Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) secured U.S. FAA approval for its PW545D turbofan, checking off another key milestone as Textron Aviation works to bring the Cessna Citation Ascend to market next year. The FAA type data sheet with the PW545D included alongside its siblings was issued last month, just two months after Transport Canada granted type certification of the model.
Rated at 4,218 pounds of thrust, the PW545D will provide a 1,900-nm range, 441-knot maximum cruise speed, and a 30-minute time to climb to FL450 maximum altitude for the newest member of the Citation 560XL family.
Textron Aviation announced the Ascend during EBACE 2023, unveiling a $16.725 million aircraft that will be equipped with Garmin G5000 avionics, autothrottles, the more powerful P&WC PW545D, a higher maximum takeoff weight and payload, increased range, flat cabin floor, and other cabin amenities.
Sporting a Fadec that enables the integration of autothrottle on the Ascend, the two-spool PW545D is designed with an enhanced three-stage compressor and is driven by a single-stage cooled high-pressure turbine module.
The model is part of the venerable PW500 family, which has some 4,600 engines in service and has accumulated about 24.5 million flight hours. PW500-series engines also power the Citation Bravo, Excel, XLS, XLS+, Ultra Encore, and Encore+.