Amphibian Aerospace selects Pratt & Whitney engines for G-111 modernization

Seaplane manufacturer Amphibian Aerospace Industries, Australia, has selected Pratt & Whitney’s PT6A-67F turboprop to power its G-111T Albatross amphibious aircraft as part of a supplemental type certificate upgrade to its G-111 design.

The announcement is reportedly the culmination of five years of cooperation between the two companies to modernize the seaplane’s design, which includes the replacement of the original G-111’s original piston engines.

According to Nicholas Kanellias, Vice President for General Aviation at Pratt & Whitney Canada: “The PT6A-67F engines, each with 1,700 mechanical shaft horsepower, will provide the G-111T with superior performance, greater range and the benchmark reliability and dependability characteristics that are common to PT6A-powered aircraft.”

The G-111T will be available in several variants for different functions, including:

• Combi Passenger/Cargo – with capacity for 28 passengers plus three crew, and 4.5 tonnes of cargo space for water operations, which is reconfigurable into a galley and bathroom
• Medevac – with capacity for up to 12 stretcher cases in a single lift, with basic patient monitoring systems
• Aeromedical – with capacity for four to six stretchers and more sophisticated medical monitoring and treatment capabilities
• Search & Rescue – capable of missions of up to 12 hours, extendable to 20 hours with external fuel tanks, and equipped with mission systems and sensors.

“Because of its ability to land and take-off from both land and water, the G-111T is ideal for use in inland rivers, ocean rescue, mountainous terrain and tropic river basins,” said Khoa Hoang, Chairman of Amphibian Aerospace Industries.