Pratt & Whitney’s F135 conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) production engine powered the successful first flight of a production F-35 aircraft on Friday, Feb. 25. This milestone marks the introduction of Pratt & Whitney’s F135 production engines into service. Pratt & Whitney has designed, developed and tested the F135 to deliver the most advanced fifth generation fighter engine for the United States and its allies around the world. Based on the highly successful F119 powering the F-22 Raptor, the F135 has been further enhanced with technologies developed in several U.S. Air Force and Navy technology programs.
During the flight, the CTOL F-35A variant, known as AF-6, underwent basic flight maneuvering and engine tests. The jet will continue flight tests in Fort Worth for about a month before it is accepted by the Air Force.
