GILLES OUIMET, PRESIDENT & CEO, PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA

On the Record with:
GILLES OUIMET, PRESIDENT & CEO, PRATT & WHITNEY CANADA

Look out tomorrow for the unveiling of Pratt & Whitney Canada's strategy to become a major player in the market for 50-90 passenger regional airliners with a new family of geared turbofans in the 10- to 19,000 lbs thrust class.

A new APU for the A3XX and growth Boeing 747X is under development at Pratt & Whitney Canada as a development of its PW900 APU that already equips the Boeing 747-400.

Pratt is working closely with UTC sister company Hamilton Sundstrand on bids involving varying levels of systems integration, from a stand-alone APU to full electrical management and environmental control system integration.
"This is a significant investment," Pratt Canada CEO & president Gilles Ouimet told Show News. "We won't get rich quickly, but over time this can be a reasonable economic investment."

The PW900 is now routinely lasting 15,000 hours "on wing" in the Boeing 747-400, with the fleet leader topping 17,000 hours.

Tuesday morning the company will unveil its Advanced Technology Fan Integrator demonstrator engine, based for cost and expediency on the core of the PW308 that powers the 30-passenger Fairchild Dornier 328JET.

"To achieve our strategy means we must leapfrog the competition," Pratt & Whitney Canada president & CEO Gilles Ouimet told Show News. "To arrive there as a me-too third competitor would not be very clever."

He believes the geared-fan design will provide significant improvements in performance and economy with extremely high durability and reliability for a double-digit improvement in life operating costs. The engine will begin testing early next year.
No matter that every 70-90 passenger regional airliner in development or on the drawing boards is powered by GE Aircraft Engines' CF34 turbofan, sometimes on an exclusive basis.

"We have started a dialog with potential customers," said Ouimet. "I would expect a couple of new airframes to be developed or adapted around this engine," he said. Competition will be tough as Rolls-Royce Deutschland has also announced its intent to pursue this sector of the market.

Asked to comment on GE's assertion that better fuel consumption is about fifth on the regional airline operators' list of engine features behind low cost, extreme reliability, ruggedness and dependability, Ouimet said: "Our PT6 experience validates those very qualities. We know how to build engines like that." The 28,000 PT6 turboprop engines sold by Pratt since 1963 have now logged 220 million flight hours.

"Today, the modern PT6 technology is very similar to that in new turbofans," Ouimet pointed out. "The reality is world class technology and ruggedness at an affordable purchase and running cost."

While Pratt admits it completely missed the first generation of regional jets because it had no suitable engine, "We have not been sitting idle," Ouimet insisted. "We have developed engines for no fewer than 23 new applications over the last three years." Among them:

o Latest technology PT6 engines for the T-6A Texan II JPATS trainer and the Bell/Agusta BA 609 civil tiltrotor, as well as new helicopters such as the Agusta 119 Koala and Agusta Bell AB139;

o The PW300 series (4,600-6,500 lbs thrust) for the Fairchild Dornier 328/428JET family of 30-40 passenger regional airliners, Learjet 60, Galaxy, Citation Sovereign, and Hawker Horizon business jets;

o The new, small PW600 turbofan (1-2,000 lbs thrust) and turboprop (500-900 shp) for general aviation. "We are in advanced discussions with several launch customers and expect announcements in the next quarter," said Ouimet.

o New versions of the PW150 turboprop, including one for an upgrade to the Chinese Y-8 four engined transport.

o Growth versions of the PW206 turboshaft with which Pratt successfully challenged Turbomeca in the light twin helicopter market on the Eurocopter EC135, MD Explorer and Agusta A109E Power, as well as the Bell 427 and Russian Kazan Ansat light twins.

o The PW127 for the joint Eurocopter-Russian Euromil Mi-38 transport and utility helicopter.

o The most recent 2,750-4,500 lbs thrust PW500 engine, which replaces the JT15D and is aimed at entry-level to midsize intercontinental business jets. It powers the Citation Ultra Encore, Excel and Bravo. "We've been ramping up the production rate at a fair clip, and we're looking at growth markets where appropriate for new aircraft," Ouimet said.

Meanwhile parent Pratt & Whitney has brought Pratt Canada closer into the fold to capitalize on the synergies between large and small engines. The first manifestation of this is the Small Military Engine Division based in the U.S. to penetrate the U.S. military market for turboshaft and turboprop engines. This combines P&W Canada's engine expertise with Pratt's existing skills in marketing to the military.

By John Morris