Geared Turbofan/PurePower PW1000G Engine Begins Flight Testing

Released on Monday, July 14, 2008

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW � July 14, 2008 � Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine successfully completed its first flight on July 11, launching a flight test program that will run through the end of 2008. The PurePower PW1000G engine � formerly referred to as the Geared Turbofan™ engine � flew for more than 30 minutes on Pratt & Whitney's 747SP fly test bed at the company's flight test facility in Plattsburg, N.Y. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX).

"The PurePower PW1000G engine performed flawlessly and we are excited to build on the success of our ground testing as we begin the flight test phase of this demonstration program," said Bob Saia, vice president, Next Generation Product Family, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. "As airlines face rising fuel prices and growing environmental pressures, they are watching the development of the PW1000G engine very carefully. The engine continues to meet or exceed all pre-test targets and we are excited to bring this value to our customers."

The PurePower PW1000G engine flight test program will run in two phases. The first phase will run for approximately 40 hours on Pratt & Whitney's 747SP flying test bed. This phase will focus on engine performance and nacelle system validation. After completing phase one, the engine will be shipped to Airbus in Toulouse, France, and installed on an Airbus-owned A340 flight test aircraft. Phase two, which is scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter and include approximately 75 flight hours, will continue engine performance and operation testing while providing valuable installation and acoustics data.

The PurePower PW1000G demonstrator engine completed a 250-hour ground test program in May. The ground testing focused on engine performance, design validation and ground-level acoustic testing with a flight-capable nacelle system. The ground test program is in addition to thousands of hours of development testing accumulated on 16 technology rigs at Pratt & Whitney and partner facilities around the world.

In 2007, Pratt & Whitney's PurePower PW1000G engine was selected as the exclusive power for the new Mitsubishi Regional Jet and the proposed Bombardier CSeries. The Mitsubishi Regional Jet program announced its first customer on March 28, 2008, with an order from All Nippon Airways. The CSeries program is expected to launch later this year. Both aircraft are scheduled to enter service in 2013.

The PW1000G engine targets double-digit reductions in fuel burn, environmental emissions, engine noise and operating costs for the next generation of commercial aircraft. The PW1000G engine uses Geared Turbofan™ technology where a state-of-the-art gear system allows the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine. The result is a step-change improvement in fuel efficiency and a slower fan speed for much lower noise. The PurePower PW1000G engine is an all new centerline engine that includes next generation technology in every major module.