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EAST HARTFORD: The F-35 Lightning II successfully completed its first afterburner test powered by Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine. The test occurred during the F-35's fifth flight in Fort Worth, Texas. The afterburner test validates the F135's ability to achieve the engine's maximum power settings. The F-35 climbed to 20,000 feet and flew in maximum afterburner for six seconds with all augmentor zones lit. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX – News) company.
“The afterburner test once again validates the capability of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine as we continue to power the F-35 flight test program,” said Bill Gostic, Pratt & Whitney vice president, F135 engine program. “We are proud to be part of the F-35 team.”
F-35 Chief Pilot Jon Beesley praised the Pratt & Whitney engine, “The F135 provided a smooth transition into afterburner, like the F119. You wouldn't know the afterburner was lit other than you start going faster.”
Powering the F-35's afterburner test is one in a series of milestones the F135 has achieved. The engine recently surpassed 7,000 hours of ground testing in addition to the more than 3,600 hours accumulated during the concept demonstration phase of the F-35 program, reflecting the F135's maturity and reliability.
Pratt & Whitney is the lead propulsion system supplier for the F-35 program. The technologically advanced F135 is an evolution of the highly successful F119 engine, which powers 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.
Pratt & Whitney military engines include the F100 that powers the F-16 and F-15, the F135 for the F-35 Lightning II; F119 for the F-22 Raptor; F117 for the C-17 Globemaster III; J52 for the EA-6B Prowler; TF33 powering AWACS, Joint STARS, B-52, 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, based in Hartford, Conn., is a diversified company providing high technology products and services to the global aerospace and building industries.
