Pratt & Whitney Canada celebrates 50th anniversary of PT6 Engine

Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) is in the midst of celebrations marking the 50th anniversary of the first delivery of its iconic PT6 engine, an engine that has helped to change the face of modern aviation.

“The PT6 engine has played an integral role in building P&WC into a global company and a true leader in the design, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft engines,” says Denis Parisien, vice president, General Aviation, P&WC. “We are very proud of how the PT6 engine has evolved. We’ve injected new technology into every version of the engine, making today’s engines lighter, more powerful and more fuel-efficient than they have ever been.”

To celebrate the engine’s 50th anniversary, P&WC is holding special events at air shows throughout 2013. The engine’s dedicated website, www.pt6nation.com, is playing a big part in the celebrations. It features a series of articles on the PT6 engine that focus on its pedigree and the people behind its success.

The site offers articles on the tremendous history behind the PT6 engine and a number of PT6-related interactive initiatives, including a newly-launched mobile application designed to give P&WC’s 10,000 engine operators instant access to a host of services on all makes and models of wireless handheld, tablet or laptop devices. A one-of-a-kind video has also been produced and is available on YouTube.

With more than 52,000 engines produced and 130 different applications, the PT6 engine fleet has racked up an astounding 390 million hours of flight, the equivalent of more than 250,000 return trips to the moon.