The future of aviation manufacturing could be dramatically quieter, cleaner, more efficient and productive, and its Mecca might be located in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina.
Pratt senior fellow Michael Winter says there is potential for mega-cities to produce sustainable aviation fuels from garbage and waste using Fischer-Tropsch plants.
As Boeing is quietly beginning to work on what is now being called the -5X project—a small widebody aircraft derived from the new mid-market airplane (NMA) studies—things are getting serious for the three engine OEMs, too.
Despite the former CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation saying the development of a new turboprop was contingent on forming a joint venture with Boeing, the Brazilian company has decided to go it alone.
While powerplant suppliers Safran and MTU Aero Engines posted expected drops in aftermarket revenues for the last quarter, executives from each company highlighted several trends that support a cautiously optimistic outlook.
Despite the global air transport market collapse and aircraft production slowdown following the COVID-19 pandemic, Pratt & Whitney believes the longer-term impact may potentially accelerate the adoption of advanced propulsion technology as airframers revise product development strategies.
Airbus A220 operators are being urged to monitor Pratt & Whitney PW1500G low-pressure compressor (LPC) operating performance following a mandated upgrade to full authority digital electronic control (FADEC) to prevent compressor stalls.
The release of the second draft on April 24 by the Air Force Lifecycle Management Center moves the competition closer to a formal bidding phase scheduled to begin later this year.
Operators of Pratt & Whitney-powered Airbus A320neos face fast-tracked inspection mandates to help eliminate the risk of engine turbine blade fractures caused by mid-frame turbine piston seal debris that have been plaguing older blades.
