WEST PALM BEACH, Fla., May 31, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt
& Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX), today announced the successful completion of performance
testing of its Fuel Burn Reduction Demonstrator Engine. Based on this success, Pratt & Whitney can now offer a Growth
Option 1.0 upgrade configuration for the F135 engine, which powers the fifth generation F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. The
engine testing, conducted at Pratt & Whitney's West Palm Beach, FL, facility, verified this
upgrade can provide a 5 to 6 percent fuel burn improvement and a 6 to10 percent thrust increase across the F-35 flight
envelope.
While the current production F135 engine meets today's performance requirements, an F135 propulsion upgrade would enable
future capability improvements associated with the F-35 weapon system's block upgrade program. Pratt & Whitney has been
working through the Navy-sponsored F135 Fuel Burn Reduction (FBR) and Air Force-sponsored Component and Engine Structural
Assessment Research (CAESAR) technology maturation programs to develop a suite of compressor and turbine technologies, which can
be used to enhance the performance of the F135 engine by decreasing fuel burn, increasing thrust, and improving hot section
durability.
"Based on the demonstrated improvements, we see a potential path forward with the Growth Option 1.0 configuration for the F135
engine that could benefit the global fleet of F-35s in the near term at low technical risk and low cost, should the program
desire an upgraded engine in the future," said Matthew Bromberg, president, Pratt & Whitney
Military Engines. "The performance benefits of increased thrust and reduced fuel burn will provide even greater capability with
respect to combat mission radius, acceleration, and sustained turn rate, as well as enable improvements in powered lift
thrust."
The Growth Option 1.0 configuration is compatible with all three variants of the F-35 and limits hardware changes for the
upgrade to just the F135 power module (compressor, combustor, turbine). Growth Option 1.0 hardware can also be seamlessly
inserted into future production engines at a minimal increase in unit cost and no impact to delivery schedule. Should the
customer desire, the redesigned internal components of the power module could bring the same benefits to fielded F135 engines by
performing a power module change. Internal hardware upgrades for fielded engines would be accomplished during routine engine
overhauls. The Growth Option 1.0 configuration is fully compatible with existing F135 global support sustainment infrastructure,
mitigating significant investment in new facilities, processes, training or equipment.
"Pratt & Whitney has developed an affordable upgrade for the F135 engine that can be ready for follow on modernization
upgrades to the F-35 weapon system in the early 2020s," said Bromberg. "As we look to future warfighter needs, we believe the
options for increased thrust and fuel burn reduction improvements will translate directly into mission effectiveness, and help to
ensure the F-35 weapon system continues to go above and beyond any potential threat."
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines and auxiliary power
units. United Technologies Corp., based in Farmington, Connecticut, provides high-technology
systems and services to the building and aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.
For more information about Pratt & Whitney, visit http://www.pratt-whitney.com
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 levels of
demand in the aerospace industry, in levels of air travel, and in the number of aircraft to be built; challenges in the design,
development, production, support, performance and realization of the anticipated benefits of advanced 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.
Pratt & Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
media@pw.utc.com
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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney