Nichols Martin
United Technologies Corp.‘s Pratt and Whitney subsidiary has tested the cold segment of an engine technology designed to power the F-35 Lightning II aircraft.
Pratt and Whitney said Wednesday its F-135 engine demonstrated full-life capability during an accelerated mission test that occurred at the Arnold Air Force Base’s engineering development complex in Tennessee.
The test sought to validate the reliability and maintainability of F-135 over its life span as well as to identify potential issues before it joins the operational fleet.
According to Pratt & Whitney, the engine completed 9,400 total accumulated cycles as it operated at extreme conditions and at a rate faster than a standard operating aircraft.
AMT was part of the U.S. Air Force‘s Component Improvement Program and focused on a conventional-takeoff-and-landing engine variant built to power F-35A and F-35C models.
