Pratt & Whitney Canada's PW127XT-M regional turboprop engine has gained Transport Canada certification, the engine maker said Friday. Designed to power all new-build ATR aircraft, the PW127XT also has won a place on the D328eco under development by Deutsche Aircraft.
Revealed at the Dubai Airshow in November 2021, the PW127XT-M promises 40 percent extended time on wing, 20 percent lower maintenance costs, and 3 percent improvement in fuel efficiency over the Pratt engines that power the existing ATR 42s and ATR72s.
Calling the PW127XT-M “the new standard” for operating economics, Pratt & Whitney Regional Aviation vice president for product marketing and sales Timothy Swail also stressed the PW127 engine family’s sustainability credentials. “We worked closely with ATR earlier this year on the flight testing of our new PW127XT-M and the previous generation PW127M engines using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel (SAF),” he said. “Most notably, Braathens Regional Airlines flew one of its ATR 72-600 aircraft using 100 percent SAF in both its PW127M engines with excellent results.”
The PW127XT requires only two scheduled engine overhauls in 10 years compared to three for the PW127M. The 40 percent extension of the engine maintenance interval, also known as time-on-wing, means the overhaul interval will increase from 14,000 to 20,000 flight hours. The 3 percent improvement in fuel burn the XT offers over the M series extends the 40 percent fuel-burn advantage ATR holds over regional jets in the same seat category, according to P&WC.