Dependable Engines: The Story of Pratt & Whitney

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The impact of Pratt & Whitney has touched the lives of all who are engaged in the world of aviation and flying. This book vividly captures the colorful history of the men, women, and machines that led us on this path of technological advancement for nearly 90 years. We respectfully salute their accomplishments.— Steven F. Udvar-Hazy

Pratt & Whitney engines helped to win World War II by powering much of the U.S. fighter fleet as well as many British planes. They also powered 98 percent of all transport planes used by the military during the war.

Since then, they’ve powered such record-breaking aircraft as the Boeing B-50, the first airplane to fly nonstop around the globe, and the Air Force F-100 Super Sabre, which became the first aircraft to break the speed of sound in horizontal flight. In July 1976, Pratt & Whitney J58 engines powered an SR-71 "Blackbird" spy plane to a world altitude record of 84,069 feet (25,624 meters) and a second Blackbird to a world speed record of 2,193 miles per hour (3,529 kilometers per hour).

These dependable engines are also responsible for powering the first generation of commercial jet transports that brought the world to our front doors – the Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8. Pratt & Whitney’s JT8D, powering the Boeing 727 and 737 as well as the Douglas DC-9, has totaled more than half a billion hours of service with more than 350 operators since its commercial service began. In fact, they’ve been used in most of the world’s civil, commercial, and military aircraft. Over the years, Pratt & Whitney has patented hundreds of innovations, from heat-resistant coatings to aerodynamic blades – technologies that make air travel more cost effective, comfortable, and dependable. Today Pratt and Whitney engines provide power for everything from land based power stations, business jets, and helicopters, to large commercial aircraft, fifth generation fighters, and manned & unmanned space vehicles.

The story of Pratt & Whitney offers broad insight into the history of aviation itself and the people who built the industry.