From the other thread ole Ernie started:
“Dogfight Erupts Over Costly Jet Engine .
Wall Street Journal ^ | 11/30/2010 | Nathan Hodge Posted on Tuesday, November 30, 2010 2:14:56 AM by ErnstStavroBlofeld
An important skirmish in the battle over military spending is taking place in this industrial suburb of Cincinnati.
At stake is a program to develop an alternate engine for the Joint Strike Fighter, a stealthy, supersonic jet supposed to be the backbone of the U.S. fighter fleet for the next three decades. For the past four years, Congress has funded the development of the second engine against the wishes of the Pentagon, which maintains that only a Pratt & Whitney engine should be funded.
Congress could decide within days whether to fund a second engine for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft. .Defense Secretary Robert Gates drew a line this year, saying he would recommend the president veto any bill that continues funding for the second engine, which General Electric Co. is developing with Rolls Royce PLC at GE's Evendale plant. Congress faces a decision on the issue, perhaps as early as this week, as it tries to hammer out a continuing budget resolution for the current fiscal year.
GE's argument for the second engine is simple. By developing an alternate engine, the government would get a backup supplier, and competition between two suppliers would create long-term savings over the life of the $100 billion procurement.”
See, GE spent all that money bribing Obama (er, paying for Obama’s green energy tax increases) that they HAVE to get something back!
Ding Ding Ding....
2nd article in one day banging on Pratt and directly or indirectly trumpeting GE...
But I am so cynical.
Maybe more afoot here....
Rolls is suing Pratt and now this from GE? Why? Quo Bono?
Pratt has their Geared Turbofan and all it's Patents getting ready for production in 2013 which will be the launch engine on 3 new 100 seat aircraft designs.
In an industry that would do anything for a 1% reduction in fuel consumption, this engine will cut fuel consumption 16%. Rolls and GE have no trump card for this technology.
Are they trying to muscle them to "share the wealth" i.e. the patents?
