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www.HartfordBusiness.com November 26, 2012 • Hartford Business Journal 33 Celebrating 20 Years of Business News TECHNOLOGY 20 Years of W hen the Hartford Business Jour- nal was printing its first issue, the engineers at Pratt & Whitney were beginning the process of developing new game-changing disruptive technologies that would one day become part of a jet engine that would reshape the aviation industry. It took 20 years and more than $1 billion to bring the technologies used in the PurePow- er® Geared Turbofan™ family of engines home. It was a bet-the-company proposi- tion that our engineers and management were sure would produce a revolutionary new engine. We truly believed the size of the potential benefits for both our company and for our customers justified this calculated risk, rather than following the safer path of annual incremental improvements. With nearly 3,000 engines on order to date, we're confident we made the right deci- sion. And we expect the revolutionary Pure Power® Geared Turbofan™ engine, the first ultra high bypass jet engine, will be every bit as important — and maybe more important — to the future of Pratt & Whitney than were: The JT3C turbojet engine that powered the Boeing 707, ushering in the modern Jet Age; The JT8D engine, the first low bypass ratio turbofan jet engine that powered the Boeing 727; And the JT9D, the first high bypass ratio turbofan engine that pow- ered the Boeing 747 — the first jumbo jet. When this engine enters service next year, it will deliver a remark- able 16 percent improve- ment in fuel consump- tion. It will also provide: double digit improve- ment in nitrogen-oxide and carbon emissions and, reduce airport noise levels by up to 75 percent compared to today's best- in-class engines. One of its innovations is a gear system that redefines state-of-the- art. It allows the slower- turning fan at the front of the engine and the faster- turning turbine at the rear to run at their optimum speeds. The gear transmits enough horsepower to run a cruiser, yet is the size of an automobile tire — a truly remarkable feat. The people of Pratt & Whitney, a United Technologies Corp. company, believe in devel- oping innovative technologies to differentiate our products and services in the marketplace and provide the best value proposition to our commercial and military customers. The F119 engine, which powers the Lock- heed Martin F-22 Raptor, is another game- changing Pratt & Whitney engine that also has been 20 years in the making. It allows the fighter jet to accelerate to, and maintain, supersonic speed without an afterburner. It is the world's first fifth-generation fighter engine. Pratt & Whitney also delivers F135 engines from its fifth generation production line. The F135 engine shares similar core components with the F119 engine and pow- ers the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. One of its innovations is an engine-powered lift fan that allows the fighter to take off and land vertically. When the lift fan is engaged, it draws nearly 30,000 horsepower from the F135 engine. Recently, the Air Force Research Labora- tory selected Pratt & Whitney to execute the Adaptive Engine Technology Development program to mature critical fuel efficiency technologies and engine design features for use in a sixth generation fighter aircraft. Pratt & Whitney has a long history of inno- vative design. In fact, innovation is a positive force in the world. It supports economic growth and prosperity, and has the potential to change the world for the better. As our founder Frederick Rentschler believed, the best airplane can only be designed around the best engine. We are proud to carry on that tradition of innovation. Alan Epstein is vice president, technology and environment at Pratt & Whitney in East Hartford. Engine innovation keeps the eagle flying "Remembrance" By Alan Epstein Pratt brought decades of engineering experience to its newest generation of turbofans, including the PurePower, for passenger and fighter jets.