KC-X ..... è proprio una telenovela .....

[richelieu]

Va be' Cardinale che pensavi? Che ce la facevano?
Dai che mi sembra di sparare sulla croce rossa ....

D'altronde ..... TU ..... lo avevi previsto sin dal primo momento .....
.

[SuperMau]

Va be' Cardinale che pensavi? Che ce la facevano?
Dai che mi sembra di sparare sulla croce rossa ....

D'altronde ..... TU ..... lo avevi previsto sin dal primo momento .....
.

Ossequiosamente ringrazio...

[richelieu]

Costerà meno ..... ma saranno necessari ulteriori collaudi prima di dare il via alla LRIP (Low-Rate Initial Production) .....

KC-46 Cost Down But LRIP Delayed .....

John A. Tirpak (4/13/2015)

The cost of the KC-46 program is down about 5.4 percent over the last four years, but a production decision has been pushed from August to October, the Government Accountability Office said April 9.
In an annually required tanker report to​ Congress ... http://www.gao.gov/assets/670/669530.pdf ... the GAO said the KC-46 program cost has declined from $51.7 billion to $48.9 billion since February 2011, due partly to fewer engineering changes than expected and partly due to lower-than-expected military construction costs.
However, due largely to the wiring harness issue that stalled flight testing, GAO recommended—and the Air Force concurred—that more flight testing should be completed before the low-rate initial production (LRIP) go-ahead, to ensure design maturity.
On its “provisioned” 767-2C, which has the structure for aerial refueling but doesn’t have the refueling gear itself, Boeing planned to have 400 flight hours complete in 2014 (out of 2,400 development flight test hours planned), but the GAO said only 3.5 hours had been achieved.
The company will focus on “key aerial refueling capabilities” testing prior to the LRIP decision.
The GAO noted, however, that there’s further risk to completing needed testing by October “due to late parts deliveries, software defects, and flight test cycle assumptions.”
If there are “costly problems” discovered late in development, under the fixed-price contract, Boeing will have to fix them “at no cost to the government,” states the report.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Intanto ..... prosegue la scelta delle basi .....

Candidate Reserve KC-46A Bases Identified .....

(4/15/2015)

Grissom ARB, Ind.; Seymour Johnson AFB, N.C.; Tinker AFB, Okla.; and Westover ARB, Mass., are the candidates to be the first Air Force Reserve Command-led KC-46A main operating location, announced Air Force officials on Tuesday .....

http://www.af.mil/News/ArticleDisplay/t ... bases.aspx

The base that wins out is expected to receive its KC-46s starting in Fiscal 2019, states the release.
Air Mobility Command and Air Force Reserve Command will soon survey each site and develop cost estimates for bedding down the new KC-46 tankers at each location.
Armed with that data, they will brief the Air Force leadership, leading to the announcement of the preferred site and reasonable alternatives this summer, states the release.
Already, the Air Force has identified McConnell AFB, Kan., as the first Active Duty-led KC-46 main operating base, Pease ANGB, N.H., as the first Air National Guard-led MOB, and Altus AFB, Okla., as home to the KC-46 formal training unit.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[bigshot]

WIP...

[richelieu]

WIP...

Aeronautico o ..... edilizio ?

[richelieu]

Nel frattempo ..... Israele fornisce dettagli sul 767 MMTT che sta proponendo sul mercato internazionale ..... a prezzi largamente inferiori a quelli di qualsiasi concorrente .....

According to sources within the Israeli defence ministry, the price of the 767 MMTT will be 15-20% lower than any other alternative.

Fonte ..... "IAI details 767 tanker conversion plans" ..... http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ns-411680/



KC-767 converted from passenger to tanker for the Brazilian Air Force .....
.

[richelieu]

Si riprende a volare .....

"Boeing 767-2C tanker airframe resumes airworthiness flights" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ss-412910/

[richelieu]

Eppur si muove ..... sia pure in ritardo .....

The flight was a major milestone for the US Air Force tanker development programme as it is the first time the 767-2C aircraft has flown with aerial refuelling equipment, although the true test will come this summer when the first full-up KC-46A test aircraft known as EMD-2 conducts its first flight and then later refuelling tests with other military aircraft.
Those flights will inform a milestone C decision that concludes the development phase.

Fonte ..... "Boeing 767-2C tanker completes first flight with boom, wing pods" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... ng-413084/

AW&ST ..... "Boom Time For Boeing Tanker" ..... http://aviationweek.com/blog/boom-time-boeing-tanker
.

[richelieu]

Immagini ..... da Boeing .....

https://www.flickr.com/photos/theboeing ... 3554266779

[richelieu]

In lotta con la concorrenza .....

With South Korea just weeks away from selecting an aerial refuelling tanker, Boeing is touting the combat capability and lower projected life-cycle cost of its KC-46A offering as reasons for a Pegasus downselect.
The Boeing KC-46A tanker is going up against the Airbus A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and a converted B767-200ER MRTT design offered by Israel Aerospace Industries.
Airbus has orders from six countries for 35 of its tankers, and two dozen have been delivered to date.
More recently, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland have decided to jointly acquire between four and eight Airbus tankers.

Fonte ..... "Boeing touts KC-46A cost, combat design ahead of Korean decision" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... an-414048/
.

[richelieu]

In lotta con la concorrenza .....

With South Korea just weeks away from selecting an aerial refuelling tanker, Boeing is touting the combat capability and lower projected life-cycle cost of its KC-46A offering as reasons for a Pegasus downselect.
The Boeing KC-46A tanker is going up against the Airbus A330-based Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) and a converted B767-200ER MRTT design offered by Israel Aerospace Industries.
Airbus has orders from six countries for 35 of its tankers, and two dozen have been delivered to date.
More recently, the Netherlands, Norway and Poland have decided to jointly acquire between four and eight Airbus tankers.

Fonte ..... "Boeing touts KC-46A cost, combat design ahead of Korean decision" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... an-414048/

Alla fine ..... Boeing ha perso ..... http://militaryaircraft-airbusds.com/Pr ... -MRTT.aspx
.

[SuperMau]

Conferma di quanto detto piu' e piu' volte....il 330MRTT e' "an hell of a plane" giusto per dirla, e mi sembra che piu' passa il tempo piu' venga confermato.

Alla fine il KC-X lo useranno in due...gli americani e gli italiani...

[MatteF88]

Conferma di quanto detto piu' e piu' volte....il 330MRTT e' "an hell of a plane" giusto per dirla, e mi sembra che piu' passa il tempo piu' venga confermato.

Caschi a fagiolo, gli australiani ne prendono altri 2: http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... rs-414190/


Tra l'altro, ricordiamo che inizialmente negli US aveva vinto proprio il 330..

[bigshot]

Conferma di quanto detto piu' e piu' volte....il 330MRTT e' "an hell of a plane" giusto per dirla, e mi sembra che piu' passa il tempo piu' venga confermato.

Alla fine il KC-X lo useranno in due...gli americani e gli italiani...

e giapponesi

[richelieu]

Ci sperano ancora ..... nonostante i ritardi .....

The US Air Force’s programme executive officer for tankers is cautiously optimistic that Boeing can deliver its first 18 operational KC-46A Pegasus aircraft by August 2017 as required, but says he doesn’t have his “head in the sand” either.

...

The $50 billion tanker programme encountered significant delays late in the development phase due to wiring issues, software troubles and parts delivery delays, and the first KC-46 flight is expected to occur seven to nine months late, somewhere between now and September.

Fonte ..... "USAF still hoping for 18 KC-46A tankers by 2017 despite slip" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... te-414650/
.

[richelieu]

Un problema dietro l'altro .....

KC-46 “Margin is Gone” .....

John A. Tirpak (7/24/2015)

After being as much as several months ahead of schedule, "all previous schedule margin is gone" on the KC-46 Pegasus tanker program, an Air Force spokesman told Air Force Magazine.
This conclusion came after the most recent schedule risk assessment of the tanker program, conducted jointly by Boeing, the KC-46 system program office, and the Defense Contracts Management Agency.
The joint team "completed the SRA in order to assess realism, and set new dates if necessary, for major program events, such as first flight for the first all-up KC-46," as well as Milestone C, which is the decision to proceed from development into series production, and whether the contractor will provide "required assets available" on-time for initial operational capability, said the spokesman.
It's not clear when the assessment was completed, but here are the results: the first flight of the all-up KC-46 was rescheduled for the July-September 2015 timeframe, and Milestone C slipped to between January and April of 2016.
Two years ago, Boeing closed out critical design review a month ahead of its contract requirement, but subsequent wiring bundle and fuel management system problems have caused delays and boosted Boeing's out-of-pocket expenses on the tanker to more than $800 million.
The program office and Boeing still think they can provide the requisite 17 aircraft by August 2017, assuming no more problems crop up, the spokesman said.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....

Inoltre .....

"Boeing reports second internal KC-46 cost overrun" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... un-414758/

"Boeing upbeat despite KC-46 failings as Muilenburg takes the helm" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... he-414911/
.

[richelieu]

L' USAF si sta preparando a ricevere il KC-46A ..... ma le preoccupazioni sulla tempistica permangono .....

Pegasus Planning at Air Mobility Command .....

(08/17/2015)


​Gen. Darren McDew learns how to operate a Boom Operator Simulator System at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, N.J. on July 22 during his visit to the base to meet with mobility airmen.
McDew, who will soon take command of US Transportation Command, is concerned about the progress and future funding for the KC-46 Pegasus tanker program.
Air National Guard photo by A1C Julia Pyun.

USAF already has plans built around Boeing's KC-46 tanker program delivering 18 aircraft by 2017, and if there are significant delays in fielding the Pegasus, this would have cascading effects, said Gen. Darren W. McDew, then-commander of Air Mobility Command, in an interview with Air Force Magazine (McDew passed command of AMC to Gen. Carlton Everhart in an Aug. 11 ceremony) .....
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/D ... mcdew.aspx
For example, he noted that many airmen's assignments will be affected when KC-46s enter the inventory to replace old KC-135s.
There are "real people at the end of that," he said.
Similarly, military construction work, test activities, and training regimes are all set up with the expectation that KC-46s will be available at the predicted times in the predicted quantities.
McDew called the KC-46 "vital" to AMC and clearly the No. 1 modernization priority for the command.
He said he is "a bit concerned" about Boeing's progress along the KC-46 schedule, but his bigger concern is what would happen if sequestration were to return.
Officials have called stable and predictable funding essential to the health of the KC-46 program.
McDew has been confirmed to succeed Gen. Paul Selva as the next chief of US Transportation Comman​d.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....

Una recente notizia in merito ..... "Boeing completes KC-46 flutter tests as EMD-2 flight faces delay" .....
http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articl ... es-415745/
.

[richelieu]

Altra tegola in testa a Boeing .....

A chemical mix-up involving the fuel system of the first fully equipped Boeing Co KC-46A tanker is likely to delay the first flight of the new jet, which was planned for September, sources familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
----- ----- ----- ----- -----
The Seattle Times, which first reported the incident on Friday, said the mishap caused corrosion and damaged the fuel system of the jet, including a new advanced fuel boom designed to provide fuel to fighter jets and other warplanes in the air.
Boeing did not comment on those details.

Fonte ..... "Chemical mix-up likely to delay first flight of Boeing tanker-sources" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/ ... 8Z20150804

The Seattle Times ..... "Chemical mix-up during testing damages Boeing tanker" .....
http://www.seattletimes.com/business/bo ... ed-tanker/

Le inevitabili conseguenze .....

"First flight of Boeing's military tanker delayed by a month" .....
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/08/ ... ZG20150817

[richelieu]

Ritardi (come già segnalato) .....

First Tanker Flight Slips Again .....

John A. Tirpak (08/19/2015)

​The first flight of the all-up KC-46 tanker, which was to have taken place in the spring and then slipped to August, has been delayed again, to "about a month out from the previous planned date of late August/early September," putting it sometime in October, a Boeing spokesman told Air Force Magazine.
The new delay stems from the need to replace parts damaged in a fuels test conducted several weeks ago.
A fuel substitute supplied by a vendor, meant to simulate the weight of fuel in the boom, was mislabeled as "compliant for this particular military use, when in fact it wasn't," the spokesman said.
The fake gas was flushed out and Boeing determined that some parts needed to be refurbished or replaced.
"We're making the needed repairs as quickly as possible," he said.
Previous delays were pegged to improper spacing of wiring harnesses; now fixed on the development aircraft and being changed on the production line.

..... e spremitura di meningi .....

Air Force Studying Impact of KC-46A Delays .....

Brian Everstine (08/25/2015)

The Air Force is studying the possible operational risks if Boeing is unable to make a ​contractual deadline of delivering 18 KC-46A tankers in August of 2017 following further delays in the first flight of the aircraft.
Boeing delayed the first flight of a fully outfitted KC-46 after the aircraft’s fuel system was damaged because a wrong chemical was used during a test in July.
The Air Force was “disappointed” to hear of the delay, which means the margin on the contract is “all but gone at this point,” Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James said in an Aug. 24 briefing at the Pentagon.
If Boeing goes over the schedule again, the Air Force must determine if there will be an operational impact on the service basing the tankers and retiring KC-135s, said James.

Intanto ..... presso la Edwards AFB .....

Pegasus Prep .....

(08/25/2015)


Maintainers at Travis AFB, Calif., observe the KC-10 boom making contact with Boeing's boom test unit.
Air Force photo by Brad White.

Testers at Edwards AFB, Calif., conducted flow-rate surge trials with the legacy KC-135 and KC-10 tankers to establish baseline data for evaluation of the new KC-46A Pegasus earlier this month.
"We know that the KC-10 and KC-135 don't cause damage to the receivers in flight," 418th Flight Test Squadron refueling test engineer Justin Almeleh said in a release .....
http://www.amc.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123456521
"With successful test data, we can deduce that the KC-46 should have no greater risk of causing damage in flight than any legacy platform we have," he explained.
The ground tests at Edwards, which were held July 26 to Aug. 9, are part of ongoing risk-reduction efforts that will streamline KC-46 testing once it moves to the base.
The surge tests saved extensive time and funding that would have been required to procure, integrate, and fly the instrumentation required to gather the same data in-flight, according to the release.
Two KC-46s will eventually support the test program at Edwards, officials said.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Vigilate, gente ..... vigilate .....
Il senatore McCain striglia l' USAF .....

McCain Urges Vigilance on Tanker Program .....

Jennifer Hlad (09/01/2015)

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, is asking Defense Secretary Ash Carter to make sure the delayed KC-46A tanker program does not fail.
“All too often under our current defense acquisition system, the department has started programs that were poorly conceived or inherently unexecutable, with the aim of getting programs into development and production where they can become notoriously difficult to change meaningfully, or, if necessary, terminate,” McCain wrote in a letter to Carter .....
http://www.airforcemag.com/DRArchive/Do ... tanker.pdf
“The KC-46A program must not become another such failure.”
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James on Aug. 24 said the service is looking at potential operational risks if Boeing can’t make the August 2017 deadline to deliver 18 of the t​ankers.
The first flight of the KC-46 has been repeatedly delayed, most recently because the contractor needed to replace parts damaged in a fuel test, but the flight is now slated for October.

.

[richelieu]

Dopo vari problemi e ritardi ..... appuntamento al 25 Settembre .....

KC-46A To Fly for the First Time Sept. 25 .....

Brian Everstine (09/16/2015)

The Air Force will conduct the first flight of the KC-46A on Sept. 25, following a completed fuel dock test and a complete revamp of the fuel system after a contamination incident this summer, the program executive announced Sept. 15 at ASC15.
The first flight of the development model of the aircraft came earlier this year, but the service has delayed the first flight because of multiple issues, including fuel contamination and issues with the electronic system.
Now the service is confident it be ready by Sept. 25, and will quickly move into air refueling demonstrations in 2016, program executive officer Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson said.
The service will first test refueling with an F-16 on the boom in January, and then will progress with tests on a C-17 on the boom, a fast drogue test with an F/A-18, a slow boom test with an A-10, a test with the KC-46A receiving fuel, and finally a drogue test on a slow AV-8B Harrier.
The service expects to field 187 KC-46As beginning in 2017.
While there have been issues with the schedule, there have not been large issues with performance, Richardson said.
“We are taking longer than we want … but we are making slow and steady progress,” Richardson said.
The Air Force needs to hold its requirement firm because the contract is capped with the contractor responsible for cost overruns, he said.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....

Inoltre ..... "First functional Boeing KC-46A tanker to fly 25 September" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... pt-416774/
.

[MatteF88]

Intanto, ma pare non sia ancora ufficiale, il Giappone ha scelto il KC-46A

https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/th ... rfp-03009/
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_new ... 1509160035

[richelieu]

KC-46A ..... contratto (e non solo questo) a rischio di rinegoziazione ..... ovvero ..... come smarrirsi nei meandri delle leggi di bilancio USA .....

USAF May Have to Crack KC-46 Contract .....

John A. Tirpak (09/25/2015)

A long-term continuing resolution to keep the federal government funded into the new fiscal year could require the Air Force to renegotiate some contracts, like the KC-46, possibly undoing agreed-upon terms, said Lt. Gen. Arnold Bunch, the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition, on Thursday .....
http://www.af.mil/AboutUs/Biographies/D ... ch-jr.aspx
Speaking at an AFA-sponsored Air Force breakfast, Bunch said a CR of any sizable length will “impact” the rate at which the F-35, KC-46, and other programs are bought next year.
“If we get a yearlong continuing resolution ... there is a chance that we may have to go in and open up some contracts that ... I don’t think any of us want to [renegotiate] right now,” Bunch said.
USAF might “look for a waiver” from Congress to ensure the KC-46 is not affected by the CR rules, keeping the project on track, he told reporters afterwards.
The KC-46 is a fixed-price-incentive development contract.
The past few F-35 lots also have been fixed-price, and new F-35 lots are under negotiation now.
Bunch said beyond the “50ish” new starts that would be halted by a CR, there are other projects in the development world “not captured” in that number, that would be affected even​ though they “may not even be fully started yet.”
Overall, the CR “would have a dramatic impact on our Air Force,” and acquisition officials are studying the “ripple effects” of any workarounds, he said.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....

Anche qui ..... "USAF Will Likely Request CR Exemption for KC-46" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /72730228/

Continuing resolution ..... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Continuing_resolution
.

[richelieu]

Boeing’s first fully-configured KC-46A aerial refuelling tanker has begun its long-awaited first flight, lifting off from Paine Field in Washington today after some weather-related delays.
The 25 September flight to Boeing Field marks a significant step in the next-generation tanker programme, but comes approximately nine months behind schedule and almost five years after the Pegasus entered development.

Fonte ..... "Boeing KC-46A makes historic first flight after setbacks" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... tb-417157/
.

[richelieu]

Dal 'Daily Report' dell' AFA ..... qualche ulteriore dettaglio .....

KC-46A First Flight .....

John A. Tirpak (09/28/2015)

​Boeing flew the first all-up KC-46A Pegasus aerial tanker Sept. 25.
The jet took off from Paine Field, Everett, Wash., at 1:24 p.m. local time on what was expected to be about a four-hour checkout flight ending at Boeing Field in Seattle.
During the flight, the company said, technicians planned to check out basic aircraft integrity and fundamental systems, such as the engines, flight controls, and environmental systems.
After the flight, a Boeing spokeswoman said, plans called for calibrating instrumentation prior to the next series of flights, during which the refueling boom and probe-and-drogue Wing Aerial Refuel Pods (WARPs) would be tried out.
The company declined to say when it expected to fly the jet again.
Previous flights have been made with the jet’s stablemate, a “provisioned freighter” 767-2C, which has all the plumbing of the all-up KC-46, but without the fitted military gear and air refueling probe.
The test fleet will comprise two 767-2Cs - which will clear all the FAA requirements for the type - and two all-up KC-46s.
The two 2Cs will be fitted with refueling gear later to join the test program, which will be flown out of Edwards AFB, Calif., and Boeing Field.
All four test jets are expected to eventually join the operational force.
Boeing is under contract to build 17 jets, to be delivered by 2017 for initial operational capability, and ultimately 179 KC-46s under the KC-X program.
USAF plans a follow-on KC-Y and KC-Z program to finish replacing the KC-135 and KC-10 fleets, respectively.

Boeing ..... "Boeing, U.S. Air Force KC-46A Tanker Completes Successful First Flight" .....
http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2015-09-25- ... ght#Closed



The Boeing-built KC-46A Pegasus tanker lands after its first flight, from Paine Field, Everett, Wash. to Boeing Field, Seattle. Sept. 25, 2015.
(Boeing photo)
.

[richelieu]

Testati i sistemi di rifornimento in volo ...

Boeing's KC-46 tanker has successfully deployed two systems integral to aerial refueling, marking a step toward proving the new plane can conduct its core mission.
In an Oct. 8 test, Boeing's test aircraft successfully extended the "drogue" refueling baskets from both the centerline drogue system, located on the belly of the fuselage, and from the wing aerial refueling pods, located on the wing tips.
During an in-flight refueling, the aircraft receiving fuel will connect to the drogue, which trails from the tanker via a flexible hose, through a "probe," a rigid, retractable arm placed on the receiver aircraft's nose or fuselage.
This will allow fuel to pass from tanker to receiver aircraft.
The next day, the test plane extended the "boom," a rigid, telescoping tube that an operator on the tanker aircraft extends to and inserts into a receptacle on the receiving aircraft.

Fonte ..... "Boeing's Tanker Deploys Aerial Refueling Systems" .....
http://www.defensenews.com/story/defens ... /73816446/
.

[richelieu]

Ulteriori dettagli dal 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....

KC-46 Tests Boom and Drogue .....

John A. Tirpak (10/14/2015)


​The KC-46A Pegasus Tanker deploys the centerline boom for the first time Oct. 9.
The boom is the fastest way to refuel aircraft at 1,200 gallons per minute.
Boeing photo by John D. Park​er.

The first Boeing KC-46A Pegasus tanker fully equipped with refueling gear extended both its boom-type and probe-and-drogue-type equipment in two separate test flights last week, according to the Air Force .....
http://www.wpafb.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123460653
Drogue hoses and baskets - the gear needed to refuel Navy, Marine Corps and many types of allied aircraft - were deployed from the centerline and wing pod stations during an Oct. 8 flight, and the flying boom was extended on a flight the next day.
The flights were, respectively, the third and fourth for the prototype tanker, which made its first flight Sept. 25.
Air Force tanker program executive officer Brig. Gen. Duke Richardson, in a statement, said the tests signal “real progress” toward the goal of demonstrating an in-flight refueling.
Such a test, likely with an F-16, is tentatively scheduled for late this year or early next, a Boeing spokesman said.
The boom is to be capable of passing 1,200 gallons per minute of fuel, whereas the drogue systems on the KC-46 are to be able to pass 400 gallons per minute.
The KC-46 is designed to refuel one boom-type aircraft or up to three drogue-type aircraft at a time.
Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James, speaking at ASC15 last month, said the KC-46 program has consumed all its schedule margin, but she and Richardson both said they expect Boeing to meet its obligation to deliver 18 KC-46s by August 2017.

.

[richelieu]

Visita in California .....

KC-46 Development Aircraft Visits Edwards .....

Arie Church (10/23/2015)

​The KC-46A program’s first test aircraft arrived at Edwards AFB, Calif., Oct. 15, for two weeks of specialized trials, officials announced.
The provisioned 767-2C, EMD-1, will undertake ground-effect characterization and fatigue testing in the fuel-receiver role.
"For ground effects, Edwards ... provides calm morning weather and long runways, including the lake beds, both are requirements to take the data," Capt. Dylan Neidorff, KC-46 test operations engineer, said in a release .....
http://www.edwards.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123461174
"For fuel on-load fatigue, Edwards has a top notch special instrumentation section [that] provides modifications to legacy tanker aircraft to support data collection on the 767-2C," he added.
Ground effect flights will aid in accurately replicating the KC-46's characteristics in the flight simulator.
For fueling checks, the aircraft's durability will be put to the test receiving from both the KC-10 and KC-135.
The first phase of developmental testing is largely conducted from Boeing's production facilities in Washington, but will move to Edwards in 2016.
The fully equipped KC-46A tanker flew for the first time in September, and extended its boom for the first time in flight earlier this month.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
.

[richelieu]

Intanto, ma pare non sia ancora ufficiale, il Giappone ha scelto il KC-46A
https://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/th ... rfp-03009/
http://ajw.asahi.com/article/behind_new ... 1509160035

Ora la notizia è stata confermata .....

Just months after being rejected by South Korea and weeks after first flight, Boeing’s KC-46A has been selected by Japan to supplement the nation’s KC-767 tanker fleet.
The announcement came from Japanese defence minister Gen Nakatani on Friday, and constitutes a significant win for Boeing after a troubled start to the next-generation tanker development programme with the US Air Force.

Fonte ..... "Japan chooses Boeing KC-46, halting Airbus tanker winning streak" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... wi-418170/
.

[richelieu]

L' USAF sprizza .....

The US Air Force is optimistic about awarding the first production contract to Boeing for the developmental KC-46A, following a flight test in which the 767-derived tanker transferred 725kg (1,600lb) of fuel to a Lockheed Martin F-16C – the most significant trial of its refuelling systems to date.

Fonte ..... "Boeing correcting course as KC-46A refuels F-16C" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... 6c-421184/
.

[richelieu]

Ora è toccato ad un F/A-18 .....

Boeing and the US Air Force have completed the first KC-46A Pegasus refuelling of a combat jet using the next-generation tanker's wing-mounted hose-and-drogue system.
The milestone was achieved on 10 February when the KC-46 transferred fuel to a US Navy F/A-18 at 20,000ft, says Boeing.

Fonte ..... "KC-46 demonstrates probe-and-drogue refuelling of F/A-18" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... -f-421886/

Boeing ..... http://boeing.mediaroom.com/2016-02-12- ... assets_117
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Questa volta è toccato a lui .....

Another Pegasus First .....

(2/19/2016)


A KC-46A is refueled by a KC-10 flying over Washington on Feb. 13, 2016.
Boeing photo by Paul Weatherman.

The KC-46A was refueled for the first time by a KC-10 flying over Washington State, as part of the aircraft’s Milestone C process, according to Boeing .....

The capability “increases the aircraft’s operational flexibility,” the company posted on Twitter.
The Feb. 13 flight is another first for the next generation aerial tanker, which just three days prior used its hose and drogue system to refuel an aircraft in flight.
The KC-46 also in January performed its first aerial refueling, passing 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16C during a test flight from Edwards AFB, Calif.
The company plans to build 179 KC-46s for the Air Force, to replace the service’s aging tanker fleet.

Fonte ..... il 'Daily Report' dell' AFA .....
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In corsa contro il tempo .....

The narrow window for Boeing to deliver 18 operational KC-46A Pegasus tankers to the US Air Force by August 2017 includes little to no room for error and a series of tests and events must go right to achieve that significant contractual milestone.
The $5 billion development programme is about eight months behind its original schedule after facing a number of setbacks, but company officials have committed to achieving the “required assets available” milestone, meaning 18 jets delivered to two air force bases between March and August next year.

Fonte ..... "Boeing racing clock to deliver 18 KC-46 tankers by next August" .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... -n-422356/
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Si preparano .....

"US Air Mobility Command readying for KC-46A introduction .....
https://www.flightglobal.com/news/artic ... uc-422428/