Pratt Builds Business Jet Market Lead With Major Victory on Falcon 2000EX

P&WC's John Wright

Although Pratt & Whitney Canada has won contests to power 23 new airframe models in the last three years, a major milestone is the win on the new Dassault Falcon 2000EX.

P&WC has long been frustrated in its wish to add prestigious Dassault to its long list of business aircraft customers. Now, it has a foot in the door for further programs.

"That victory was important for two reasons," P&W Canada executive vice president John Wright told Show News. "It broke the stronghold of Honeywell/AlliedSignal with Dassault, and it was a sign to us from the market that our PW3000 product is perceived as bringing value."

The Falcon 2000EX will be powered by two 7,000-lbs-thrust PW308C engines. The first pair have already been shipped to Nordam for build-up of the entire power plant/nacelle assembly as an integrated package.

Pratt's 5,000-8,000-lbs-thrust PW300 family has now spawned seven versions, which power the Learjet 60, Galaxy, Citation Sovereign, Hawker Horizon and Falcon 2000EX business jets. "More opportunities will probably surface over the years, with some driven by existing business jet products that need rejuvenation or replacement," Wright said.

P&WC now powers over 7,220 turbofan business aircraft (as of the end of 2000). Its two other business jet turbofan families are the 2,750- to 4,500-lbs-thrust PW500 series on the Citation Ultra Encore, Excel and Bravo, and the venerable-and popular- JT15D, which powers many earlier bizjets and the Beechjet 400A.. A JT15D is on show at EBACE on Booth 7289).

P&WC's PT6 turboprop engines power 7,190 turboprop business aircraft, including the PC-XII, TBM 700 and several versions of the King Air.

Focusing on growing its product line, Pratt is talking up its new 2,500-lbs thrust range PW600 turbofan, which will run by year-end but for which it has yet to disclose a launch customer. Its ATFI (advanced technology fan integrator) demonstrator with a geared fan ran for the first time on March 17. This engine could power a future large corporate aircraft.