Pratt & Whitney PurePower Geared Turbofan engine for Mitsubishi Regional Jet acquires type certification

Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower Geared Turbofan PW1200G engine has successfully acquired type certification from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) of the United States. This comes on the heels of the fourth Mitsubishi Regional Jet (MRJ) Flight Test Aircraft arriving in the Moses Lake Flight Test Center supporting a busy 2017 of testing and milestones, including completion of initial cold and hot soak and natural icing tests. The MRJ-70 and MRJ-90 will each be powered by two PW1200G engines. The engine was optimized specifically for the MRJ program, which in turn designed the wing and aerodynamics with the PW1200G in mind. The engines’ advanced technology will contribute to a 10-20 percent reduction in operating costs compared to the current generation of regional aircraft and 50 percent lower in regulated emissions, enabling the MRJ to offer best-in-class efficiency and environmental performance. More than 15 critical engine system level certification tests were successfully completed to meet FAA certification requirements. These captured required data for certification including performance, stress, endurance, emissions, acoustics, bird impact, and fan blade containment. The engine has accumulated more than 6,000 hours and 15,000 cycles as part of development, certification and flight testing activities. The engine provides 17,000 pounds of thrust and is currently powering five flight test vehicles.