Category: Aviation

Israeli Air Force Test-Flies T-50 Jet

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Israel has neglected its trainers for a while, I think that their Fouga Magisters were retired as primary trainers only a few years ago, and that they still use the A-4 Skyhawk as an advanced trainer, so it comes as no surprise that the IAF has done some test flights in the supersonic T-50 trainer.

They are also looking at the BAE Hawk and the (also supersonic, but barely) Aermacchi M-346, which ironically started as a Russian design.

Still, it’s $25 million a pop for the T-50….Great googly moogly.

Boeings Airborne Laser Takes Shots

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I would note, however that these were nowhere near full power, and the program has been dropped from the 2010 budget anyway.

During the test, the modified Boeing 747-400F aircraft took off from Edwards Air Force Base and used its infrared sensors to find a target missile launched from San Nicholas Island, Calif. The Boeing-developed battle management system aboard ABL then issued engagement and target location instructions to the beam control/fire control system, which acquired the target and fired its two solid-state illuminator lasers to track the target and measure atmospheric conditions. ABL then fired a surrogate high-energy laser at the target, simulating a missile intercept. Instrumentation on the target verified that the surrogate high-energy laser hit the target.

(emphasis mine)

I think that this program is a dead end for a number of reasons, the defense draw-down, the rise of the UAV, and the fact that there have been significant advances in high energy solid-state lasers, which makes the chemical technology used by the ABL an expensive, and highly toxic, relic.

Marine Corps Downselects to 2 Unmanned Cargo helos

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The Marine Corps is looking for a UAV cargo carrier that can handle the rigors of operation in Afghanistan, and the Boeing A-160T Hummingbird and the Kaman K-MAX. (paid subscription required)

The goal is to be able to carry 750-1000 lbs at a density altitude in excess of 12,000 feet.

Boeing probably has the edge on UAV operations, though Kaman’s partnership with Lockheed-Martin may close the gap on this, but the K-Max has a lot more in the way of flight hours under harsh conditions, both in firefighting and logging operations.

I lean toward Kaman, because with a twin main rotor design, it may handle better in high altitudes, like the Hindu Kush.

787 Wings Worse Than Thought

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So, we have some more details on just how screwed up the Boeing 787 wing is.

Not only is there delamination in the wing, but it appears that they have the same sort of problem on the wingbox, opposite the attachment bulkhead body fixture.

As you can see from the pictures, the geometry there appears to be a read-made pull test machine. I’m not a composites guy, but this is really really ugly work, and the idea that they did not experimentally verify this joint before assembling aircraft just buggers the mind.

I would also note that the problem is with two different vendors and the interface across the fastening fixture, and their geometry, and their fix, appears to be identical, so the finger of blame points back squarely to Boeing, and not their “partners”.

As Sure as Death and Taxes

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Is the fact that a high profile indigenously developed defense system developed by the Indian military defense establishment will be completely fracked.

In this case, we are talking about the Tejas light combat aircraft, where we are seeing delays in developing its radar and other avionics, and the Indian Air Force has just rejected a joint venture with Snecma do develop the Kaveri engine, which has been in development for the small fighter for over two decades.

Seriously, the Indians have the US beat hands down in the dysfunctional defense procurement apparatus department.

This is an Unalloyed Good Thing

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The Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee has voted to require airlines to allow passengers to deplane if the flights are held on the tarmac for more than 3 hours.

The measure is attached to a $34.6 billion FAA authorization bill.

The airlines are complaining that they do not want to lose the flexibility, but these long stays are most often about not having to put up passengers in hotels or paying for meals.

F$#@ the airlines.

Senate Kills F-22

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Amendment approving it being stripped from the Defense Appropriations Bill passes passes 58-40.

I’m with SecDef Bob Gates on this. The push behind this is to have the USAF be able to achieve air supremacy against any potential future foe, and the costs end up killing men on the ground, and citizens in the streets, now.

We still maintain the ability to achieve air superiority against any potential future foe, and air supremacy against any probable opponent, and it saves money for better readiness in a counter-insurgency scenarios that are the most likely future conflicts for the next ¼ century.

Additionally, it frees up money to provide for things like vaccinating and educating our children.

The F-22 was about ensuring that in the worst possible conflict the USAF would be at virtually no risk of air to air casualties, at the expense of everyone else.

While that might be nice for the fighter jocks, the marginal utility of air supremacy vs air superiority means very little to the guy on the ground, or the tax-payer.

Sikorsky X2 Flying with Propulsor on

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The X2 advancing blade helicopter has returned to flight, and this time, the propulsor is hooked up.

It only reached 52 kts in its initial flights around the end of last month, but Sikorsky is hoping to reach 250 kts by the end of the year.

So far, there have been no game stoppers, and, unlike its ABC helicopter predecessor from the 1970s, vibrations appear to be very low.

I would assume that at some point, they will be adding some sort of shroud on the rotor masts to reduce drag a bit.

The JSF Engine War

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Desert Storm air commander, retired General Chuck Horner, makes some very good points as to why we should continue to fund the F136 alternate engine, though the obvious caveat is that he is consulting with GE, who is a part of the F136 team.

Basically, he recites a litany of problems, both from when he was commanding squadrons, and issues with the Saudi Air Force, where the Pratt & Whitney was unresponsive to customer concerns, and their F100 engine was unreliable and over priced, and whenever the competing GE F110 came up, the problems got fixed.

I recall reading about problems with the engine, and how it led to the USAF to fund development of the F110, then called the F101-DFE (Derivative Fighter Engine).

There were problems with reliability, price, and support that were fixed very quickly once there was a competitor on the horizon.

It appears to me that the F135 engine for the JSF is headed down the same path, we have P&W going though a number of cost cutting initiatives, promising that the engine will fall in price, while the manufacturer is saying that the cost savings as production ramps up may not meet expectations.

Much of the fair back from the Pentagon is, I think directed about getting copies of the F-35 JSF made now, and to hell with future operating costs.

The budget item for continuing development this year is small, about ½ billion, or less than the cost of 3 full aircraft, and promises real savings, and performance improvements, in the future.

BTW, as to nonsensical arguments against the F136 engine, we have CNO Gary Roughead saying that having two engines would be too much of a burden on a carrier, despite the fact that just for the fighters, there were 4 separate engines in the 1990s on carriers, the F404 for the F/A-18 C/D, the F414 for the F/A-18 E/F, the TF30 for the F-14 A, and the F110 for the F-14 D.

Additionally, the S-3 was still being deployed with the TF34 engine.

By the time that the F-35 enters naval service, there would be two types of fighters on deck, and either 2 or 3 engines, which would be a lower logistical load.

Gripen and Super-Bug Go With Local Manufacturers to Win Brazil Competition

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Boeing is taking the more conventional route, with the company
looking for manufacturers of components for the F/A-18 E/F, while Saab is offering to move as much as ½ of its production for the Gripen, along with a significant partnership in marketing and development.

I think that the Gripen is at a disadvantage here. First, the aircraft will have to operate over large inhospitable stretches of the Amazon rain forest, which would favor a two engined design, and second, the G/A-18, along with the Rafale, can be operated from Brazil’s aircraft carrier, but it’s clear that Saab is considers this order crucial to the continued existence of the program, and so it is moving very aggressively to win this competition.

Is the Pentagon Actively Working to Sabotage Indian Gripen Bid?

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The story is that SAAB went to Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) looking for a partnership on on developing its Gripen NG, and that the US Government forced IAI to pull out, claiming, “That Western technology in Israeli hands would make its way to the Indians.”

IAI was supposed to develop, “radar, communications and electronic-warfare – for the plane.” (See also here

According to Flight International, SAAB has stated that, “Israel was one of several options“, for the radar, though a report by Defense News categorically denies the report:

“Our AESA focus is on our partnership with Selex Galileo, which we reached in March,” a Saab spokesman said. “Together, we will jointly develop a new radar based on Selex’s AESA Vixen and PS-05/A technologies. Saab is not involved in other AESA programs.”

I’m inclined to believe that the reality falls somewhere in between.

SAAB already has a deal with Selex on the radar, and going with a second source at this time would be a major drain on resources, but the use of Israeli comm and ECM gear, particularly the latter, would be a very big selling point.

I would note that there is some history behind this that leads me to believe that there was some US arm twisting regarding the Israelis on something, because when the Gripen was sold to South Africa some years back, the US blocked the sale on “technology transfer” issues, the South African government decertified all the US bidders on all its defense programs, and State/DoD backed down, so South Africa is now flying Gripens.

Additionally, this could be a bit of marketing by the SAAB and IAI: I can see nothing that would more infuriate the Indian defens(c)e establishment than the idea that the US was refusing tech transfers to them, and such a meme would disadvantage the American competitors, the F/A-18 E/F and the F-16 IN (basically a block 60).

Lawsuit Alleges Faulty Stealth Coatings on F-22

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Darrol Olsen alleges that Lockheed-Martin covered up problems with the stealth coatings on the F-22. (See also here.)

Considering this guy’s pedigree, he worked on stealth coatings for the F-117 and B-2, and the considerable problems that the F-22 has had with its stealth coatings, it’s readiness and maintenance requirements have underperformed, I’m inclined to believe that there is some merit in the lawsuit.

My guess is that LM will eventually settle with him, and we will hear no more of this.