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Pratt & Whitney and
Boeing Sign Engine Contract to Power KC-46 Tanker By Steve Hall |
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April 2, 2012 - Bennett Croswell, president of Pratt &
Whitney’s Military Engines division, and Maureen
Dougherty, Boeing vice president and program manager,
KC-46 Tanker Program, hosted a ceremonial engine
contract signing event at Boeing’s Tanker Program Office
in Mukilteo, Wash., for contracts previously awarded to
Pratt & Whitney.
The contracts support PW4062 engine purchases to power
Boeing’s KC-46, the U.S. Air Force’s new airlift tanker.
The Boeing KC-46 is a military aerial refueling and
strategic transport aircraft developed by Boeing from
its 767 jet airliner. In February 2011, the tanker was
selected by United States Air Force (USAF) as the winner
in the KC-X tanker competition to replace older KC-135
Stratotankers.
"The PW4000 engine family that will power these aircraft
has an exceptional track record of performance and
reliability with numerous commercial customers operating
the engine globally,” said Croswell. “We are confident
these engines will continue to perform exceptionally
well in a military application for Boeing and for our
ultimate customer, the men and women in uniform.” |
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Two Pratt
& Whitney PW4062 engines, each with a 94-inch fan blade
diameter, will exclusively power each U.S. Air Force KC-46
aircraft. The program’s scope, if fully exercised, calls for as
many as 368 PW4062 engines to be delivered between 2013 and
2027. Actual production engine procurement quantities will be
determined over the life of the program as established by future
purchase orders.
“Pratt &
Whitney’s PW4062 engine offers the KC-46 program an engine that
has proven performance, fuel economy, and durability – qualities
that make it the clear choice to power the KC-46 Tanker,” said
Dougherty. “These engines bring tremendous capability to the
KC-46, which supports superior multi-role mission performance by
delivering more fuel, transporting more passengers and cargo,
and offering enhanced aeromedical capabilities to our United
States Air Force customer.”
Pratt &
Whitney has delivered more than 2,500 PW4000-94” engines that
have collectively logged nearly 110 million flight hours on
commercial aircraft around the world. The PW4062 is the highest
thrust model in Pratt & Whitney’s PW4000-94” commercial engine
family and is offered for both commercial freighter and military
tanker applications. The two PW4062 engines that will power the
KC-46 each deliver 62,000 pounds of thrust. The PW4000 engine family has an outstanding safety record, high reliability, excellent performance and low maintenance costs. The PW4000-94” family meets emissions and noise regulations, and offers superior fuel economy and maintainability. The PW4000-94” engine operates commercially on the Boeing 767, MD-11 and earlier Boeing 747 models. |