The F-22 will incorporate Pratt & Whitney's new F119-PW-100 engine. Designed for efficient supersonic operation without afterburner use and with increased durability over today's engines, the F119 is a very high thrust-to-weight ratio engine.
Advanced technologies in the F119 include integrated flight-propulsion controls and two-dimensional, thrust-vectoring engine nozzles.
The F119 incorporates technology advances developed and verified in joint U.S. Air Force/Pratt &Whitney research programs and for other advanced fighter engines.
It was designed using the "integrated product development" approach to ensure a balance between performance, safety and reliability, maintainability and low life-cycle cost. In addition, it has significantly fewer and more durable components than previous fighter engines.
Thrust vectoring
The F119 engine develops more than twice the thrust of current engines under supersonic conditions and more thrust without afterburner than conventional engines with afterburner.
Each F-22 will be powered by two of these 35,000-pound-thrust-class engines. By comparison, the engines powering the Air Force's current F-15 and F-16 fighters have thrust ratings ranging from 23,000 to 29,000 pounds.
Jet engines achieve additional thrust by directly injecting fuel at the engine exhaust. The process, called afterburner, gives the aircraft a rocket-like boost as the fuel ignites in the exhaust chamber.
The tradeoff is higher fuel consumption, a greater amount of heat and consequently, greater visibility to the enemy.
The F119 can push the F-22 to supersonic speeds above Mach 1.4 even without the use of afterburner, which gives the fighter a greater operating range and allows for stealthier flight operation.
The product of more than 40 years' research into high-speed propulsion systems, the F119 is proof that high-technology doesn't have to be complicated.
Special Features
Information from the web sites of Lockheed Martin, Boeing and Pratt & Whitney were used in this story.