Williams International

Williams International is a U.S. manufacturer of small gas turbines, based in Walled Lake, Michigan. The company manufactures jet engines for cruise missiles and small jet-propelled aircraft.

History

The company was founded in 1954 by Dr. Sam B. Williams ( born May 7, 1921 in Seattle, † 22 June, 2009 Indian Hills (California ) ) was founded as Williams Research Corporation in Birmingham (Michigan). In 1981, the company was renamed Williams International. Since the 1950s, they built small turbofan engines for cruise missiles and drones.

Using the cruise missile engines Williams developed a series of VTOL vehicles, including a jet-propelled belt in 1969. During the seventies, the company built the Williams Aerial Systems Platform ( WASP ) and in the eighties the X - Jet, which of the Army of the United States was tested.

In the eighties, Williams recognized the need for a small, lightweight jet engine general aviation, to drive a cost-effective private or business aircraft. The company then developed the FJ44, which enabled the introduction of a range of light beam -driven aircraft.

1992 NASA launched its Advanced General Aviation Transport Experiments ( AGATE ) program in which along with the various manufacturers with new technologies should be developed to revitalize the general aviation industry. 1996, Williams took part in this program, a fuel-saving turbofan engine should be even smaller than develop the FJ44. The result was the FJX -2 engine. Williams then closed an agreement with Burt Rutan's company Scaled Composites to construction and development of the Williams V- Jet II a so-called mini- jets to serve as a test carrier and technology demonstrator. The airplane and the engine were presented at the Oshkosh Airshow 1997. The production version of the engine, which is now the name EJ22 (later FJ22 ) wore, was the prototype for the Eclipse 500, which was developed from the V- Jet II, used, but later replaced by a Pratt & Whitney engine.

Products

Among others, are produced:

  • Williams International WR19, used in cruise missiles and drones in
  • Williams International F107, used in a variety of cruise missiles
  • Williams International FJ22, a derivative of the FJX -2; aka EJ -22, for the VLJ market
  • Williams International FJ33, also for the VLJ market
  • Williams International FJ44, produced in collaboration with Rolls- Royce for light business jets
Types of business entity Limited Liability Company Very Light Jet
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