Pratt & Whitney Canada announced that it has extended the time between overhauls (TBO) of its PW210 engines for 4000 h, an increase of 500 h. The limit extension allows operators to reduce costs by approximately 10%, and increase time-on-wing for operators.
The manufacturer has implemented operational initiatives to reduce costs for operators, especially the direct service within the Eagle Service Plan program (ESP) and Fleet Management Program solution (FMP).
The new operating brands apply to all PW210 engines currently in service, as well as those produced in the future. The new limits occurred after a series of studies that proved the technical feasibility and safety. Although the overhaul has been postponed, the preventive maintenance programs remain, including Borescope inspections, vibration testing and scheduled cleaning of the compressor, which together also reduce maintenance costs.
Currently the PW210 family is employed in medium helicopters, such as Finmeccanica AW169 and Sikorsky S-76D.