Engines
Pratt & Whitney Plots Next Century of Aircraft Engines
The prolific U.S. aircraft engine manufacturer was formed in July 1925
Pratt & Whitney founder Frederick B. Rentschler in front of his Wasp-engined Vought O2U Corsair
Pratt & Whitney founder Frederick Rentschler is pictured in front of his Wasp-engined Vought O2U Corsair.

Aircraft engine maker Pratt & Whitney is celebrating its 100th anniversary today, having entered the market with its R-1340 Wasp radial engine in 1925. The company, which is now part of the RTX aerospace and defense group, has more than 90,000 engines in service worldwide on a variety of airplanes and helicopters.

Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company was established after Frederick Rentschler convinced the Pratt & Whitney Machine Tool Company to back his plans to develop much lighter engines for future aircraft. He had served in the U.S. Army during World War I, overseeing inspections of Hispano-Suiza aircraft engines before becoming president of Wright Aeronautical, which declined to pursue his plans for new propulsion technology.

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