FSTA Updates
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An air engineer would need a significantly longer PET course than a navigator from any background.
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BEagle: ref the Italians - I think the answer is 'almost', sort of, 5 years late and counting:
UPDATE 3-Two Boeing tankers finally heading to Italy | Reuters
The "NewGen Tanker" looks like another hybrid: wing and fuselage from the 767-200 (but modified wings), the cargo door and floor from the 767-300F and the cockpit from the 767-400ER with 787 displays.
UPDATE 3-Two Boeing tankers finally heading to Italy | Reuters
The "NewGen Tanker" looks like another hybrid: wing and fuselage from the 767-200 (but modified wings), the cargo door and floor from the 767-300F and the cockpit from the 767-400ER with 787 displays.
Indeed, mate:
And build it within the promised time frame!
(PS - Please check your Hotmail!)
Robbin Laird, co-founder of the Second Line of Defense aerospace Website, said he was troubled about Boeing's decision to delay delivery of the second batch of refueling planes.
"If you've really solved the problems, you could deliver all four tankers," Laird said, questioning when Italy would be able to use the first two planes to bring fuel to fighter planes.
"If they want to build the tanker for the U.S. Air Force, they should be able to demonstrate that they can build a relatively simple tanker for the Italians," Laird said.
"If you've really solved the problems, you could deliver all four tankers," Laird said, questioning when Italy would be able to use the first two planes to bring fuel to fighter planes.
"If they want to build the tanker for the U.S. Air Force, they should be able to demonstrate that they can build a relatively simple tanker for the Italians," Laird said.
(PS - Please check your Hotmail!)
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
And following on from the Spanish certification.
Defense News: Australia Certifies A330-based Tanker Aircraft
EADS officials confirmed Oct. 7 that the company's Airbus A330-based refueling aircraft built for the Royal Australian Air Force has been certified by the Australian government to operate as a military tanker.
Tying this milestone for the EADS A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to the U.S. Air Force's $35 billion KC-X contest, EADS officials said in an announcement, "The EADS North America KC-45 is the only modern tanker/transport in the U.S. tanker competition that is flying today, certified for military operations and meets U.S. Air Force refueling requirements."......
Defense News: Australia Certifies A330-based Tanker Aircraft
EADS officials confirmed Oct. 7 that the company's Airbus A330-based refueling aircraft built for the Royal Australian Air Force has been certified by the Australian government to operate as a military tanker.
Tying this milestone for the EADS A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) to the U.S. Air Force's $35 billion KC-X contest, EADS officials said in an announcement, "The EADS North America KC-45 is the only modern tanker/transport in the U.S. tanker competition that is flying today, certified for military operations and meets U.S. Air Force refueling requirements."......
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Project of Concern...
KC-30 remains on Projects of Concern list, AP-3C ESM added | Australian Aviation Magazine
Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare have added the AP-3C Orion’s Air 5276 Phase 8B ESM upgrade program to the list of ‘Projects of Concern’, while Project Air 5402 to acquire five Airbus Military KC-30 tanker/transports remains on the list, despite the aircraft recently gaining Spanish military certification.
Air 5402 is running more than 18 months late, with the main focus of the project now on addressing further schedule risk, and to keep working with contractor Airbus Military to ensure delivery and acceptance of the first two aircraft by the end of the year.
“I toured the aircraft conversion centre in Brisbane last week and was briefed on progress,” said Minister Clare. “Our focus is now on working with Airbus Military in Spain on developmental activities to support timely completion of testing and supporting activities.”
Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Defence Materiel Minister Jason Clare have added the AP-3C Orion’s Air 5276 Phase 8B ESM upgrade program to the list of ‘Projects of Concern’, while Project Air 5402 to acquire five Airbus Military KC-30 tanker/transports remains on the list, despite the aircraft recently gaining Spanish military certification.
Air 5402 is running more than 18 months late, with the main focus of the project now on addressing further schedule risk, and to keep working with contractor Airbus Military to ensure delivery and acceptance of the first two aircraft by the end of the year.
“I toured the aircraft conversion centre in Brisbane last week and was briefed on progress,” said Minister Clare. “Our focus is now on working with Airbus Military in Spain on developmental activities to support timely completion of testing and supporting activities.”
I thought Beags and others might be encouraged by this from Airbus Mil
The first A330 MRTT Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the RAF with both its underwing pods and fuselage refuelling unit
(FRU) deployed simultaneously. The photo was taken from a Spanish Air Force F-18 during a handling qualities flight as the FSTA
nears civil and military certification.
Two FSTAs are flying, and the first is on schedule to transfer to the UK in the second quarter 2011 to begin qualification flights
with receiver aircraft, leading to first delivery towards the end of the year.
airsound
The first A330 MRTT Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the RAF with both its underwing pods and fuselage refuelling unit
(FRU) deployed simultaneously. The photo was taken from a Spanish Air Force F-18 during a handling qualities flight as the FSTA
nears civil and military certification.
Two FSTAs are flying, and the first is on schedule to transfer to the UK in the second quarter 2011 to begin qualification flights
with receiver aircraft, leading to first delivery towards the end of the year.
airsound
Nice piccy! Thanks, Airsound!
The hoses obviously trail OK and the jet flies nicely. But how goes the mission system, eh chaps? Hmmm???
The hoses obviously trail OK and the jet flies nicely. But how goes the mission system, eh chaps? Hmmm???
Not being a tankertrashnav (but rather a trukkietrashnav) I don't really know much about things like turbulence around drogues behind big hairyoplanes. But is there anything to be read into the apparent smooth, straight looks of the hoses in the pic?
airsound
airsound
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Baskets are always steady until you're about to prod - from then on it's either akin to pushing wet spaghetti into a cat's arse, or taking a flying frack at a rolling donut....
But is there anything to be read into the apparent smooth, straight looks of the hoses in the pic?
Whereas the POS wing hoses which Ol' Bubba Boeing tried to fit to the Italian KC-767I never really did learn to 'straighten up and fly right' - hence Cobham, not Smiths, will now be the supplier for KC-46A wing pods. Any problems which arise from the installation are likely to be fixed quickly - because Cobham has years of expertise in this area.
And the Italian jets will also now be fitted with Cobham wing pods, I understand!
Nope, I mean synergy. When the interaction of two or more components is such that their combined effect is greater than their mere sum.
A gyrocompass is a classic example of a synergistic device, as is GPS/LINS.
I don't do overarching blue water thinking, or bring out of the box imagineering to the table.....
A gyrocompass is a classic example of a synergistic device, as is GPS/LINS.
I don't do overarching blue water thinking, or bring out of the box imagineering to the table.....
Beags - I was quite impressed with 'nutation' as well as 'synergy'. But anyway, I spose Cobham have been at it a while - 1930s if memory serves.
I have to say, 27mm, that I'm slightly wallowing in a small morass of indecision over which to choose, the cat or the doughnut.
Anyway, thanks for the answers, folks.
Since one of the Brize departures comes over my house, I'm looking forward to seeing the beast - and possibly hearing a little less noise than lovely old Vickie makes.
airsound
I have to say, 27mm, that I'm slightly wallowing in a small morass of indecision over which to choose, the cat or the doughnut.
Anyway, thanks for the answers, folks.
Since one of the Brize departures comes over my house, I'm looking forward to seeing the beast - and possibly hearing a little less noise than lovely old Vickie makes.
airsound
I was quite impressed with 'nutation' as well as 'synergy'
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Airbus Military A330 MRTT FSTA for UK RAF awarded certification.
At last! 
Airbus Military has obtained military and civil certification for the Future Strategic Transport Aircraft (FSTA) version of the A330 MRTT for the Royal Air Force of the United Kingdom. This paves the way for first delivery of the aircraft to the RAF in the coming weeks.
The initial configuration which will enter service, and which is covered by the certification, is the two-point aircraft with hose-and-drogue refuelling pods under each wing. The three-point configuration, which also includes a centreline Fuselage Refuelling Unit (FRU will be certified at a later date as contracted.
Ecce Homo! Loquitur...
Thread Starter
Defense News: France Eyes Public-Private Lease for Tanker
PARIS - The French government is leaning toward a public-private partnership (PPP) lease deal to acquire a fleet of 14 multirole tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft, a Defense Ministry official said Sept. 29.
Talks are being held on the basis of a lease and a traditional purchase, said Hughes Bied-Charreton, director of financial affairs for the secretary-general for the administration. With a PPP, lease payments would smooth out and help absorb the MRTT acquisition cost, he said. A decision could be made earlier, but an order would not be made before 2013, which would mean a tight timetable for delivery in 2017, Bied-Charreton said.
The French Air Force is keen to acquire the new aircraft because the fleet of Boeing C-135 FR tankers is about 40 years old. The tanker acquisition could cost 2.4 billion euros ($3.26 billion), at a unit price of 175 million euros, based on Australian and British purchases of the Airbus A330 MRTT, according to the business magazine Challenges.
The Libya campaign showed that in-flight refueling was a French capability gap because of the age of the fleet, Adm. Edouard Guillaud, the chief of the Defense Staff, told the summer defense university conference.
France has been discussing, as a temporary measure, a pooling of the 14-strong fleet of A330 MRTT jets acquired under lease for the British Royal Air Force's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program. The A330 MRTT is a military conversion of the A330 commercial airliner, which this year lost to Boeing in the U.S. Air Force's KC-X replacement program.
PARIS - The French government is leaning toward a public-private partnership (PPP) lease deal to acquire a fleet of 14 multirole tanker transport (MRTT) aircraft, a Defense Ministry official said Sept. 29.
Talks are being held on the basis of a lease and a traditional purchase, said Hughes Bied-Charreton, director of financial affairs for the secretary-general for the administration. With a PPP, lease payments would smooth out and help absorb the MRTT acquisition cost, he said. A decision could be made earlier, but an order would not be made before 2013, which would mean a tight timetable for delivery in 2017, Bied-Charreton said.
The French Air Force is keen to acquire the new aircraft because the fleet of Boeing C-135 FR tankers is about 40 years old. The tanker acquisition could cost 2.4 billion euros ($3.26 billion), at a unit price of 175 million euros, based on Australian and British purchases of the Airbus A330 MRTT, according to the business magazine Challenges.
The Libya campaign showed that in-flight refueling was a French capability gap because of the age of the fleet, Adm. Edouard Guillaud, the chief of the Defense Staff, told the summer defense university conference.
France has been discussing, as a temporary measure, a pooling of the 14-strong fleet of A330 MRTT jets acquired under lease for the British Royal Air Force's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft program. The A330 MRTT is a military conversion of the A330 commercial airliner, which this year lost to Boeing in the U.S. Air Force's KC-X replacement program.
"pooling" is an interesting choice of verb. Is the FAF hoping to lease some of the aircraft, base them in France, and fly them with FAF crews within the command structure of the FAF? Or would the FAF just become a client of the RAF, leasing the aircraft as and when required?