History of Pratt & Whitney Engines

Abstract – A historical summary of P&W as it entered the Jet Age at the end of WW2, continuing to the present. The innovations in Design, Aerodynamics, and Materials that fueled the transition from a non-participant to a dominant position as one of the three companies in the world capable of creating a highly efficient, high performance turbofan engine.

Speaker – Michael G. McCaffrey, P.E.  - Pratt & Whitney (Retired)

Retired as Senior Technical Fellow specializing in Turbine Systems Design

Bio – Mike recently retired after 41 years working at Pratt & Whitney. His last role was Senior Fellow specializing in Turbine Systems Design. He has a BSME and MSME from RPI. He is married to Laura, a finance Controller, and has two sons, Will and Tim, both engineers. His career spanned the JT8D-219 and the FT8, the development and certification of the PW4000, the F119 and JSF119-CDA programs, the HPW3000/T900 programs and multiple advanced technology demonstration programs. He is a prolific inventor with 194 US Patents, ranging in subjects from component design and testing using Ceramic Matrix Composites and Monolithic Ceramics, Variable Area Turbines, Passive and Active Clearance Control systems, unique design features and secondary flow elements. Mike is a mentor to several younger engineers, and continues to share his experiences and the history of P&W.