The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW100 is a turboprop family introduced on the de Havilland Canada Dash 8-100 in 1984. It subsequently powered regional airliners, military transports and amphibious firefighting aircraft, becoming a central propulsion system for short-haul aviation.[1]
Engine arrangement
The PW118 through PW127 designs use independently driven low-pressure and high-pressure centrifugal compressors. A separate free power turbine transmits power through a third shaft and reduction gearbox to the propeller. The arrangement allows the gas generator and propeller system to operate at different speeds. The family uses a reverse-flow combustor and a two-stage power turbine.[2]
Regional airliner applications
After the original Dash 8 installation, PW100 engines were adopted for the ATR family, Embraer EMB120 Brasilia, Fokker 50 and Dornier 328. These aircraft served routes and communities for which a relatively small turboprop could provide regular commercial service. Successive engine models supported different passenger capacities and airframe requirements rather than limiting the design to one manufacturer's aircraft.[1]
Utility and special missions
Specific models demonstrate the range of work. The manufacturer's 2021 fact sheet lists the PW123AF in the CL-415 firefighting amphibian at 2,380 shaft horsepower, and the PW127G in the Airbus C295 military transport at 2,920 shaft horsepower. It lists the PW127M/N for ATR 42/72-600 aircraft at 2,750 shaft horsepower. The engines in those examples deliver power to propellers turning at 1,200 rpm.[3]
Continuing development
The PW127XT entered service in 2022, bringing further materials and efficiency improvements to the established family. Pratt & Whitney Canada also reported a PW127 demonstration flight using 100 percent sustainable aviation fuel with ATR and Braathens Regional Airlines in June 2022. That test was distinct from the 50-percent fuel-blend certification described in the company's 2024 anniversary account.[1]