Pratt & Whitney Wasp Engine Named Latest ASME Landmark

(Left to right) ASME President Julio Guerrero, Pratt & Whitney retiree Bud Lewis, and Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc at the ASME landmark ceremony at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn. Lewis worked on the Wasp engine in the 1940s.

Pratt & Whitney’s R-1340 Wasp radial engine was recognized by ASME for its technical significance in engineering and aviation on May 4 when the Society designated it as a Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmark at a ceremony held at the New England Air Museum in Windsor Locks, Conn.

The designation ceremony drew a crowd of approximately 100 people, including Pratt & Whitney executives, members of the ASME Hartford Section executive committee, Lee Langston of the ASME History and Heritage Committee, and ASME President Julio Guerrero, who presented the ASME landmark plaque to Pratt & Whitney President Bob Leduc.

The Wasp engine is one of nearly 260 technological innovations from around the world to be designated as an ASME landmark. The Pratt & Whitney Wasp R-1340 engine, which was the first engine designed and built by the company after it was founded in 1925, was a significant improvement to the radial aircraft engine design, making commercial aviation viable as early as the 1920s. The engine was used to power U.S. military aircraft and played a key role in the nation’s defense and in the Allied victory in World War II.

The ASME landmark plaque that was presented during the ceremony. The plaque will be placed next to one of the Wasp engines on display at the New England Air Museum.

The R-1340 Wasp was the first in a series of Wasp engines, which included the Twin Wasp, the Wasp Junior, the Double Wasp and the Wasp Major, powering dozens of aircraft. Between 1926 and 1960, Pratt & Whitney produced nearly 35,000 R-1340 Wasp A radial engines for approximately 100 different aircraft models. Each engine generated between 425 and 600 horsepower.

“The Wasp engine is a most deserving addition to ASME’s roster of mechanical engineering landmarks,” President Guerrero said.“The Wasp engine is an integral part of the proud legacy of one of the world’s leading technology firms, while also playing a role in the progress of commercial aviation.”

For more information on the ASME Historic Mechanical Engineering Landmarks Program, and to see the complete list of ASME landmarks, visit www.asme.org/about-asme/who-we-are/engineering-history/landmarks.