Did Pratt just switch to Carbon fans for their new engine?

[keesje]

Last week Pratt showed their first engine for the A320 NEO. It seems I'm the only one being surprized.

http://www.purepowerengine.com/images/photo_galleries/new_gallery/pw1100g-jm_lastbolt/md2.jpg
PurePower® PW1000G Engine (http://www.purepowerengine.com/)

That seems like a carbon-titanium fan. Just like GE uses for their new engines. PW and AIE so far used hollow titanium fan materials, also for the new CSeries PW1000. And promoted its advantages.

Boeing confirms ZA001 factory gauntlet underway (Update1) - FlightBlogger - Aviation News, Commentary and Analysis (http://www.flightglobal.com/blogs/flightblogger/2009/03/pratt-whitneys-geared-turbofan.html)

This seems a pretty big switch for Pratt IMO. Still I can find nobody communicating anything on this, including Pratt itself :O .

Did they get the right patents from RR in last years big overall deal? Just speculating..:E

[Cardinal]

I was surprised too, nor have I heard so much as a squeak regarding a significant change.

Option A) They've had a carbon/ti setup under the painted blades of test engines the whole time

Option B) They painted their 100% Ti blades behind the leading edge to look snazzy like GE

Option C) They just switched fan materials with this engine, yikes (to unload the gearbox?)

Option D) It's a gift from technologically advanced Martians.

[DaveReidUK]

The GTF has bi-metallic blades with titanium-sheathed leading edges.

P&W reportedly looked at composite blades in the initial design phase, but concluded that they would offer no weight saving, with poorer aerodynamics due to their greater thickness.

[keesje]

and they coated the area after the Ti edges black like carbon.. Option B comes most close I guess. I already thought they looked thin, the colors cheated me..