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| Science & Technology |
| Boeing Begins A-10 Thunderbolt Wing Assembly for US Air Force. |
| 2010-01-18 |
| The Boeing Company today announced that it has begun assembling the first A-10 Thunderbolt replacement-wing set at its Macon facility. The U.S. Air Force awarded Boeing the contract, worth up to $2 billion, in June 2007 to provide as many as 242 A-10 replacement-wing sets through 2018. “This is a phenomenal accomplishment for this Boeing Macon team and a real tribute to the partnership between Boeing and the Air Force to keep these vital aircraft flying in support of U.S. military men and women,' said Dennis Muilenburg, Boeing Defense, Space & Security president and CEO. “We are honored to help extend the life of these storied planes as they serve our warfighters in their essential close-air support missions. This is also an important milestone in Boeing's drive to offer our customers maintenance and modification support on a wide range of aircraft, regardless of the plane's original manufacturer.' Boeing will deliver the replacement wing sets to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, in four parts: three wing sections and an installation kit. Air Force personnel will install the wings. Boeing is scheduled to deliver the first wing set in September and up to 50 wing sets a year at peak production. |
| Posted by: Anonymoose |
| #16 I think that price tag includes the design and development that must have gone in. The production run ended in what -- 1984? 85? The assembly line, all of the dyes and tools, and plain old know-how are long gone. Don't know about the tooling; the USG hangs onto stuff for a real long time. When we decommed the A-6's, we were also given semi trailers for storing all the support equipment. They are in the desert now with the birds. i think it is a fair bet that some of the tooling is still around. Or perhaps Boeing built all new stuff because the new wing only looks like the old one and only uses the same attach points; again i can point to the A-6 plastic wing; only control surfaces and attach points were carried over from the metal one. I think the most perishable skill is that of the old fashioned metalsmith; we are all being replaced by carbon fiber techs. I told a story the other day about using a bucking bar and got a roomful of quizzical looks and had to stop and 'splain it. kind of like the dial telepone. |
| Posted by: USN, Ret. 2010-01-18 22:15 |
| #15 I used to watch A-10's of the Maryland ANG "practicing" on vehicles driving along US-301. The vehicles had no idea they were in the sights of an A-10. That would have been nearly 15 years or so ago. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2010-01-18 19:30 |
| #14 I agree wid #4 - in this era of so-called "PEAK OIL/RESOURCES", IMO it behooves DARPA-USDOD to make any and all unmanned warfighting assets derived from OIL-BASED/DERIVED ADVANC MATERIALS as tough + "survivable" as possible. |
| Posted by: JosephMendiola 2010-01-18 18:54 |
| #13 Thanks 'moose. A-10s scared the bejesus out of me once. Playing golf on a course next to the airbase and 3 came flying over the hill at LOW altitude behind the tee as we were getting ready to hit. DAMN those suckers are loud when we didn't really hear them coming. |
| Posted by: AlanC 2010-01-18 18:05 |
| #12 F-35 will top $100 million, so figure spares cost double... |
| Posted by: Nimble Spemble 2010-01-18 17:57 |
| #11 I think that price tag includes the design and development that must have gone in. The production run ended in what -- 1984? 85? The assembly line, all of the dyes and tools, and plain old know-how are long gone. |
| Posted by: Pstanley 2010-01-18 17:33 |
| #10 Exactly, ed. The aircraft are paid for; they're needed now. Any replacement of that quality will be years down the road (if ever). |
| Posted by: Pappy 2010-01-18 17:08 |
| #9 Yeah I was wondering too. Make one shudder thinking what a replacement aircraft would cost. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-01-18 17:00 |
| #8 Is it just me, or is $8.26 million a bit steep for a replacement wing kit for a plane with early-Seventies era tech? |
| Posted by: Mitch H. 2010-01-18 16:44 |
| #7 Also response time. A low flyer UAV of the A-10 can't be controlled via satellite link. |
| Posted by: ed 2010-01-18 16:18 |
| #6 I do wonder if the Skunk Works is working on a cross between an A-10 and a Reaper. No pilot but it can take an insane amount of punishment, carry lots of ordinance, and is able to downlink what it sees to the troops right at the point of action and take directions from them. Okay, so a few don't come home. Too bad, roll out another one at the Boeing factory. Boeing throws in for free a lawnchair with drink holder for the pilot back in Vegas. Works for me. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-01-18 16:01 |
| #5 I've always liked the A10 - and they kick serious ass |
| Posted by: Frank G 2010-01-18 15:58 |
| #4 AlanC: Damage control. A-10s can take an insane amount of abuse and still come home. At least one has had most of a wing, and another a tail, blown off and still make it back, but only at the hands of a very skilled pilot. There is no way RC could do that. Those guys fly by touch, sound, smell, instinct. But they have to be in the cockpit to do that. GIS "A-10 Damage". |
| Posted by: Anonymoose 2010-01-18 15:53 |
| #3 Serious queston here: Is there a good reason not to turn the A-10 into an RPV? Seems that an A-10 without pilot could weigh less etc. etc. Is there something about the mission that makes it unsuitable for remotes? |
| Posted by: AlanC 2010-01-18 15:35 |
| #2 Air Force is figuring it out: better career prospects for now as an A-10 driver than as a Predator driver. |
| Posted by: Steve White 2010-01-18 14:56 |
| #1 Funny how in 1990 the Air Force was to retire the A10 to possibly the Army because they were not fighter planes.... |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-01-18 14:28 |