90th anniversary of Pratt and Whitney

F. B. Rentschler, formerly of Wright Aeronautical and engineer George Mead, also of Wright, who was designing a new radial engine at the time had contacts at Niles Bement Pond (at the time one of the largest toolmaking companies in the world) who owned the machine tool company of Pratt and Whitney. Rentschler convinced the company to fund the development at Pratt and Whitney and so the new airplane engine company was born. The first engine, the "Wasp" was completed on Christmas eve of 1925.