913 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT9 Engine

Pratt & Whitney Canada unveils the PT9 engine; the U.S. Navy takes delivery of its first C-130J for conversion into an E-130J Phoenix II; the Boeing 737-10 MAX finally receives FAA certification; jet fuel prices affect airline profitability and ticket prices; the FAA issues a special airworthiness certificate to BETA Technologies for its A250 electric eVTOL aircraft; the B-23 Dragon formerly owned by Howard Hughes flies again after 35 years; and U.S. air traffic controllers finally receive their pay raise. Aviation News The new PT9 turboprop engine, now certified by Transport Canada represents Pratt & Whitney Canada’s latest innovation in aviation propulsion. P&WC Unveils PT9 Engine with Type Certification in Hand Pratt & Whitney Canada unveiled the 1,700 to 2,300-shp clean-sheet PT9 turboprop at NBAA-BACE in Las Vegas after Transport Canada certified it. Aviation Week called it a surprise, the product of a secretive five-year development program aimed at new single- and twin-turboprop aircraft. P&WC says it delivers 33% more power at altitude and 20% lower fuel consumption than previous-generation engines, with more than 14,000 development hours. The PT9 is meant to fill the power gap between the PT6 and PW100 families, not replace the PT6. P&WC has not announced an aircraft application or launch customer, though it says it is talking with manufacturers and expects the design to support multiple platforms. First C-130J For Navy’s New E-130J Phoenix II Ballistic Submarine Communications Fleet Delivered The Lockheed Martin E-130J Phoenix II is the U.S. Navy’s next-generation airborne command post, allowing the president, secretary of defense, and U.S. Strategic Command to communicate with nuclear forces. The Navy has taken delivery of the first C-130J-30 Super Hercules, which it will convert into the E-130J Phoenix II. Extensive mission-systems integration will begin prior to testing for the Take Charge and Move Out (TACAMO) mission. The Phoenix II will replace the Navy’s aging E-6B Mercury fleet based on the B707 (with CFM56 engines), and will similarly use a trailing-wire antenna for VLF transmissions to submerged submarines. The aircraft will be hardened against electromagnetic pulse (EMP) effects. The Navy plans to purchase 31 E-130Js. Currently, 16 E-6Bs are in service. Boeing 737-10 MAX receives FAA certification The B737-10 MAX finally received FAA type certification. With that, and the MAX-7 certification in August, all four main MAX variants are now type certified. (The MAX-8 was certified in 2017, and the MAX-9 was certified in 2018.) To achieve certification, Boeing had to change the 737-10 MAX’s flight control system, including enhanced angle-of-attack system software that identifies sensor behavior that does not match expected conditions. The MAX-10 also incorporates an updated engine anti-ice system that addresses system overheating in certain conditions. This improvement will also apply across the MAX fleet. The MAX 10 is the first commercial aircraft certified to the full extent of the 2020 Aircraft Certification, Safety, and Accountability Act (ACSAA