Pratt & Whitney F135 Engine Completes Initial Service Release Altitude Qualification Test

EAST HARTFORD, Conn., Nov. 9 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- The Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine powering the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter has completed altitude qualification ground testing, the final testing that demonstrates the operability and performance required for Conventional Take-off and Landing (CTOL) and Carrier Variant (CV) Initial Service Release (ISR). ISR is the U.S. Government's recognition that the F135 engine is ready for operational use and clears Pratt & Whitney to deliver and field production F135 engines. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX) company.

"I'm very proud of the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine team and the test team at Arnold Engineering Development Center in Tennessee for their efforts in completing this critical milestone, not just for the F135 engine but for the entire F-35 program," said Warren Boley, Vice President of F135 Engine Programs at Pratt & Whitney. "Their hard work has demonstrated the performance of the F135 engine and puts us at the doorstep of achieving ISR."

The most recent testing, which included a total of 126 test hours, evaluated the F135 engine's air start capability and augmentor performance, as well as demonstrated and proved the performance of critical systems such as in-flight throttle response, inlet compatibility, engine ice protection and combustor stability. The final test period was also a testament to the reliability of the F135 engine and, at 38.7 hours, was the longest continuous test period completed to date on the F135 program.

The F135 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) program surpassed 12,850 hours of engine test time, successfully completed 90 CTOL flights, and completed 125 hours of flight time. Missions have included augmented takeoffs, supersonic flight, in-flight cycling of weapons bay doors, air-to-air refueling, in-flight engine restarts, and cross-country flights to and from Eglin and Edwards Air Force bases. 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.

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.

This press release contains forward-looking statements concerning future business opportunities. Actual results may differ materially from those projected as a result of certain risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to changes in funding related to the F-35 aircraft and F135 engines, changes in government procurement priorities and practices or in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design, development, production and support of technologies; as well as other risks and uncertainties, including but not limited to those detailed from time to time in United Technologies Corp.'s Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

    Erin Dick
    Pratt & Whitney Military Engines
    860-557-0122
    860-565-9600
    erin.dick@pw.utc.com