100,000th Pratt & Whitney Aircraft engine in 1943...

[Mark Allen M]

... looks to have been a 2,000 h.p. double wasp. Not sure if this display was set up at the East Hartford, Connecticut location or elsewhere.

Photos: Ralph Morse - LIFE Collections


























Stated the Corsair was "F4U-1A 55824 MBDAG-41 (MCAS Santa Ana)"

[phil65]

We have one here at the test facility in Middletown, Ct.



A few other engine examples in other parts of the plant.

Phil

Last edited by phil65 on Sun Oct 02, 2016 11:17 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Randy Wilson]

According to this https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1144&dat=19431006&id=KcwaAAAAIBAJ&sjid=jUwEAAAAIBAJ&pg=4698,5608532&hl=en
it seems to be September 24, 1943 in East Harford.

Note the "Wasp Major" (R-4360) under covers.

Randy

[Mike Banks]

I wish they still did stuff like this at Pratt.....What an amazing display! I cant imagine them dragging an F135 or F119 out onto the old runway for a photo shoot! We were lucky enough to have a V22 visit a few years back. So cool! I'm certainly going to share these with the guys at work.

[therealJR]

The man in the suit standing behind the microphone is Fred Rentschler. He set up Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in July 1925.

[CoastieJohn]

I noticed the display aircraft have what looks like spray can numbers put on the engine cowling. I wonder why they did that?

[phil65]

I think that's the way they left the factory. We still sharpie every commercial engines serial number on the side of the fancace.

[JohnB]

The PBY looks like the engines have been slinging oil....

[menards]

The wasp major was still "classified" at this point....(a joke)...

[exhaustgases]

They manufactured some nice stuff back then, and all with manual or semi automatic machine tools. Not one CNC at that time. The quality is amazing in the old aircraft engines. I guess that is why some are still flying. Thanks for the pictures.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Great shots! Thanks for sharing!

[phil65]