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Surprise! Boeing hands Air Force the keys to not just one, but two KC-46 tanker jets

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Boeing executives today added an extra twist to what was expected to be a cut-and-dried ceremony to hand over its first KC-46 tanker aircraft to the U.S. Air Force. (finance.yahoo.com) Mehr...

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nasdisco
Chris B 4
A flawed contract process. Its not 100% up to specified performance, and way late. But the 707s badly need to be sent to the scrap yard.
srobak
srobak 2
With all the money spent to have refitted the entire fleet of 135's twice already - this entire project was stupid.
bentwing60
bentwing60 3
Preacher 1 would be proud!
sparkie624
sparkie624 4
Yes he would be.... He loved fly the 767 and the CRJ-200 aircraft... He was a very good friend and kept me out of trouble many times on here... thanks for remembering him.. He has certainly achieved "Flight Level Unlimited" in flying colors!
jdriskell
James Driskell 3
Good ol' John McCain. If it hadn't been for him, We would have had this plane 10 years ago.
jbqwik
jbqwik 9
the pentagon negotiated a rare fixed-price contract for the KC-46, which meant that when problems arose it was on Boeing's dime to fix them -not the taxpayer. Which Boeing did- several times.
I can't imagine how any of that can be blamed on John McCain.
jdriskell
James Driskell 2
McCain put the kibosh on an earlier deal. Read this: https://www.seattlepi.com/business/article/Boeing-backers-blame-McCain-for-losing-deal-1266680.php
and other reporting from the 2008 era.
bkspero
I suspect that without the late Senator's efforts we would have had only Boeing negotiating for the tanker. And instead of Boeing paying for their (IIRC) 3+ billions of cost overruns (and counting), taxpayers would have been on the hook for it. And we would all be complaining about how the government can't do anything efficiently.
Cansojr
Cansojr 0
That's your procurement program ours is much worse. 10 years gives the Russians and the Chinese ten years to steal the plans in development. I sure wish dear old John was still with us. He would tar and feather Washington and Ottawa's mutual problems. Monkey muffins and donkey doughnuts.
bartmiller
bartmiller 1
We always seem surprised when new aircraft designs are behind schedule and over cost. But when was the last time that anyone delivered an new plane on time and within budget?

Really, the problem is with the bidding and contracting process. The people that build these planes know that they can't deliver when promised and the people that buy them know the same.

The shock and outrage on the part of the airlines or military is theater at best.

All that being said, we have amazing aircraft being built all over the world.

And while the KC-46 has the same basic airframe as tshe 767, the wings, engines, control surfaces, and certain the avionics are all quite up to date.
Cansojr
Cansojr 0
The KC-46 Will serve the US AIR FORCE very well once the bugs are worked out. The 47 comes from a fine steed. The 767 was one of the best aircraft ever designed and ones of the most comfortable aircraft ever manufactured.
mattwestuk
Matt West 5
"When" all the bugs get worked out. Looks like that won't be until 2020 at least now:

https://www.defensenews.com/air/2019/01/25/air-force-secretary-confirms-key-kc-46-milestone-wont-occur-until-2020/
croswind
Bruce Crosby 2
Found out a lot of ex MD engineers worked on 767 so it shares some DNA with KC10. Door design was given as an example ...
sparkie624
sparkie624 -4
Very Good news.... At least our government wasn't a stupid enough to go with the AirSkud from Europe!
Cansojr
Cansojr 1
What on earth is AirSkud?
bentwing60
bentwing60 -1
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Airbus_A330_MRTT

It was in the hunt.
sparkie624
sparkie624 0
I wish that I had missed that one! Why would we purchase anything to support the military of our country from any other country... Not a god idea!
wopri
If you expect other countries to buy military hardware made in the USA you have to realize that this should be a two-way street.
yatesd
yatesd 3
It would have been built in Mobile Alabama.
bentwing60
bentwing60 1
Wrong. There will be no a330 line in Mobile.
chabig
Chris Habig 4
Yes. Why buy a modern Airbus when we can buy a 21st tanker based on a 1981 design?
tjhess74
thomas hess 2
That is a comment full of fallacy. Yes, the fuselage is from the old design, but everything else is a fresh design update. It's not like the fuselages of the KC-46 are NOS. If I'm not mistaken, the A330 fuselage is from a design of the same era from its predecessor aircraft, the A300. If so, then the aircraft are virtually identical in terms of your criticism.
tjhess74
thomas hess 1
In many military contracts, there are requirements for the machine to have a certain amount of U.S. sourced parts. While that is great in concept, it isn't always great in the long run and can deliver a subpar product. The U.S.C.G. Dauphin helicopter is a classic example of "If it's not broke, don't fix it."
bentwing60
bentwing60 1
Yes, and I have always thought the C.G. to be more practical in their procurement process cause they use their stuff all the time.

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