FARNBOROUGH, England,
July 17, 2018 /PRNewswire/ -- Pratt
& Whitney, a division of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX),
today announced it is the exclusive Disruptor Award sponsor of The
GoFly Prize, a global competition to encourage innovators to design
a personal flying device. The goal of The GoFly Prize is to foster
the development of safe, quiet, ultra-compact personal flying
devices capable of near vertical take-off and landing.
As a sponsor, Pratt & Whitney will present the Disruptor
Award, a $100,000 prize, to the team
that is truly innovative, who has gone beyond in developing their
personal flying device for the competition. With the Disruptor
Award, Pratt & Whitney recognizes innovation unmatched by any
other competitor, so that true originality is rewarded. The Pratt
& Whitney Disruptor Award allows for all types of innovations
to be embraced—and it allows the company to recognize innovation
and disruption in its purest sense.
"Encouraging the advancement of flight is a natural fit for our
business," said David Carter, senior
vice president, engineering, Pratt & Whitney. "We have been on
the front lines of innovation for more than 90 years, and we are
excited to see what the participating teams will develop, test and
successfully execute during this competition."
Launched in September 2017, The
GoFly Prize is a two-year competition where teams will leverage
recent advances in propulsion, energy, light-weight materials, and
control and stability systems to make the dream of personal flight
a reality. The competition will award prize money of $2 million to participating teams in a variety of
categories. Teams will build a personal flying device that can be
used by anyone, anywhere.
Participating in this project provides Pratt & Whitney the
opportunity to support the next generation of aviation leaders. As
a sponsor, the company will provide mentors and lecturers to help
teams around the world develop the future of flight. The winner of
the Pratt & Whitney Disruptor Award will be announced at
GoFly's Final Fly-Off event in October
2019.
About Pratt & Whitney
Pratt & Whitney is a
world leader in the design, manufacture and service of aircraft
engines and auxiliary power units. United Technologies Corp., based
in Farmington, Connecticut,
provides high-technology systems and services to the building and
aerospace industries. To learn more about UTC, visit its website at
www.utc.com, or follow the company on Twitter: @UTC.
Pratt &
Whitney
+1 (860) 565-9600
media@pw.utc.com
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SOURCE Pratt & Whitney