Pratt & Whitney engineers maintain that the United Technologies division bet the company on its geared turbofan (GTF) departure from conventional engine design because it promotes better optimization of shaft speeds and allows the fan to turn at lower rpm to reduce noise.
Six years ago when the plethora of new 10K business jet engines was emerging, one of the contenders was Rolls-Royce's RB282, at the time destined for a super-midsize aircraft proposed by Dassault Aviation and identified only as “SMS.”
