Pratt & Whitney F119

Pratt & Whitney F119. The F119 is an advanced afterburning turbofan engine developed for the United States Air Force's Advanced Tactical Fighter (ATF) program. It is the powerplant for the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor, providing the supercruise capability and thrust vectoring essential for the aircraft's air superiority role. The engine represents a significant leap in propulsion technology, emphasizing reliability, maintainability, and performance over previous designs like the Pratt & Whitney F100.

Development and design

The development of the engine was initiated under the Advanced Tactical Fighter program, a competition in the 1980s that also involved General Electric and its YF120 engine. Pratt & Whitney leveraged experience from the F100 and PW1000G families to create a new core. Key design goals included achieving supercruise—sustained supersonic flight without afterburner—and incorporating thrust vectoring for enhanced maneuverability. The design features a low bypass ratio, advanced turbine materials, and a two-dimensional vector nozzle that can pitch the exhaust up or down. The Integrated High Performance Turbine Engine Technology (IHPTET) program contributed significantly to the technologies used in the compressor and combustor sections.

Operational history

The engine entered operational service with the United States Air Force upon the introduction of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor in December 2005. It has powered the F-22 Raptor exclusively throughout its career, forming the cornerstone of American air dominance. The engine's reliability has been a noted improvement over previous fighter powerplants, though operations have been impacted by issues related to the F-22 Raptor's On-Board Oxygen Generation System. The fleet has been deployed in various exercises and theaters, including rotations to Kadena Air Base in Japan and Al Dhafra Air Base in the United Arab Emirates.

Variants

The primary production variant is the F119-PW-100, which powers all operational F-22 Raptor aircraft. A demonstrator variant, used during the Advanced Tactical Fighter fly-off between the Lockheed YF-22 and Northrop YF-23, was designated the YF119-PW-100. The core technologies and design philosophy of the engine were directly evolved into the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine, which powers the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. No other major variants were produced, as the United States Department of Defense selected the F119 design over the competing General Electric YF120.

Specifications (F119-PW-100)

* Type: Afterburning turbofan * Length: 203 in (5.16 m) * Diameter: 46 in (1.17 m) inlet * Dry weight: 3,900 lb (1,770 kg) * Components: ** Compressor: 3-stage fan, 6-stage high-pressure compressor ** Combustors: Annular ** Turbine: 1-stage high-pressure turbine, 1-stage low-pressure turbine * Performance: ** Maximum thrust: 35,000 lbf (156 kN) class with afterburner ** Overall pressure ratio: ~26:1 ** Bypass ratio: ~0.30:1 ** Thrust-to-weight ratio: ~9:1 (with afterburner)

Applications

The sole application of the engine is the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor. It was designed specifically for this fifth-generation jet fighter and is integral to its performance characteristics, including stealth technology, supercruise, and high-angle-of-attack flight. The engine is not used on any other aircraft, though its technological legacy continues in the Pratt & Whitney F135 engine for the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II.

Category:Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines Category:Turbofan engines Category:Military aircraft engines of the United States