Pratt & Whitney Celebrates 100 Years of Powering Flight

Pratt & Whitney is celebrating a century of flight, marking one hundred years since being incorporated and revolutionizing military and commercial aviation with their R-1340 Wasp radial engine.

Pratt & Whitney Founder Frederick B. Rentschler in Front of his Wasp-Engined Vought O2U Corsair – Courtesy Pratt & Whitney

On Tuesday (July 22, 2025), Pratt & Whitney celebrated a century of flight, marking the 100^th anniversary of their incorporation, and their pioneering introduction of the R-1340 Wasp radial engine.  Over the past 100 years, Pratt & Whitney's products have helped shape the modern world, and the company continues to be a global leader in aircraft propulsion technology.  Currently, there are over 90,000 Pratt & Whitney engines in service, powering all types of fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters.

In Tuesday’s announcement, Pratt & Whitney’s President, Shane Eddy, said,

“Since our founding in 1925, the people of Pratt & Whitney have designed, built and supported the safest, most dependable engines in aerospace, united by a common purpose: connecting people, growing economies and defending freedom.  Our 45,000 employees worldwide work every day to uphold our 100-year legacy of safety, innovation and dependable engines.  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.

"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.  Leveraging the unrivalled breadth and scale of RTX, 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 with investments in advanced technologies such as hybrid-electric, hydrogen, rotating detonation and adaptive propulsion."

Frederick B. Rentschler, Pratt & Whitney’s visionary founder, saw the potential of a lightweight, air-cooled radial engine to enable unparalleled levels of power and reliability for aviation.  By October 1926, Pratt & Whitney's first 425-horsepower R-1340 Wasp engine had won the approval of the U.S. Navy, which ordered 200 engines to power their early carrier-based aircraft, paving the way for the company’s rapid growth.  Over the years, with the development of more powerful variants, Wasp Family engines propelled hundreds of aircraft types through the early to mid-20^th century.  They also played a vital role in enabling Allied victory in the skies during World War II, when over 363,000 engines were produced during the course of the global conflict.

Pratt & Whitney successfully pivoted from radial engine development by leading another major innovation in aircraft propulsion technology with one of the world’s first twin-spool gas turbine engines.  The J57 engine and its commercial equivalent, the JT3C, powered aircraft such as the Boeing B-52 Stratofortress, as well as Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airliners, ushering in a new era of commercial air travel.

Today, Pratt & Whitney provides industry-leading propulsion technologies for over 17,000 customers.  The Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine is the most fuel-efficient engine for single-aisle aircraft, powering the Airbus A220, A320neo, and Embraer E2 jet Families for more than 85 airlines worldwide.  Pratt & Whitney’s F135 engine is the safest, most capable and reliable fighter engine, powering the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Additionally, Pratt & Whitney Canada plays a leading role in powering a wide array of general, regional and business aviation aircraft, having independently developed and certified more than 200 engine types since the introduction of the PT6 turboprop engine in 1963.

As part of centennial celebrations taking place throughout the year, Pratt & Whitney is engaging its employees with a travelling exhibit visiting 11 of its facilities around the world.  A historical marker will also be unveiled at the site of Pratt & Whitney's original headquarters in Hartford, Connecticut.  To learn more about Pratt & Whitney’s history, please click here.

Source: Pratt & Whitney, an RTX Company