PW4000 Advantage70 Engine Completes Endurance and Flight Testing

Released on Monday, July 14, 2008

FARNBOROUGH AIR SHOW � July 14, 2008 � Pratt & Whitney's first PW4000-100" Advantage70 development engine has completed endurance and flight testing in preparation for certification later this year. The technology upgrade will deliver improved performance, fuel efficiency and lower operating costs for the Airbus A330 family of aircraft. The first PW4000 engines with the Advantage70 technology upgrade are scheduled to enter into service in 2009. Pratt & Whitney is a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).

"The PW4000 Advantage70 development engine has performed exceptionally and we are excited to be one step closer to bringing the value of this technology to our customers," said Mike Field, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Operational Commercial Engines. "Advantage70 will offer additional thrust, fuel efficiency and lower maintenance cost for the A330 family. The upgrade also brings significant environmental improvements by reducing CO2 emissions by 650 tonnes per aircraft, per year compared to today's A330 aircraft."

The flight test program, which began in April, focused on validating engine performance and operability of the new optimized design. The flight test program was complemented by ground endurance testing that included more than 1,000 cycles of high-stress testing to demonstrate the durability and performance of the Advantage70 configuration. All testing met or exceeded performance expectations.

The A330-200 and A330-300 passenger aircraft will be the first to fly PW4000-100" engines with Advantage70 in mid-2009. The PW4000 Advantage70 is the launch engine for the new A330-200F aircraft, which is scheduled to enter into service in late 2009. The Advantage70 technology upgrade delivers enhanced engine performance, increased thrust, lower fuel consumption, increased durability and reduced maintenance costs.