It has been announced that Deutsche Aircraft and RTX’s Pratt & Whitney Canada powerplant division are to collaborate to ensure that the German manufacturer’s under-development D328eco regional aircraft can fly on 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) from its entry into service, planned for 2027.
On November 4, 2024, the parties revealed that they had concluded a short series of five emission and contrail measurement flights using Deutsche Aircraft’s D328 UpLift research aircraft using a fully synthetic fuel. This series of flights has demonstrated the feasibility and practicality of the use of future SAF produced using Power-to-Liquid (PtL) technology and, according to a joint statement issued by the partners, the achievement marks “a new milestone in the 40 years of collaboration between the two companies.”
With the series of test flights completed, the partners will now proceed with work to get Deutsche Aircraft’s next-generation 40-seater D328eco powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT-S engines certified. Planned to use 100% SAF from day one in commercial service, the new regional turboprop is currently scheduled to enter service with carriers sometime in 2027.
The test flights using the synthetic fuel were conducted as part of the UpLift-CLIM0ART project in collaboration with the German Aerospace Center (DLR). The project aimed to demonstrate the ability of the D328 UpLift, powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada’s PW119B engines, to deliver the same performance and efficiency as when utilizing conventional kerosene fuel.
Due to having the exact same chemical and technical properties, the Fischer-Tropsch synthetic paraffinic kerosene (FT-SPK) used during the test flights as part of the project, served as a proxy for future PtL SAF. These will be produced using water, carbon dioxide, and renewable energy in the future.
“PtL is expected to be a key production pathway to meet future demand for SAF and help meet ICAO’s Long Term Ambitious Goal of net-zero CO2 emission by 2050, as well as reduce non-CO2 emissions due to enabling low to zero aromatic and sulfur content,” added a Deutsche Aircraft statement.
“This test flight is a testament to our shared commitment to enabling more sustainable aviation through the development of more efficient aircraft and enabling alternative fuels,” said Dave Jackson, CEO of Deutsche Aircraft. “To achieve our industry goals, we must enhance collaboration in research and technology while securing strong support from government and energy providers to scale up Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) and Power-to-Liquid (PtL) production.”
“The successful test flight of the D328 UpLift is a major achievement towards our goal of ensuring that the D328eco is ready to operate with future 100% SAF specifications from the EIS stage,” said Nico Neumann, COO of Deutsche Aircraft. “This new capability, along with the overall performance and efficiency of the D328eco and its PW127XT-S engines, will establish new benchmarks in regional aviation. Additionally, the insights gained from D328 UpLift’s test flights using synthetic fuel without aromatics will support the overall effort to reduce the environmental footprint of the aviation industry.”
“The development of the PW127XT-S for the next generation Deutsche Aircraft D328eco reflects our shared goal of changing the standards of efficiency and sustainability in the aviation industry and continues our 40-year-long collaborative relationship,” said Maria Della Posta, President of Pratt & Whitney Canada. “Our PW127XT engine series delivers unrivaled performance in terms of fuel burn, emissions, and operating economics, and will further drive sustainability by operating with more sustainable aviation fuels, including future specifications for 100% SAF.”
More about the engine
According to Pratt & Whitney Canada, its PW127XT powerplant is “the most advanced member of the PW100 engine series, which has powered regional turboprop aircraft for forty years and accumulated more than 220 million flight hours.”
Launched in 2021, PW127XT engines offer over 3% better fuel efficiency, 40% improved time on and wing, and 20% reduced maintenance costs, states the company. Currently, all Pratt & Whitney Canada engines are certified to operate with SAF blended up to 50% with conventional Jet A/A1 kerosene fuel and the company is continuing to support industry efforts to develop future specifications for 100% SAF, the engine manufacturer says.