Story ID: 493
P&WC Celebrates PT6C-67C, PW-200 Milestones
By: Curt Epstein
Caption: The Canadian engine manufacturer is preparing to hand over the 2,000th PT6C-67C for the Leonardo Helicopters AW139.
Word Count: 249
Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) will recognize its long association with the Leonardo Helicopters AW139 when it delivers its 2,000th  PT6C-67C engine to the program shortly.The intermediate-twin, which entered service in 2003 and can accommodate two pilots and up to 15 passengers, is used for a wide variety of missions. “As we celebrate the amazing milestone of over 1,000 AW139s sold to customers worldwide, we’re equally excited to do it together with Pratt & Whitney Canada, a long-established partner to us,” said Daniele Romiti, Leonardo’s managing director.

In another milestone, the powerplant maker’s PW200 engine family, which powers many of the industry’s light-twin helicopters, such as the Leonardo AW109E Power and AW109 Grand, Airbus H135, Bell 427 and 429 and MD 900/902, has achieved 10 million hours of flight operations. In December, the company celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first engine in the series, the PW206A, which was selected to power the MD 900.

P&WC(Booth 7117) also announced at Heli-Expo that German aviation authority Luftfahrt Bundesampt has approved the extension of TBO for the PW206B2 engines powering EMS provider DRF Luftrettung’s fleet of 17 Airbus H135P2 light twins. The permission, granted because the engines fly a common mission under common operating and environmental conditions, lengthens the TBO interval to 4,500 hours from 4,000 hours, and according to P&WC, will allow the operator to fly its engine fleet for another 16,000 hours before incurring overhaul costs.