Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has marked a significant milestone with the PT6A engine, surpassing 25 million flight hours and 40 years of powering the Cessna Caravan turboprop family for Textron Aviation.
“The Cessna Caravan continues to define adventure and flying freedom and the pairing between this family of aircraft and the PT6A engine is legendary,” said Irene Makris, Vice President, Customer Service, Pratt & Whitney Canada. “From the day it was certified in 1984, the Cessna Caravan has proven itself to be a highly versatile, multi-mission aircraft with a low-cost of operation.”
The PT6 family of engines has been the preferred powerplant for general aviation and helicopters for over six decades. Today's PT6 engine boasts up to four-times more power, a 50% improved power-to-weight ratio and up to 20% better specific fuel consumption compared to the original engine. Since its introduction in 1963, the PT6 engine family has powered over 155 different aircraft models and has accumulated more than 500 million flight hours. The engine's design excels at powering demanding, high-cycle/high-power aircraft in both single- and twin-engine configurations, establishing it as the world's most versatile turboprop and helicopter engine family.
