It's Maybe a Little Easier, Four Engines at a Time

The Air Force's C-17 heavy lifter has some reliable engines dragging it around: The P&W F-117 (the military member of the PW2000 family) has hit the 2 million flight hour milestone. Four F117 engines power the C-17 Globemaster III, the strategic airlifter for the U.S. Air Force.

Brig. Gen. Loren Reno, Director of Logistics for Air Mobility Command, said, "We congratulate Pratt & Whitney and the F117 team on accumulating two million hours of dependable service. We value the engines the Pratt & Whitney team builds and maintains -- they provide the thrust we can trust for the C-17 aircraft that has been the mobility workhorse in support of the global war on terror."

"The PW2000 was designed to provide commercial airlines with a rugged low-cost engine, and these design goals as transitioned into the F117 have proven to be a perfect match for the C-17," said Steve Peery, F117 Program Director at P&W. "I am very proud of the entire F117 engine team, which includes dedicated employees from Pratt & Whitney, Boeing, and the U.S. Air Force. We have worked together in achieving this significant goal, and look forward to powering the next two million engine flight hours on the C-17."

Four F117-PW-100 engines power each C-17. The PW2000 engine has been in service for nearly 20 years on the Boeing 757. The PW2000 has accumulated more than 25 million flight hours, is the most fuel-efficient engine in its thrust class, and has an outstanding record of performance and reliability. One of the few differences between the commercial PW2000 and the F117 is that the F117 has a unique thrust reverser system that can be deployed in flight for tactical descents. It also enables the aircraft to back up a two-degree incline and make tight turns on the ground, providing more landing and unloading areas and faster aircraft throughput. The F117 engines have logged more than two million flight hours since their entry into service in September 1991. The U.S. Air Force has ordered 180 C-17s and 800 F117 engines. To date, P&W has delivered more than 520 F117 engines to the U.S. Air Force.

FMI: www.pratt-whitney.com