With my article on aircraft engines, I decided to write about the Pratt and Whitney F-135 turbo jet engine. In this article I will discuss the power capabilities of the engine. What you can and cannot do in relation to your performance. I will also talk about who makes that particular engine and what that has to do with the government. And finally, I will talk about what aircraft is used and where the idea came from. The Pratt and Whitney aircraft company is a long-established company in the field of aviation. About two years ago they came out with the F-135 engine for use in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. Figure 1 www.militaryparitet.com F-135 Pictured above is the Pratt and Whitney F-135 engine as it prepares to be loaded into the aft fuselage of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. This particular engine has the same basic stages as any other jet engine. What are the intake section, the compression section, the combustion section and finally the exhaust section. Each of these sections has its own responsibility and plays an important role in the performance of the aircraft. Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 Augmented Turbofan • Type: Twin-shaft turbofan with low bypass ratio and afterburning • Bypass ratio: 0.2:1 • Low-pressure compressor: Three-stage fan • High-pressure compressor: 6-stage axial flow compressor • Burner: “floating wall” through-flow annular combustor • Turbine: double counter-rotating coil, single-stage high-pressure axial turbine, single-stage axial low-pressure turbine • Exhaust: converging afterburner jet tube, nozzle variable area divergent secondary, with 3-bearing swivel arrangement. • Thrust rating: 40,000 lbs. thrust class with afterburner• Maximum military power (without afterburner): approximately 30,000 lbs. of thrust • Weight: 3,750 lbs • Thrust/weight: 10.5:1 • Air mass flow: approximately 200 lbs/sec • Overall pressure ratio: approximately 30:1 • Maximum turbine inlet temperature: 2,800 F+ • Specific fuel consumption: 0.70 lb/lbt/hr (dry), 2.0 lb/lbt/hr (with afterburner) (TurboKart.com). Directly from the Turbo Kart site I found the specifications of the F-135 jet engine. They examine in detail what the capabilities of the F-135 engine can do. This specific engine was made for use in the F-35 fighter aircraft program. Lockheed Martin wanted to ensure it had all the equipment needed to perform up to standards. With recent developments, however, the F-35 project has been put on hold due to engine problems.