Pratt & Whitney Canada has unveiled its Service Guarantee Program (SGP), a unique maintenance and service solution for its PT6E-66XT engine, selected by Daher in April to power the new TBM 960 aircraft.

“Just as the new PT6 E-series engine family ushered in a new era in general aviation, so too does our Service Guarantee Program for the PT6E-66XT engine set a new standard in engine care and peace of mind ownership for TBM 960 owners,” says vice president, general aviation Nicholas Kanellias. “The SGP goes far beyond coverage of routine maintenance to include unscheduled events; it leverages data related to the engine's operating performance and health to provide proactive, personalised support and enhanced service experience. The SGP is an effective tool that fosters aircraft availability and reliability, and facilitates rapid return to service if an issue does arise.”

The maintenance and service solution was created and tailored to meet the needs of TBM 960 owners. In a first for this type of programme, the SGP will cover environmental damage to engine components caused by erosion, corrosion and sulphidation. Also covered are engine parts that need to be replaced due to normal wear and tear found during a non-basic unscheduled engine removal. Typically, events such as foreign object damage, lightning/propeller strike or a hard landing are covered by insurance companies, however incidental/indirect damage discovered during the inspection is the responsibility of the owner. The SGP elevates the traditional PT6A 'peace of mind ownership' to an entirely new level by covering all gap items discovered. The SGP also creates a simplified ownership model with personalised counsel and service provided by a dedicated P&WC support team. It features a digital connection between this team and the aircraft driving a suite of exclusive proactive services that enable predictive maintenance.

“Our dedicated Proactive Services team for the PT6E-66XT engine will work around the clock to review the engine's overall health, turning potential aircraft on ground situations into scheduled events,” adds Kanellias. “The end goal for Pratt & Whitney Canada is to reach the high level of aircraft availability that the TBM 960 owner expects. With the SGP coverage, engine data and proactive services combined, we create a unique tool to achieve just that. Additionally, we manage technical support and parts logistics with the maintainer, allowing the aircraft owner/operator the freedom to focus on the flying experience.”

The intelligence behind the control system uses the data to deliver precise, constant engine performance at every altitude and every temperature on each flight. Other benefits include increased engine take off and climb power (+45 SHP mechanical horsepower) and increased thermodynamic power (up to four per cent at International Standard Atmosphere conditions).

The PT6E-66XT is also digitally connected through its data collection and transmission unit, making full-flight engine data accessible on multiple platforms, including mobile devices. This puts all relevant knowledge at operators' fingertips, allowing for predictive analysis of the engine and system operation and enabled proactive maintenance planning.

Once the aircraft lands, engine flight data can be wirelessly downloaded, providing operators and maintainers with insights into engine performance and health. Based on this data, the Proactive Services team works with customers' maintainers to optimise maintenance planning, thereby ensuring the TBM 960 is ready to fly when needed.

The PT6E-66XT engine's improved design features and digital capabilities increase the availability of the aircraft. Scheduled maintenance intervals have been increased, including time between overhauls from 3,500 to 5,000 hours. The electronic control system removes hardware from the engine, resulting in a combined 40 per cent reduction in scheduled maintenance.