By Skies Magazine | September 21, 2023 Estimated reading time 4 minutes, 5 seconds.
GKN Aerospace, which specializes in aircraft engine systems and aerostructures, announced on Sept. 21 that it has signed an agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada (P&WC) to develop the high-voltage high-power Electrical Wiring Interconnection System, or EWIS, for the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project led by RTX – parent company of Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace.
The flight demonstrator project was first announced by P&WC and De Havilland Aircraft of Canada Limited in July 2021, as part of an investment supported by the Canadian government to drive improvements in aircraft efficiency. The two companies shared their goal to integrate hybrid-electric technology into a De Havilland Dash 8-100 flight demonstrator.
The flight demonstrator features hybrid-electric propulsion (HEP) technology, which integrates a Pratt & Whitney high-efficiency fuel-burning engine with a 1-megawatt electric motor developed by Collins Aerospace. In early 2023, RTX announced that Swiss battery technology provider H55 had also joined the project to supply the battery systems. (H55 confirmed in March that it is building a manufacturing facility in Quebec, backed by a $10 million interest-free loan from the federal government.)
The hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project is targeting “a 30 per cent improvement in fuel efficiency and reduced CO2 emissions compared to today’s most advanced regional turboprop aircraft,” parent company RTX said.
The new agreement with GKN will see the Netherlands-based company design, manufacture, and install the electrical wiring system for the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator. The company noted that while its EWIS centre of excellence is located in the Netherlands, the facility is supported by a team in Montreal, Que., where the flight demonstrator project is based.
“Pushing the boundaries of technology is in perfect alignment with our mission to become the most trusted and sustainable partner in the sky,” said John Pritchard, president of civil airframes at GKN Aerospace. “Companies like Pratt & Whitney will be delivering the solutions that will enable passengers to travel more sustainably and help deliver net-zero carbon by 2050.”
P&WC’s executive director of new products and services, Jean Thomassin, said GKN’s ability to “integrate high-voltage electrical systems on our experimental aircraft” will help the companies reach their goal to begin flight testing in 2024 in Montreal.
RTX announced in late December 2022 that it completed the first engine run of the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator at P&WC’s Longueuil, Que., innovation facility — marking the commencement of ground testing.
