Pratt & Whitney at 100: Foreword from RTX CEO Christopher T. Calio

One hundred years ago this July, an upstart operation in Hartford, Connecticut, began work on a pioneering aircraft engine design that would become the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp. Completed on Christmas Eve that same year, this engineering feat introduced a family of engines that soon provided more than half of the aviation horsepower for Allied aircraft and powered countless military flight missions during World War II. And Pratt & Whitney’s reputation for dependability was born.

From powering the first non-stop flight around the globe and the first generation of commercial jets, to helping deliver the first production aircraft to break the speed of sound in horizontal flight, Pratt & Whitney’s commitment to innovation helped define modern aviation. It continues to set the standard for transformative aircraft engine development, with products such as the F135 for the F-35 Lightning II fighter and the revolutionary GTF engine, which delivers industry-leading fuel efficiency for Airbus and Embraer single-aisle platforms.

As part of the RTX family, Pratt & Whitney now joins ­Collins ­Aerospace and Raytheon in contributing more than a century each of industry leadership. That legacy includes the propeller used on Charles Lindberg’s Spirit of St Louis, critical breakthroughs in radar technology that helped win World War II, and more than 60,000 patent assets held ­today globally. Simply put, at Pratt & Whitney and across RTX, our history is rooted in era-defining ­innovation. And so is our future.

None of this would be possible, however, without our world-class employees and their uncommon dedication to our mission of connecting people and protecting the USA and its allies. United by our values – Safety, Trust, Respect, Accountability, Collaboration and Innovation – our RTX team will remain dedicated to meeting our customers’ complex needs in the century to come.

Christopher T. Calio
Chairman & CEO RTX