Pratt & Whitney Begins Assembly of First Flight Test F135 Engine for the F-35 JSF

Source URL: http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=104&STORY=/www/story/08-23-2005/0004093084&EDATE=
Posted at: http://www.air-attack/com/news/news_article/599

IDDLETOWN, Conn., Aug. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Pratt & Whitney has begun assembly of the first flight test F135 engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter (JSF). The F135 will be the exclusive power for the JSF's first flights starting next year.
Assembly of the first flight test engine, a Conventional Takeoff and Landing (CTOL) variant, began at Pratt & whitney's Engine Center in Middletown, Conn., as employees started work on the F135's High Pressure Compressor rotor assembly.

"The entire F135 team is extremely excited to see this engine come together," said Bill Gostic, vice president of F135 engine programs for Pratt & Whitney. "Pratt & Whitney powered all JSF Concept Demonstration Aircraft flights and accumulated more than 3,600 hours of ground testing before entering into System Development and Demonstration (SDD) in 2001. Now, with more than three years and 3,400 additional hours of SDD testing, the F135 has unprecedented maturity for a development fighter engine. Powering the F-35's first flight next year is a major milestone for Pratt & Whitney and the JSF program."

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