Medium-Twin Helicopters 

P&WC has produced more than 13,000 civil turboshaft engines, 9,000 of which are still in operation. Specifically, its family of PT6B, PT6C and PT6T turboshaft engines power more than 2,300 civil helicopters, mostly in the medium twin-engine segment. The engines range in power from 1,000 to 2,000 shaft horsepower (shp), typically powering twin-engine helicopters that range from 10,000 to 20,000 pounds maximum takeoff weight (MTOW).

“Something that we see across the board is diversity of applications within just about every segment the PT6 engine powers,” says Richard Dussault, Vice President, Marketing, P&WC. “This is true in the medium-twin helicopter segment, where the aircraft are used for such applications as search and rescue, offshore transportation for the oil and gas industry, law enforcement and medical evacuation purposes, among others.”

As with just about every segment P&WC serves, a constant dialogue with both helicopter OEMs and operators is key to augmenting the company’s formal market research into how the segment will develop in future. To a large extent, the PT6B, C and T engines helped build the medium-twin helicopter segment, as P&WC worked closely over the years with some dynamic and innovative helicopter OEMs. The company has taken the same attentive approach when building relationships with operators in this segment, many of whom maintain fleets of helicopters.

“Given our traditional strength in the segment, augmented by our success in leveraging our existing models with new derivatives that boast better fuel consumption and better hot and high performance, we believe the future is very bright,” concludes Dussault.

OEM and Helicopters Bell: 

Bell 212/412 

Eurocopter: EC175 (Certification Pending) 

Sikorsky: S-76B 

AgustaWestland: AW119, AW139, Tilt-Rotor (Certification Pending)