Pratt & Whitney Canada PW307A Engine Completes First Run.

Business Editors

LONGUEUIL, Quebec--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 20, 2002

Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) completed its first run of the new PW307A engine, selected last year for the Dassault Falcon 7X business jet, marking a major milestone in its development program.

The PW307A, the latest member of P&WC's popular PW300 family of engines, performed smoothly during the test at P&WC's facilities in Mississauga, Ontario on December 6. The engine has accumulated over 10 hours of operating time reaching its maximum rated thrust, and will perform a series of initial testing until January 2003. It will then be removed in preparation for other testing.

"This first run was completed only 15 months after the engine program launch in September 2001 and we are on target to meet our customer requirements," added Mike Perodeau, Vice President - Corporate Aviation, P&WC.

"This milestone was achieved because of the remarkable work by our engineering and operations teams. We are proud of the engine performance and we are now looking forward to seeing it fly on the Falcon 7X," added Alain M. Bellemare, President, P&WC.

The new-generation Falcon 7X, which is scheduled to enter service in 2006, will be powered by three PW307A engines and carry eight passengers over distances of 5,700 nautical miles. This will allow nonstop flights from Paris to Tokyo and from San Francisco to Moscow. The PW307A engines promise to provide passengers with new standards in cabin comfort thanks to low noise and vibration levels, as well as exceptional fuel economy and low maintenance costs.

Dassault Aviation selected P&WC to supply the PW307A engines as well as the integrated powerplant system for the Falcon 7X in October 2001.

The PW307A selection came just a year after Dassault Aviation chose P&WC to supply the complete propulsion system, including PW308C engines, for its new Falcon 2000EX business aircraft, scheduled to enter service in early 2003.

P&WC has selected MHD, a joint venture between Hurel-Hispano and Aermacchi, as the supplier of the nacelle aerostructure and thrust reverser for the Falcon 7X, while MTU of Germany is a partner on the PW307A engine, responsible for providing the low-pressure turbine module.

"In developing the PW307A engine, we are incorporating product refinements based on best practices and lessons learned from the PW300 engine family field experience," said John Saabas, Vice President - Engineering, P&WC.

New fan technology provides a very low external noise signature meeting the latest and most stringent noise standards by a significant margin, and provides higher efficiency and increased airflow compared to current technology fans of like diameter. Other design improvements include: core up-flow capability for increased thrust; a low-volume combustion chamber for increased durability and reduced emissions that are significantly better than the FAA/EPA and ICAO standards; improved aerodynamics and efficiency in both the high-pressure and low-pressure turbines; and a high-efficiency mixer for lower thrust specific fuel consumption.

Flat rated at 6,100 lbs. to ISA +18.4oC, the PW307A will enter service with a 7,200-hour time between overhauls (TBO) with outstanding warranty coverage, guaranteed maintenance plans and worldwide support from P&WC.

To date, the PW300 engine family in the field has accumulated over 2 million hours with more than 230 operators in 30 countries worldwide and demonstrated an outstanding record for reliability and durability.

P&WC, based in Longueuil, Quebec, is a world leader in aviation engines powering business and regional aircraft and helicopters. The company also offers advanced engines for industrial applications. P&WC's operations and service network span the globe. P&WC is a subsidiary of United Technologies Corporation (NYSE:UTX), a high-technology company based in Hartford, Connecticut.