The first production PT6 in December, 1963 – Photo: Pratt & Whitney Canada
Today is the 50th birthday of the legendary Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop. That first engine was delivered to Beech Aircraft Company for installation onto an aircraft that would become the equally-remarkable Beechcraft King Air.
The PT6 had its genesis at what was then the United Aircraft of Canada Limited (UACL) factory in Longueuil, Quebec. In the mid-1950s, UACL had looked at the market and determined that there was a need for a small, efficient turboprop in the 500-shaft-horsepower (SHP) range. They felt there was technology available to replace then-current radial piston engines that dated back to the 1920s, like the P & W Wasp.
So in 1957, a group of 12 young engineers got together to design a powerplant that was unlike any engine of its time. Turboprops of the day were either massive, such as the 4,000 SHP Allison T56 that powered the Lockheed C-130 Hercules, or they were early-generation and inefficient, like the Rolls-Royce Dart that flew on the Vickers Viscount.
The engineering team made design choices that would stand the test of time. They separated the gas generator and the power sections of the turbine. Think of your car – the gas generator in the PT6 is like your engine, and the power section is the transmission. Other turboprops had the gas generator directly connected to the power section. If that was in your car, it would be like trying to start and drive it with the transmission always engaged. By splitting the engine, starting was much easier and maintenance was hugely simplified. The design is also called a “free turbine”.
It is likely that if you read our site, you will find this Air Tahiti Nui Airbus A340 video quite amusing.
The airline is based at Faa’a International Airport in Tahiti, which the area offers some pretty darn amazing views. Air Tahiti operates a fleet of five Airbus A340-300 aircraft in a unique and fun livery.
The video was made by Matthieu Courtous using different clips of videos to celebrate the airline’s 15th anniversary. Do not worry, permission was given from the airline and the owners of the other videos to make this amazing short film.
The video shows some great exterior views of the plane and of the flight deck, but the passenger cabin is pretty slick as well. Be sure to check out this tour of the colorful interior an Air Tahiti A340 by our friends over at Airchive.com.
An Alaska Airlines aviator bear – Photo: Alaska Airlines
With only a week remaining until Christmas, are you one of the millions still searching for gifts at the last minute? Or is family pestering you for gift ideas? Or do you not care it is Christmas and still want to get some cool airline-related swag?
Why not grab the perfect AvGeek present for that special someone in your life? All of the major carriers and aircraft manufacturers have online stores where you can shop to your heart’s content.
Don’t forget that you can also shop for yourself! The AirlineReporter.com Staff also welcomes AvGeek gifts of any kind.
American Airlines showed off their brand-new Airbus A321 at John F Kennedy International Airport (JFK) on Tuesday and upped the game in the ever-competitive transcontinental market. I was invited to take a tour.
The A321 with be replacing American’s aging Boeing 767-200 on the JFK/LAX route starting January 7th, and the JFK/SFO shortly thereafter, and will offer a welcomed upgrade for passengers.
A First Class seat on the American Airbus A321 – Photo: Eric Dunetz
American will be the only carrier to offer a three-class cabin, featuring fully lie-flat seats in both First and Business Class, on a narrow-body aircraft. The First Class cabin will be outfitted with 10 fully lie-flat seats in a 1-1 configuration, giving each seat direct aisle access.
Business class will have 20 fully lie-flat seats in a 2-2 configuration. Each premium class seat features a 15.4-inch HD-capable touchscreen monitor offering a selection of in-flight entertainment including movies, TV programs, audio selections, and games.
In Main Cabin (economy) every seat will have an 8.9-inch HD-capable touchscreen monitor with an assortment of movies, TV programs, games and audio selections. Only a portion of the content is free.
Do you like the #NewAmerican or the #NewNewAmerican livery? Image: American
According to the Dallas News, American could be changing their livery… again. The possible alteration in the livery only deals with the tail. The choice is to either keep the current artistic flag, or to go back to the classic AA with eagle design. Who gets to decide? The new combined American Airlines’ employees.
“As we build our new company, we want all of our employees to have a voice in who we are as an airline, and that starts with what we look like,’ Doug Parker, the new chief executive officer of the American Airlines Group, wrote in the internal newsletter to employees. ’œAs such, today we launched a survey for all employees of the combined company to vote on what we should do with our new look for the tail ’“ keep the work that was done, or go back to the previous American.’
Parker made it clear that the option of a complete re-design of the livery if not on the table. “However you may feel about the new livery and branding, the fact is it would be irresponsible for us to start over from scratch. There are currently more than 200 aircraft in the new livery and the new flight symbol or, ’˜eagle’ as it’s sometimes called, and the related signage is up in many airports and facilities already.”
