The Pratt & Whitney PW1900G PurePower Geared Turbofan (GTF) completed its first flight on November 3, marking the start of a new flight test program for the engines destined to power the Embraer E190-E2 and E195-E2.

Assembled at Pratt & Whitney’s Middletown Engine Center in Connecticut, the PW1900G flew on Pratt & Whitney’s 747SP flying test bed at the company’s Mirabel Flight Test Center in Quebec, Canada.

“The start of engine flight testing is an important milestone for us as we bring the E-Jets second generation from concept to reality,” said Paulo Cesar Silva, president & CEO, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “The addition of PurePower engines into our proven aircraft with an award-winning cabin provides a compelling value proposition for our customers.”

Scheduled for first flight in the second half of next year and initial delivery in the first half of 2018, the E190-E2 started undergoing final assembly in June in São José dos Campos, Brazil. Embraer has scheduled the E195-E2 to enter service a year later and the E175-E2 in 2020.

“We are excited to be a part of Embraer’s E-Jets E2 program providing the industry-leading benefits of the Geared Turbofan engine, including significant reductions in noise, emissions and fuel burn,” said Greg Gernhardt, president, Pratt & Whitney Commercial Engines. “This is a historic time for us as we begin the flight test program for our fourth PurePower airframer customer.”

The PurePower engine family has completed more than 23,000 hours of testing and 40,000 cycles.