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Air Force Newest Tanker
KC-46A-Today, December 27th, 2014, the winner of the long-fought and highly controversial KC-X contract rumbled out of its parking spot at Boeing's heavy airliner plant in Everett, Washington, and executed a series of taxi tests, including high-speed runs. The wide-body airliner-cum-cargo hauler-cum military aerial refueler should make its first flight very soon, with some rumors stating that it could happen as early as tomorrow. (foxtrotalpha.jalopnik.com) Ещё...
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Really something for a program that Pentagon types were hand wringing on delivery dates and budget jus a couple of weeks ago. I'd say Boeing has just given them a 101 lesson in how to manage a program. I guess it would have been much cheaper and faster if we hadn't had to have so many bells and whistles, better than everybody else. Heaven forbid that some middle eastern country have an equal plane that we have.
Doing high speed taxi tests would say that it could fly today possibly as unless there were some squawks to be taken care of that is about the next step. At Renton they would do one high speed run south then turn around and fly it to BFI. Was fun to watch as you could tell it was a test also of the crew. The thing would sometimes still have the reversers out when making the 180 at the south end under power.
After all the delays, 180 degree turns etc in the procurement process, these aircraft better operate at 100% all of the time.
Kinda telling to me that we are introducing a replacement tanker that had, as an airframe, its first flight over 33 years ago and is being retired from service by at least one airline even as we speak. Me thinks the procurement process is hopelessly askew. This airplane was flying when fans were being hung on 135's in Birmingham in the 80's and 90's and no thought was being given to a replacement then? I guess the upside is there will be plenty of spare parts coming from the retired airline fleet and plenty of repair expertise. And somewhere someone in the military is tootin their horn calling this a banner day due to someone's unerring vision. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but this old calls em like I sees em boy wouldn't call this milestone much of a milestone. Progress, yes. Visionary, no. Go Boeing, if they are sharp enough to buy two generation old technology at list price, sell it to em! OOps, that's my tax dollars. Hummmm.
And you know its all old tech going into this AC and the AC itself is outdated? Think its plenty up to date with new tech going into it and the airframe is proven so your point??
Probably a lot we don't understand about the process. Granted, the airframe has been around since the 80's but all the technology is new. I got to disagree with you on this one bud.
To boot, the technology of the 135's it will replace is out of the 50's with the 707.
Won't disagree on either of your points and I think you know I'm a Boeing fan, so having said that, I think it's a little counter intuitive to replace 50 year old airframe technology with 30 year old airframe technology regardless of whats inside. And the outside is specifically what I am addressing.
Agreed. You remember this was a bid against airbus though. I don't know how good a composite body would be though for a tanker though, and that just leaves the 777, which is 90's tech. Personally, since they already have the KC10's flying, I don't know why the military just didn't go with the 748 to get the most bang for their buck, but then these are the same folks that just now got around to the 737 replacing a prop job for the sub hunting role. Speed of government.
