Originally Posted by
Commando Cody
I don't think the SB-1 is going to be a year behind the V-280. They've simply said they're going to be late (as was the X2 and the S-97) and not meet the schedule (ditto). If they're going to be a year behind, that means that they won't be able to fly until after the demo program is supposed to conclude, they might as well hang it up and the gov't shouldn't put any more taxpayer money into it.
Based on the limited information released to the public regarding SB>1 schedule status, it is impossible to guess with any certainty when they will fly next year.
But having worked in aerospace for 40 years I can recognize the pattern of a program that doesn't have control of their ability to perform to a schedule.
The SB team waited until they were just 6 months before promised first flight date before announcing to the public they were half a year (or more) behind schedule. Once a program has to slip a schedule to this degree so late in the program, another major slip is more than likely going to occur.
Personally as an engineer I wanted the SB>1 to fly when promised. It would have been great to have both aircraft flying in "competition" at the same time.
But I am also of the opinion that SB>1 management may have some of the same attitude as big banks before 2008: "We are to big to fail". So not performing to schedule commitments is no big deal.