East Hartford jet-engine maker Pratt & Whitney said its engine for the proposed F-35 Lightning II powered a successful landing of the fighter.
Pratt said the demonstration flight for the short takeoff/vertical landing version of the Lightning II took place at the Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md.,
“Years of dedicated hard work by the men and women of Pratt & Whitney, Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin, and the F-35 Joint Program Office, along with our sister company, Hamilton Sundstrand, have gone into successful completion of this historic milestone,” said Warren Boley, Vice President of F135 engine programs.
The plane, designed and built by Lockheed Martin, is undergoing close scrutiny from the Pentagon and other critics who contend the Lightning II program is a victim of mushrooming costs.
