Happy birthday Pratt & Whitney! From radials to GTF, 100 years of aircraft engines
July 22, 2025
Pratt & Whitney is celebrating a century of advances in aircraft engine technologies today, marking the 100th anniversary of its founding on 22 July 1925.
From the company that developed the first practical air-cooled radial engine, today Pratt & Whitney quite literally powers modern aviation. More than 90,000 of its engines are in service across fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.
“Since our founding in 1925, the people of Pratt & Whitney have designed, built and supported the safest, most dependable engines in aerospace,” said Shane Eddy, president of Pratt & Whitney. “The words ‘dependable engines’ are literally stamped on every engine we produce – it’s a mission our entire team lives by and a commitment to our customers.”
Pratt & Whitney: A century of aircraft engine advances
Pratt & Whitney was founded in East Hartford, Connecticut, by Frederick B. Rentschler, a former executive at Wright Aeronautical.
Rentschler intended to create aircraft engines that were lighter, more powerful, and more reliable.
“The best airplane could only be designed around the best engine,” Pratt & Whitney quotes Rentschler as saying.
The company’s first product was the R-1340 Wasp radial engine, which debuted in 1926. It quickly set a new standard in performance for military and commercial aviation.
In 1944, the company began working on gas turbines and jet propulsion. During World War II, Pratt & Whitney built over 363,000 engines to support the Allied effort. The company’s engines powered the B-24 Liberator and PBY Catalina.
As aviation entered the jet age, Pratt & Whitney introduced the J57 turbojet, the first engine to win the prestigious Collier Trophy. It powered both the B-52 Stratofortress and the Boeing 707.
Pratt & Whitney Canada, which was founded in 1928, also remains a leader in business and general aviation.
Its PT6 turboprop engine, introduced in 1963, has logged over 500 million flight hours and remains one of the most successful engines in aviation history.
Today, the company supports more than 17,000 customers in 180 countries, with over 90,000 engines in service across commercial, military, business, and general aviation platforms.
Its engines power everything from regional turboprops to fifth-generation stealth fighters, including the engine that powers all three variants of the F-35 Lightning II.
Confronting the GTF durability challenge
Over the decades, Pratt & Whitney built its reputation and its brand on the dependability of its engines.
The Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine, which entered service in 2016, was designed around the needs of airlines to become more sustainable.
It powers the Airbus A220 and A320neo families, as well as Embraer’s E2 jets, and delivers up to 20% improvements in fuel efficiency and double-digit reductions in noise and emissions.
More than 85 airlines have selected the GTF to power their aircraft, but the engine has also faced some headwinds.
In 2023, the company discovered contamination in a rare powdered metal alloy used in high-pressure turbine disks on the PW1100G GTF engine. It meant that hundreds of engines would require accelerated inspections and removals.
The issue led to aircraft groundings, high maintenance costs, and operational disruptions for airlines.
Pratt & Whitney and its parent RTX were forced to respond quickly.
Not a $10 billion problem
RTX Chairman and CEO Greg Hayes acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, but also downplayed the long-term impact on the company.
“As is typical with investors, they see bad news and they run,” Hayes said in a July 2023 interview with Reuters. “The smart money and the long money will come back to the stock. And they will recognise the fact that first of all, this is not a $10 billion problem for RTX.”
While acknowledging that the engine complications tested Pratt & Whitney customers’ patience, Hayes argued, “If they want to change engines, that is a draconian step and there’s probably not enough capacity out there, at least in the short term.”
To satisfy its customers and investors, Pratt & Whitney launched a multi-pronged global support plan. The company ramped up spare engine availability, accelerated MRO capacity expansions, extended lease support programs, and prioritised affected airline customers.
The GTF Advantage advances
Despite the disruption, the company reaffirmed its long-term commitment to the GTF program.
This February, Pratt & Whitney confirmed the FAA had certified its GTF Advantage engine.
“GTF engines already offer the lowest fuel consumption and CO2 emissions for single-aisle aircraft,” said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. “The GTF Advantage engine extends that lead and enhances aircraft capability.”
The company is expecting its first deliveries of the GTF Advantage to begin later this year, creating quite a milestone for its centenary year.
The next 100 years of aircraft engines
As Pratt & Whitney commemorates a century of propulsion, it is investing in future-focused technologies, including hybrid-electric systems, hydrogen-fueled engines, rotating detonation engines, and adaptive-cycle propulsion.
With 45,000 employees worldwide and support from RTX’s aerospace portfolio, the company is set to shape the next era of flight.
“We are well-positioned to shape the future of flight for the next 100 years, as we continue to build on our legacy of innovation,” says Eddy. “From the introduction of the PW127XT and GTF Advantage, to the development of the F135 Engine Core Upgrade, our world-class team is redefining what’s possible for our customers.”
