Thursday, July 10, 2014

Bombardier, PW test engine fix

Bombardier said on Wednesday that it's testing a fix for its CSeries engine with Pratt and Whitney and expects to resume flight testing in the coming weeks. An engine failure in late May grounded the new jetliner that's designed to compete in the smaller jetliner market against industry leaders Boeing and Airbus. Bombardier restarted ground tests on the $4.4 billion aircraft June 10 after engine maker Pratt said it likely understood the root cause of the problem and that it did not lie with its gearing system. Despite the delay in flight testing, Montreal-based Bombardier has said it still expects the narrow-body plane will enter service in the second half of 2015. (Source: Reuters, 07/09/14) Gulf Coast note: Airbus is building an A320 final assembly line in Mobile, Ala.; another PW engine, the F135 that powers the F-35 fighter, caught fire at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., in June.