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The announcement of the PW8000 geared turbofan cuaht the industrv unawares.
Planned as a follow-on to today's V2500 and CFM56, powering future developments of the A320 and, perhaps, a newfamily 737, Pratt & Whitney's PW8000 breaks new ground in having a gear-driven fan and a higher bypass ratio than any current engine ( I , versus 9:1 for the GE90). Together with the PW6000, a conventional turbofan with the same core, it will provide Pratt & Whitney with a family of modern, economical engines from 67 kN to 155 kN, that promise to offer significant improvements in airline operating economics. The PW8000, claims Pratt, will increase reliability while reducing operating costs, fuel burn and noise. P&W will start detailed design of the engine this month (June), and could run the first engine as early as September 1999. However, the actual timing will depend on when there is an application for the engine - and the main reason that the company's rivals did not see the PW8000 coming is that there is no clear application for such a family of engines. This may be about to change. The PW8000 will cover a range of 25,000 to 35,0001b thrust, suitable for aircraft between 120 and 180 passengers. With its 76-inch fan diameter the engine will fit the Airbus A320 family, but not under the wing of the current new-generation Boeing 737. Talks are taking place with Airbus to flight test the PW8000 on an A320 in the time period 2001, with production scheduled for two years later. An inservice date could be around 2005-7. Pratt & Whitney says that is trying to position itself ahead of the market, so that it can produce new engines quickly enough to match the airframe manufacturers' development schedules. Engine companies have...