GE exec says avoided geared design in jet engine battle with Pratt
`
`NewsRoom
`
`9/15/14 Reuters News 23:53:21
`
`Reuters News
`
`Copyright © 2014 Reuters
`
`September 15, 2014
`
`GE exec says avoided geared design in jet engine battle with Pratt
`
`Lewis Krauskopf
`
`Lisa Shumaker
`
`Sept 15 (Reuters) - General Electric Co <GE.N> avoided using a geared design for its new engine for narrowbody jets because
`
`of concerns about weight and reliability, said a top GE executive on Monday as it battles with rival Pratt & Whitney for billions
`
`of dollars in engine orders.
`
`Pratt, part of United Technologies Corp <UTX.N>, developed a geared turbofan that relies on a gearbox and lets the front
`
`fan operate at a diflerent speed than the rest of the engine, while on GE's traditionally configured engines the fans run at the
`
`same speed.
`
`Speaking at a Morgan Stanley investor conference, GE ChiefTechnology Officer Mark Little said the company had "considered
`
`a geared approach
`
`and we chose very consciously not to take that approach."
`
`"Some other application someday, maybe, but not for this one," Little said at the conference in Dana Point, California, that
`was broadcast over the Internet.
`
`Through its joint venture called CFM with France's Safian <SAF.PA>, GE is competing against Pratt for airline and other
`
`customers that choose Airbus‘ <AIR.PA> new A320neo single-aisle plane. Both engines promise significant fuel savings over
`
`older models, and Airbus buyers can choose the Pratt or CFM gine.
`
`CFM's LEAP, among other improvements, uses new materials designed to reduce weight and add durability.
`
`"We thought that the addition of the extra component would add reliability and weight challenges, and durability challenges
`
`that we could avoid by going the path we went," Little said.
`
`"We like the bet that we've made," Little said.
`
`In response to Little's comments, Pratt & Whitney spokeswoman Sara Banda said: "We are confident in our PurePower Geared
`
`Turbofan engine technology and this is not just us saying this," noting that in addition to Airbus, four other aircraft makers have
`selected the GTF, including Embraer <EMBR3.SA> and Bombardier Inc <BBDb.T0>.
`
`Pratt has completed more than 10,000 hours of testing for the GTF engine family, Banda said in an email, after 20 years of
`
`research and $1 billion invested into developing the engine.
`
`WESTLAW
`
`;i*f_‘:"—:e:*:e.‘:e=:e
`
`.ZZ_’;"“ZZi‘;T_‘.
`
`.2 }:.e“”e“:
`
`UTC-2003.001
`
`GEV.UTC
`Trial IPR20l6-00952
`
`

`
`GE exec says avoided geared design in jet engine battle with Pratt
`
`Barry Eccleston, president of Airbus Americas Inc, told the Reuters Aerospace and Defense summit last week that ofA320neo
`customers, so far about one-third have chosen the LEAP, one-third have selected the GTF, while one-third remain undecided.
`
`Pratt has had a smaller presence among commercial engines in recent years, so the GTF engine is its bid to return to promince.
`
`By contrast, CFM has been the dominant engine on the narrowbody planes, including captluing a major portion of the new
`narrow-body market because it is the sole engine on Boeing Co's <BA.N> 737 MAX.
`
`The geared engine architecture won a vote of confidence in February, when Rolls-Royce Holdings Plc <RR.L> also said it was
`
`pursuing such an approach for its future engines.
`
`Airbus has said the first A320neo flight, which will use Pratt's GTF gine, is expected sometime this month.
`
`(Reporting by Lewis Krauskopf; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)
`
`((lewis krauskopf@thomsonmeuters.com; +1-646-223-6082))
`
`— Index References —
`
`UNITED
`Company: AIRBUS AMERICAS ENGINEERING INC; BOMBARDIER INC; BOEING CO
`TECHNOLOGIES CORP; SAFRAN SA; EMBRAER SA; ROLLS ROYCE HOLDINGS PLC; GENERAL ELECTRIC CO;
`PRATT AND WHITNEY CO
`
`News Subject: (Reuters Summits (lRE5 8); Major Corporations (IMA93); Conventions, Conferences & Trade Shows (1CO42);
`
`Corporate Evts (1CR05))
`
`Industry: (Engineering (IEN73); Medical Electronics (lME73); Financial Services (IFI37); Electronic Components (lEL9l);
`Aerospace & Defense Industry Highlights (IAEO6); Industrial Goods Manufacturing (IID44); Industrial Machinery (lIN57);
`
`Banking (lBA20); Engines & Turbines (1EN78); Transportation (ITR48); Major Manufacturing Conglomerates (lMA45);
`
`Aerospace & Defense (lAE96); Industrial Electronics (IIN69); Medical Equipment & Supplies (lHE68); Healthcare Services
`
`(1I-IE13); Healthcare (IHEO6); Manufacturing (IMA74); Aerospace (1AE56); Major Financial Services Firms (1MA2l))
`
`Region: O-Europe (1EU83); USA (lUS73); Americas (lAM92); France (1FR23); Eurozone Countries (lEU86); Western Europe
`
`(1WE4l))
`
`Language: EN
`
`Other Indexing: (Barry Eccleston; Mark Little; Sara Banda)
`
`Keywords: GENERAL ELECTRIC UNITED TECH; ENGINE
`
`Word Count: 483
`
`End of Document
`
`© 2016 Thomson Reuters, No claim to original US, Government W'orks.
`
`NewsRoom
`
`WESTLAW
`
`;Z*3_‘:“—:—:°
`
`%.‘.%‘i- X: Z_‘:“"’.i
`
`.2
`
`II
`
`1
`
`UTC-2003.002
`
`;