Successful Test Moves Program Forward

Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine successfully completed engine restart testing at Edwards Air Force Base, CA. The engine air restart tests are a significant program milestone demonstrating the reliability of the F135 engine in flight.

The F135 engine was put through a series of 12 engine stops and restarts while in flight, according to the enginemaker.

"The purpose of these tests is to verify that the F135 engine can restart in-flight in the event of an unexpected shut-down," said Bill Gostic, vice president of F135 Engine Program. "This capability is a critical requirement for our customer and the engine performed flawlessly during this important phase of testing."

Pratt & Whitney says the test was just one of the many successes the F135 program has had in 2008, including powering the first STOVL aircraft flight in June, successful completion of over 10,000 test hours, and assembly completion of 10 flight test engines.

"The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter program is truly a team effort, and Pratt & Whitney is proud to celebrate this successful F135 program milestone with the Joint Strike Fighter program team," Gostic said.

FMI: www.pratt-whitney.com/, www.teamjsf.com