Pratt & Whitney’s aircraft story begins in 1925, with a small team building an air-cooled radial engine. Follow its growth from the Wasp and wartime factories to turboprops and jet engines.
Visit the wartime factoryFrancis Pratt and Amos Whitney establish a machine-tool company in Hartford. This earlier business later supplies the name, premises and backing for Rentschler’s separate aircraft-engine venture.
Pratt & Whitney Measurement Systems — company historyFrederick B. Rentschler founds Pratt & Whitney Aircraft. His team pursues a lightweight, air-cooled radial engine as the foundation for a new aircraft-engine business.
Pratt & Whitney — Our StoryThe first Wasp is completed on December 24, 1925. In March 1926, the nine-cylinder engine finishes its 50-hour approval test, establishing the design that starts the Wasp family.
Smithsonian — Wasp serial number 1Demand for Wasp and Hornet engines brings a purpose-built factory across the Connecticut River. On December 30, its first machine starts: a radial drill in the crankcase department.
Pratt & Whitney — the new East Hartford plantPratt & Whitney introduces the R-1830 Twin Wasp, its first twin-row engine design. The family later powers the B-24 Liberator and is the subject of this factory tour.
Pratt & Whitney — the R-1830 and B-24The Kansas City plant begins producing the R-2800 Double Wasp. Its manufacturing complex brings machining, assembly and testing together as engine production expands for the war.
Library of Congress — Pratt & Whitney Plant, HAER MO-118While piston engines serve the war effort, Pratt & Whitney starts its gas-turbine and jet-propulsion initiative. Research facilities support the transition toward a different kind of aircraft powerplant.
Pratt & Whitney — Our StoryEight J57 turbojets power the prototype B-52’s first flight in April. A commercial version of the engine, the JT3, later powers early Boeing 707 and Douglas DC-8 airliners.
Smithsonian — J57 turbojetIn December, Pratt & Whitney Canada ships its first production PT6A-6 to Beech Aircraft. The compact gas turbine opens a new chapter for aircraft previously powered by piston engines.
Pratt & Whitney Canada — PT6 milestonesThe JT9D enters service on the Boeing 747. Its large fan and high bypass ratio help establish the engine architecture of the new generation of wide-body airliners.
Pratt & Whitney — JT9D engineLufthansa receives the first A320neo with PW1100G-JM geared turbofan engines. Pratt & Whitney, MTU and Japanese Aero Engines Corporation develop and build the engine together.
MTU Aero Engines — first A320neo deliveryPratt & Whitney marks its centenary on July 22. The anniversary traces the aircraft company’s history from Rentschler’s Wasp to its modern commercial and military engine programs.
RTX — Pratt & Whitney’s centenary