the Pilatus PC-12NG.

So P&WC is pursuing multiple advanced technologies for the turboprop segment, with integrated electronic controls for the propellers and engine singled-out as a key goal.

“We’re in the process of demonstrating those new concepts today,” Kanellias says.

Although GE’s ATP will feature cooled blades and variable stator valves, Kanellias seems more circumspect about such technologies, saying the engine should contain “not just any technology, but the right technology”.

“It’s going to create a new market leveraging the electronic controls to enable a propulsion system that has never been there before,” Kanellias says.

(Evangle Luo of TTFLY shared with you)