Pratt & Whitney powered F-35 carrier variant aircraft makes debut

The F-35C Lightning II carrier variant aircraft, powered by Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine, debuted this week at a roll out ceremony in Fort Worth, Texas.  Pratt & Whitney is the power provider for the Lockheed Martin F-35C flight test program, which will begin flights in 2010, as well as for the ongoing conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) and short-takeoff/vertical-landing (STOVL) flight test programs.  Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE:UTX) company.

"With the rollout of the F-35C in Fort Worth, we again have shown that the F135 is ready to begin the next series of critical flight tests to bring the carrier variant one step closer to the war fighter," said Warren Boley, vice president, F135 engine programs, Pratt & Whitney.  "We are proud to be part of this history making day, and salute the men and women of the F-35 Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin."

The F135 engine program recently surpassed 12,000 ground test hours.  The F135 CTOL engine and STOVL propulsion system continue to power the F-35 Lightning II flight test programs with 113 flights and more than 134 flight test hours.  In addition to powering the successful flight test program, Pratt & Whitney will deliver the first seven production F135 engines later this year.

For more than eight years, Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth generation fighter engine for the U.S. Air Force, Marine Corps and Navy, as well as eight international partner countries.  The F135 is derived from proven technology of the only operational fifth generation fighter engine, the Pratt & Whitney F119.  It has been further enhanced with technologies developed in several Air Force and Navy technology programs.

The F135 is the only engine powering the F-35 Lightning II flight test program.  The F135 propulsion system has proven it can meet diverse aircraft requirements, and the ground and flight test experience demonstrates the maturity and the associated reliability of the F135 engine for armed forces around the world.