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Old 16th Jan 2019, 22:42
  #721 (permalink)  
LowObservable
 
Join Date: Jan 2004
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Ken - May I remind you of basic Internet etiquette: ALL CAPS is shouting. Please stop.

You're right about one thing. Boeing underbid on the initial contract. But let's get things clear: the customer, Gawd bless him, is going to end up paying what it cost to develop the airplane, plus margin, irrespective of the initial price. Boeing will make its money back once the USAF needs support and services and Boeing owns the IP on the commercially certificated baseline aircraft,

As for whether Airbus would have incurred the same delays - we don't know. However, it does seem that a very conscious Boeing decision, post-award, to change the way the KC-46 was built has played a part in the problems. To get the cost closer to the price they'd bid, Boeing decided to build the aircraft at Everett, as the 767-2C, up to the point where the boom and pods (and other things) got bolted on, because commercial manufacture was cheaper. I believe it's been suggested here that some commercial/military standards conflicted.

Also, enough with the red herrings over the cargo floor. Previous MRTTs did not have one. However, by the time the contract for KC-X was awarded, the A330-200F had been in service for a year, so it was not exactly a risk factor.
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