Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) has turned out its 100th PT6E-series turboprop engine from its Lethbridge PT6 Center of Excellence in Alberta, Canada, the company announced yesterday. Swiss airframer Pilatus Aircraft was the launch customer for the engine, which powers its PC-12 NGX turboprop single that was unveiled at NBAA-BACE 2019 in Las Vegas.
The PT6E features a dual-channel integrated electronic propeller- and engine-control system that provides full digital envelope protection, precise engine control, reduced pilot workload, and optimized power. Controlled by a single power lever, the engine produces 1,825 shp and is flat rated to 1,100 shp in cruise flight, a 10 percent increase from the PC-12’s PT6A-67P. It allows the NGX to reach a maximum cruise speed of 290 knots.
“The immediate success of the PT6E-series engine is the direct result of our belief in research and development,” said P&WC v-p of general aviation Nick Kanellias. “In January, we were named the top investor in Canada’s Aerospace Research and Development sector and the fourth-largest R&D investor overall in the country. We continued our 2020 R&D investment program during the pandemic with the same determination that guided our employees as they safely produced the 100 PT6E-series engines while observing strict health guidelines in our plants.”