The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150 is a turboprop design best known for the PW150A installation on the de Havilland Dash 8-400. It occupies a higher power class than the earlier PW100 regional-airliner engines, with the manufacturer's 2021 specifications listing 5,071 shaft horsepower for the PW150A.[1]
Architecture
The PW150 uses three axial compressor stages followed by a centrifugal stage, with independently driven low-pressure and high-pressure compression systems. A free power turbine drives the propeller through a reduction gearbox. Dual-channel full-authority digital engine control manages operation, while the reverse-flow combustor incorporates effusion cooling.[2]
Power and propeller speed
Pratt & Whitney's fact sheet distinguishes the PW150A's 6,680 equivalent-shaft-horsepower thermodynamic capability from its 5,071-shaft-horsepower mechanical rating. It lists a propeller speed of 1,020 rpm. These separately identified values describe different aspects of the propulsion system: the gas generator's capability, the mechanical output and the speed delivered to the propeller.[1]
Dash 8-400 support
The PW150A's service programme continued after its initial development through product improvements and revised maintenance practices. In July 2024, Pratt & Whitney Canada reported that such changes had demonstrated increases of up to 30 percent in time on wing. The statement concerned service-life improvements, rather than a corresponding increase in the engine's rated power.[3]
Refurbishment programme
At the 2024 Farnborough airshow, de Havilland Canada announced an aircraft refurbishment programme offering operators the option of fitting new PW150A engines to existing Dash 8-400 airframes. Pratt & Whitney Canada committed to supporting it with both new-production and refurbished engines. The programme linked engine renewal with continued use of the aircraft fleet, allowing improvements developed during service to support aircraft already built.[3]