A321

United Technologies subsidiary Pratt & Whitney has completed the first test flight of its PurePower Geared Turbofan engine on Airbus A321neo single-aisle plane.

During the 6h flight, the A321neo narrow-body took off from Airbus’s Hamburg assembly facility in Germany and completed several airborne tests, reports The Wall Street Journal.

Claimed to be the most powerful engine on the A321neo, the PW1135G-JM engine belongs to a 35,000 thrust class, and has the ability to fly longer routes while carrying additional passengers or payloads.

Certified in 2014, the PW1100G-JM engine for the A320neo is expected to help reduce fuel burn by an additional 2%, and has options to further support the A320neo’s 20% fuel burn savings by 2020.

In January, Lufthansa took delivery of its first A320neo equipped with Pratt & Whitney PurePower engines.

So far, the PurePower engine family has performed more than 50,000 cycles and 32,000h of testing.

"The PurePower engine continues to meet commitments for fuel burn, emissions and noise."

Pratt & Whitney commercial engine programmes president Greg Gernhardt said: "The PurePower engine continues to meet commitments for fuel burn, emissions and noise, and today’s first flight on the A321neo is another milestone achievement for this innovative engine.

"We look forward to supporting Airbus through the testing and certification of this aircraft."

Received certification last November, A320neo is an improved version of Airbus’ largest single-aisle aircraft and includes new engines in order to reduce fuel consumption.

Pratt & Whitney was supposed to lead the A321neo flight test programme, but glitches while preparing the engine had led Airbus to start those tests last month with another turbine manufactured by a joint venture of General Electric and France’s Safran.

Image: The PurePower engine family has performed more than 50,000 cycles and 32,000h of testing. Photo: courtesy of A. Doumenjou via Master Films.