Pratt & Whitney's F135 Engine Featured in F-35 Unveiling
FORT WORTH, Texas, July 7 / / -- Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine for the new Joint Strike Fighter will power the aircraft that was unveiled today as part of the F-35 Inauguration Ceremony at Lockheed Martin in Fort Worth, Texas. During the event, the new fighter was officially named the F-35 Lightning II and the first flight test aircraft was revealed with a Pratt & Whitney F135 engine installed. Pratt & Whitney, a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX), is the exclusive power provider for the F-35's first flights beginning with the Conventional Takeoff and Landing variant's initial flight this fall.
"Seeing the F135 engine installed in the F-35 flight test aircraft demonstrates first hand that this engine has the level of maturity, reliability and safety needed to power these critical flight tests," said Bill Gostic, vice president of F135 engine programs for Pratt & Whitney. "The entire F135 team is so proud to be a part of this event, and we all look forward to a flawless flight test program beginning later this year."
The F-35 Inauguration Ceremony culminated in the unveiling of the F-35 Lightning II aircraft before an international audience that included U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon England and U.S. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, who announced the F-35's new name. Representatives from the F-35 industrial team and the eight nations that are partnering with the U.S. in the F-35's development also attended.
F135 ground test engines have accumulated more than 5,500 hours as part of Pratt & Whitney's System Development and Demonstration program. This is in addition to the more than 3,600 hours F135 engines have logged as the only engine to power all JSF concept demonstration ground and flight tests.
The technologically advanced F135 is an evolution of the highly successful F119 engine for the F-22 Raptor. Together the F135 and F119 will have logged more than 800,000 hours before the F-35's introduction into operational service in 2012. Rated at more than 40,000 pounds of thrust, the F135 is the most powerful fighter engine ever built.
The F135 propulsion system team consists of Pratt & Whitney, the prime contractor with responsibility for the main engine and system integration; Rolls-Royce of the United Kingdom, providing lift components for the STOVL F-35B; and UTC's Hamilton Sundstrand unit, provider of the F135's control system, external accessories and gearbox.
In addition to the F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter and the F119 powering the F-22 Raptor, Pratt & Whitney military engine models include the F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III; F100 for F-15 and F-16 fighters; J52 for the EA-6B Prowler; TF33 powering AWACS, Joint STARS, B-52, C-141 and KC-135 aircraft; TF30 for the F-111, PT6 for T-6A and UH-1N aircraft; and JT15 for the T-1A trainer and Pegasus UCAV.
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines, space propulsion systems and industrial gas turbines. United Technologies provides high-technology products and services to the aerospace and building industries.
Contact:
Matthew Perra
860-565-8938
matthew.perra@pw.utc.com
Source: Pratt & Whitney
Web site: http://www.pratt-whitney.com/
