Pratt & Whitney celebrates Boeing’s recent delivery of the U.S. Air Force’s 223rd and final C-17 Globemaster III. Service officials took delivery of the aircraft on Sept. 12 during a ceremony at Boeing’s assembly plant in Long Beach, Calif. The C-17 aircraft is exclusively powered by four Pratt & Whitney F117 engines.
„We congratulate the Boeing team on successfully delivering the 223rd C-17 to the U.S. Air Force,” said Bennett Croswell, president, Military Engines at Pratt & Whitney. „This versatile aircraft is vital in supporting worldwide airlift missions that transport troops and supplies globally and bringing aid to those in need during humanitarian crises. We are extremely proud to play a role on the program and look forward to continuing to work closely with Boeing and the Air Force to support the program and continue delivering engines for C-17 international customers for years to come.”
Pratt & Whitney will continue delivering spare F117 engines to the U.S. Air Force and production engines to international customers, including India’s order for 10 C-17s. In addition, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney are in discussions with several customers, including current C-17 operators as well as potential new operators. The company is hopeful production of F117 engines will continue out to the middle of the decade and potentially beyond.
Pratt & Whitney has delivered more than 1,200 F117 engines. Each engine on the C-17 is rated at 40,440 pounds of thrust which enables the aircraft to carry a payload of 164,900 pounds and fly 2,400 nautical miles without refueling. The F117 first entered service in 1993 and is a derivative of Pratt & Whitney’s PW2040 commercial engine. With more than 10 million hours of proven military service and 50 million hours in commercial use, the F117/PW2040 has consistently proven itself as a world-class dependable engine. Through Pratt & Whitney’s ongoing investment in product improvements, the engine continuously surpasses established goals of time on wing and support turnaround time.
The U.S. Air Force – including active National Guard and Reserve units – flies the C-17. Other customers include the United Kingdom’s Royal Air Force, the Qatar Emiri Air Force, the Canadian Air Force, the Royal Australian Air Force, the 12-member Strategic Airlift Capability initiative of NATO and Partnership for Peace nations, the United Arab Emirates Air Force and Air Defence, and Indian Air Force. Boeing has delivered more than 250 C-17s to customers worldwide.
Source / Author: Pratt & Whitney