Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbofan, Bombardier’s CSeries

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Bombardier is getting bigger, and greener, and hoping to take firm strides into markets dominated by Boeing and Airbus with its fuel-efficient Pratt & Whitney geared-turbofan powered CSeries 100-149 passenger regional jets. The company announced the CSeries launch prior to the Farnborough Air Show, which begins today (Monday) in England. Lufthansa has already signed a letter of interest for up to 60 aircraft and up to $2.8 billion for examples of the long range CSeries family of jets. The aircraft should see first deliveries in 2013. The big selling point for the CSeries is its goal of providing a 20 percent increase in fuel economy over its rivals, a point that can be attributed to the geared turbofan, which has completed ground testing and is scheduled for flight testing this month. Even if it falls short of 20 percent, Bombardier is confident the engine will produce double-digit efficiency gains and win the hearts and orders of airlines hit by jet fuel prices that in many areas have doubled over the last year. Further pushing the aircraft’s eco-friendliness, the company says the jets are also four times quieter, and emit up to 50 percent less nitrous oxide, than similarly sized industry rivals.

“The CSeries will set a new benchmark in the industry,” Guy C. Hachey, president and chief operating officer at Bombardier Aerospace, told The Canadian Press. GE and French partner Safran is developing a engine technology to compete with Pratt & Whitney’s geared turbofan. GE’s “eCore” uses new materials to allow higher temperatures in the engine, higher output and increased efficiency. GE is hoping to have that engine certified by 2016, three years after Pratt & Whitney’s geared fan will debut in the CSeries.

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