Finest Invention

PurePower PW1000G geared turbofan engine named to Time magazine’s ‘50 Best Inventions of 2011’

Time Magazine has named Pratt & Whitney’s PurePower PW1000G engine as one of the “50 Best Inventions of 2011”, and has described it as “the most important development in aviation in 2011.”

“We are very pleased to accept this recognition from Time magazine,” said Paul Adams, Senior Vice President, Operations & Engineering, Pratt & Whitney. “The PurePower geared turbofan engine is setting a new standard in the industry for efficiency and environmental friendliness.”

The PurePower family of engines is designed to power the next generation of passenger aircraft. The combination of its gear system and advanced core allows PurePower engines to deliver double-digit improvements in fuel efficiency and emissions with a 50 per cent reduction in noise over today’s engines.

“Our PurePower engine is bringing tremendous change to the aviation industry in terms of fuel efficiency, reducing pollution and noise, and driving down maintenance and operating costs for airlines,” said David Hess, President, P&W. “Airlines are replacing their fleets to capitalise on the many advantages that this technology provides.”

The PurePower engine has been selected as exclusive power for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft and Mitsubishi Regional Jet. It will also power the first Airbus A320neo aircraft, as well as the Irkut MC-21 narrow-body jet. Till date, more than 1,800 PurePower engines are on order by customers around the world.

Pratt & Whitney has successfully completed more than 1,100 hours of full engine testing on its PurePower engines for its first two applications—the PW1500G engine series for the Bombardier CSeries aircraft and the PW1200G engine series for the Mitsubishi Regional Jet. The results of the testing validate the overall design of the engine as well as its performance benefits.