Even as it obtained Canadian certification of its offering to power the Cessna Citation Mustang, Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) marked a major milestone last month with the production of its 60,000th engine. The achievement was worthy of a special ceremony held in the company’s Mississauga, Ontario, plant. And, since the company offers one of the broadest product lines in the industry, the next 60,000 might not take as long. In fact, the last 10 years has seen the company certify more than 50 engines, including variants of its PT6, PW100, PW200, PW300, PW500, JT15D and PW900 series of turbine powerplants. The company says its offerings will once again expand in the first quarter of 2006 when it hopes to win certification for its PW610F.
According to P&WC, of the 60,000 engines P&WC has produced over the years, more than 40,000 are still in operation with close to 9,000 operators worldwide. The company says it expects some 20 more new engines should be off its drawing boards within three years. “Pratt & Whitney Canada is continuing to set the pace in aerospace with innovative engine programs,” said Alain M. Bellemare, president of P&WC. “That’s what puts us in such a strong position today, at a time when new products like very light jets (VLJs) are bursting onto the market,” he added.
