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Pratt & Whitney’s F135 STOVL Engine Begins Hover Pit Testing

Written by thomas · Filed Under Aeronautics News 

March 26, 2009

thomas

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., March 26 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — The Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II has begun two weeks of hover pit testing powered by Pratt & Whitney’s F135 propulsion system. Hover pit testing of the F135 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing (STOVL) variant demonstrates integration of Pratt & Whitney’s flight-proven F135 engine with Rolls Royce-designed STOVL lift components. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

“Hover pit testing of the F-35 Lightning II Air System is a major step toward achieving F-35 powered lift flight operations, and is a significant milestone for the Pratt & Whitney F135 team, Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin,” said Bill Gostic, vice president, Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Programs. “The testing is designed to demonstrate the F-35 and F135 integrated flight and propulsion control system and the STOVL thrust produced by the F135 propulsion system as installed in the Lightning II.”

The Pratt & Whitney F135 was awarded a Statement of Qualification for F-35 Short Take Off and Vertical Landing powered lift operations last month, becoming the first production propulsion system in history to provide vertical lift and supersonic capabilities with stealth technology.

“Pratt & Whitney is proud to support the Joint Program Office and Lockheed Martin’s F-35 STOVL through hover pit testing and STOVL powered lift operations leading to initial STOVL production deliveries,” Gostic said.

For eight years and more than 11,000 test hours, Pratt & Whitney has been designing, developing and testing 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 mature technology of the only operational fifth generation fighter engine, the F119, enhanced with technologies proven in 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 is the power of choice for the F-35 and has proven it can meet diverse aircraft requirements. The ground and flight test experience demonstrates the maturity and the associated reliability of the F135 engine for armed forces around the world.

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