Pratt&Whitney donates engines to Embry-Riddle
February 14, 2013, 10:40 am
Pratt & Whitney recently donated two turbofan engines to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University to help the school improve upon its aerospace engineering education. “The success of Pratt & Whitney in its more than 87-year history is in large part due to innovation driven by some of the world's finest engineers,” said Alan Epstein, vice president of technology and environment at the company. Pratt & Whitney is pleased to partner with Embry-Riddle to further such progress in this century. We invest in science and math education because we rely on talented engineering students to help us solve technical challenges." The new engines will provide firsthand examples that students will be able to learn from. University officials said eventually students will take the engines apart to compare them with other engines in the lab. “This donation by Pratt & Whitney offers considerable educational value to our students, research knowledge to our faculty and credibility to our College of Engineering,” said Magdy Attia, professor of aerospace engineering and director of the laboratory. “It strengthens our relationship with a world-class engine company and reinforces Embry-Riddle's niche as a leader in hands-on, applied education.” One of the donated engines is a Pratt & Whitney JT8D-15A and was used in Boeing 727 and 737 and DC-9 aircraft, while the other is a PW4062, which was used in Boeing 747 and 767 aircraft and the KC-46A. Cirrus releases new planes
While Pratt & Whitney was retiring old engines, Cirrus was unveiling its next generation of aircraft. Cirrus released its SR22 and SR22T models and is calling them Generation 5. Dale Klapmeier, Cirrus co-founder and CEO, said that the primary thing customers wanted out of the new planes was an increased certified gross weight and that's exactly what they got. The planes now have a certified gross weight of 3,600 pounds. Interestingly enough, the design for the new generation of Cirrus aircraft started with the seatbelt. Passengers in previous generations of Cirrus aircraft said that the straps of the seat belts were uncomfortable, so Cirrus company officials began assessing the entire interior of the plane. Klapmeier said that after looking it over they found a lot of wasted space. He added that simple redesign of the backseat took 10 pounds off the plane. In addition to the increased space and gross weight, the new airplanes feature strengthening with carbon fiber, a single part wing spar, a new landing gear and a new flap system. Those looking to take off in their new plane would benefit from looking into pilot life insurance to ensure their family's finances are accounted for.
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