PWC Living Through 'Exciting' Times: Caplan

Asian Aerospace 2000 -- Pratt and Whitney Canada is undergoing a "very active and exciting" three-year period. "Between late 1999 and early 2002 we will see 23 new programs powered by our engines come to the market," president Dave Caplan told Show News here.

"For PWC it is very exciting and unprecedented in terms of market penetration, and involves manufacturers throughout the world-North America, Far East, Asia Pacific, China and Russia," Caplan said. "It involves aircraft being certified in the US, China, Russia, Korea and Israel-corporate aircraft, helicopters and regional aircraft. "At the start of the new decade, and the new millennium, I believe we have a significant market share and great opportunities."

Caplan said he was also excited by the "incredible" number of PWC-powered aircraft on show in the static park here, citing in particular the Russian Ilyushin Il-114, now available with western powerplants; the military version of the ATR-42, and the Czech LET-420.

PWC booked orders worth more than $ 2 billion (Canadian) last year. The depth of its worldwide spread undoubtedly rests upon the success of the long-running PT6 turboprop which first came to the market in l964. By the end of last year more than 28,570 PT6s, in ratings varying from 550 shp to 1,650 shp, had been delivered.

Collectively they had accumulated more than 208 million flying hours and had achieved the enviably low unscheduled removal rate of one to every 111,000 hours-and a basic in-flight shutdown rate of only one in every quarter-million hours.