Thunder For Lightning

The first series of installed engine runs on the F-35 Lightning II was completed on 18 September, culminating with a full afterburner run of the Pratt & Whitney F135-PW-100 powerplant. The F-35 engine produces 40,000 pounds of thrust, the most thrust ever produced from a jet fighter engine. Nine F135 development engines were run for more than 5,500 hours on test stands prior to the installed test. The F135 was developed from the P&W F119 engine that powers the F-22 Raptor. The engine run milestone kicked off a final series of ground tests in preparation for the F-35 first flight later this year.