Pratt & Whitney installed the flight inlet and nacelle system on the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine in preparation for Phase II ground testing scheduled to begin next month. The nacelle system, provided by Geared Turbofan demonstrator program partner Goodrich, was installed during a fit check before final test sensors are connected and the engine returns to the test stand. The Geared Turbofan has been chosen to power the proposed Bombardier CSeries 110- to 130-seat aircraft.
"We are on track to begin Phase II ground testing of the Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine ahead of schedule," said Bob Saia, vice president, Pratt & Whitney Next Generation Product Family. "The Goodrich nacelle system fits perfectly and we are excited to continue our ground test program as we prepare for flight testing later this year."
The Geared Turbofan demonstrator engine will return to Pratt & Whitney's advanced test facility in West Palm Beach, Fla., to begin its next series of tests. Phase II testing will focus on engine performance, acoustic characteristics, and nacelle system validation.