Charles Alcock is managing editor of the AIN Media Group, having rejoined the company in 2019. He has been an aviation journalist since 1986, and previously worked for AIN from 1990 to 2017, most recently as editor-in-chief. His main focus is on covering new aviation technology and business models, as well as international news.
Having been raised in the London area, Alcock studied at the University of Manchester in the UK and earned an honors degree in Politics and Modern History. He speaks English and French, and some German.

Managing Editor

Charles Alcock

Aircraft engine maker Pratt &amp; 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 &amp; Whitney Aircraft Company was established after Frederick Rentschler convinced the Pratt &amp; 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.
In 1926, the U.S. Navy approved the 425-hp R-1340 Wasp, ordering 200 units for an early carrier-based aircraft. Over the next 20 years, Pratt &amp; Whitney, which in 1929 had separated from the Machine Tool Company, went on to significantly increase the power ratings of a series of Wasp engines for several warplanes, including hundreds of thousands produced for military use during World War II.
After that conflict, <a href="https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2025-06-14/pratt-whitney-celebrates-100-years-engine-innovation">Pratt &amp; Whitney</a>&nbsp;increasingly focused its attention on the development of jet engine technology, producing one of the world’s first twin-spool gas turbine engines. The company’s J57 and JT3C engines were selected to power new aircraft such as Boeing’s B-52 Stratofortress and 707 airliner, as well as Douglas DC-8 transports.
<h2>Geared Turbofan and Beyond</h2>
Today, Pratt &amp; Whitney’s Geared Turbofan (GTF) engine powers single-aisle airliners including the Airbus A320neo and A220, and Embraer’s E2 family. In the military sector, it produces the F135 engine for Lockheed Martin’s F-35 Lightning II fighter.
In the business aviation sector, the PW800 turbofan shares the same core as the GTF. With thrust ratings ranging from 11,000 to 16,000 pounds, the first three engines in the family power Dassault’s Falcon 6X, and Gulfstream’s G500 and G600 models.
The PW600 engine family, with thrust ratings of between 900 and 3,000 pounds, is deployed on the Eclipse 500, Cessna’s Citation Mustang, and the Embraer Phenom 100. With thrust ratings of between 2,900 pounds and 8,000 pounds, the PW300 and PW500 turbofan families are in service with jets including the Citation Ultra Encore, Bravo, Excel, XLS, Sovereign, and Latitude, as well as the Falcon 7X and 8X and the Phenom 300.
“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,” said Pratt &amp; Whitney president Shane Eddy. “Leveraging the unrivaled 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.”

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