Pratt & Whitney Canada started running a full PW800 engine demonstrator late last year, company vice president of business aviation and military programs Michael Perodeau told AIN yesterday. He confirmed that the demonstration effort has progressed according to plan but gave little detail.

The engine manufacturer is “preparing itself for the eventuality of a program launch” in the 10,000- to 20,000-pound-thrust range, Perodeau said. Pratt & Whitney Canada would thus be able to develop an engine in “36 months, notionally, from program launch.”

The PW800 uses a core of the PW1000G geared turbofan series. “Using a common core gives us a head start, as PW1000G engines will be in service with airlines before the PW800 is certified,” he noted. For the PW800, Pratt & Whitney Canada targets a two-digit percent improvement over in-service engines in both fuel burn and emissions.

The PW800 schedule revealed last year calls for flight-tests this year. Competing engines under development include the GE Passport and Snecma Silvercrest, as well as the Rolls-Royce BR725, already in service. The PW800 was to power the Cessna Citation Columbus before that business jet program was cancelled in July 2009.