Pontifications: Pratt & Whitney uses COVID crisis to catch up on GTF fixes

June 8, 2020, © Leeham News: Pratt & Whitney struggled since its new Geared Turbo Fan engine entered service in 2016 to fix technical, reliability and operational issues. Plagued by premature engine removals as parts, other than the… Read More

Bjorn’s Corner; Turbofan engine challenges, Part 7

December 16, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: After the turbine comes the engine’s exhaust system. This is where the thrust characteristics of the engine are formed. It is also the environment that defines the back pressure for the fan and… Read More

Bjorn’s corner; Turbofan engine challenges; Part 2

November 04, 2016, ©. Leeham Co: We will now start to go through a modern turbofan airliner engine and look at the technologies which are used and what are their technical challenges. We will start today with the engine… Read More

Airbus results depressed from continuing delivery delays

Oct. 26, 2016: Airbus Group reported that its nine months financial results continue to be depressed by delivery delays in the A320neo and A350-900 programs. The Group reported revenues of €43bn for the period and charges that lowered profits…. Read More

44% supplier shortfall for GTF now showing impact

Sept. 6, 2016, © Leeham Co.: It was a stunning admission, one that produced the biggest headlines at the United Technologies media days in June: 44% of the suppliers on Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbo Fan engine weren’t… Read More

Pontifications: GTF faces steep learning curve on costs

June 13, 2016, © Leeham Co.: The current cost to build the new Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbo Fan engine is $10m per engine. This has to come down by a factor of five, said Greg Hayes, the… Read More

Alcoa lowers guidance, cites slowing jet sales, production ramp up

April 13, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Alcoa, a major supplier to Airbus and Boeing, lowered its 2016 guidance on anticipated lower demand for aluminum on lower orders for legacy commercial airliners and a slower than expected transition to… Read More

PW’s Geared Turbo Fan was catalyst for MRJ90 order

March 8, 2016, © Leeham Co.: Pratt & Whitney’s Geared Turbo Fan technology was what prompted a used airplane lessor to place its first new airplane order, selecting the Mitsubishi MRJ90 in the process. Jep Thornton is a… Read More

PW chief credited MRJ with ripple effect leading to CSeries, A320neo, 737 MAX and E-Jet E2

Aug. 20, 2015, © Leeham Co.: Conventional wisdom credits Bombardier’s CSeries with being the disruptor that prompted Airbus to launch the A320neo, which in turn caused Boeing to launch the 737 MAX and Embraer to launch its E-Jet E2…. Read More

Odds and Ends: CS300 first flight delayed; PW GTF; Boeing enters MidEast fray

CS300 first flight delayed: When Bombardier says it’s too cold for the CS300 first flight, you know it’s cold up in Montreal. It’s -21C at Mirabel (-6F) and partly cloudy, but that was too cold for the guests,… Read More