Posted on 07/05/2007 2:40:09 PM PDT by Excuse_My_Bellicosity
Boeing has won a $2 billion contract to build new wings for the US Air Force's Fairchild A-10 ground-attack aircraft, after beating rival bids from contractors including Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman.
Announced on 29 June, the deal calls for the delivery of 242 replacement wing kits for installation by the USAF's Ogden Air Logistics Center at Hill AFB, Utah, with the work to extend the life of the A-10 fleet by at least 20 years.
More than 700 A-10s were introduced from 1976 and, despite regular threats of retirement, the type remains one of the air force's most effective close-air support platforms.
Lockheed is performing a wider precision engagement upgrade to the aircraft, and the resulting A-10C configuration will have new avionics equipment and an expanded range of air-to-surface weapons.
Boeing has yet to select its fabrication contractors for the rewinging project, which will begin with an 18-month engineering phase and is scheduled for completion by September 2018.
Boeing Macon will put the wing kits together for installation by the air force depot. The replacement design is based on the "thick" wing fitted to late production examples of the A-10.
Meanwhile, the USAF has awarded Korean Air a contract worth $16 million to continue service-life extension work on its A-10s until 2009. The company has previously modified 180 of the type at its Gimhae facility in South Korea.
More than anything the plane needs some more powerful engines. I had an A-10 driver tell me he could only make three passes then had to leave the fight to accelerate back up to wart speed. ;^)
The A-10 is a personal favorite of this civilian.
Sure you can, and you're protected even without filing it. It's just like boat designs, house designs, etc. Try making a car that looks just like a Corvette...
Yeah, and here’s a great plane that the “greatest” military and civilian minds were getting ready to put in the scrap heap because they weren’t “sexy” enough or cost enough for our great planners. Somewhat like the old B-52. Something I can’t understand is here are a couple of planes that they can’t come up with something any better so why if they’ve already been invented, the R&D has been done and paid for can’t our airplane manufacturers simply build more of them.
More than 700 A-10s were introduced from 1976 and, despite regular threats of retirement, the type remains one of the air force’s most effective close-air support platforms.
I remember seeing A-10’s returning from runs in Laos when I was stationed in Thailand in ‘69.
'Best' is always a matter of opinion. I happen to agree with you on your selections for 'best', although some might not.
But I'd be willing to bet no one would argue that the DC-3 and A-10 are the most robust aircraft of all time!
Especially not our Mayor's daughter:
You can if you bought the design!
When you say DC-3, you really mean the C47, don’t you?
My dad crew chiefed and flown one back in the Big One!
See? That took all of a dozen minutes, and half a dozen posts!
We ought to build another 700. These are damned effective aircraft, and we’ll need all the firepower we can get in the future - China ain’t going away, but these planes are one way of keeping them on their side of the ocean.
I love that 30mm gatling gun - I have an empty shell casing that someone shipped to me about 2 years ago...a .50 BMG round fits inside with no trouble at all.
You mean bought the rights to the actual design, not an instance of that design, right? If so, I agree.
That does raise an interesting point, though. My body shop can recreate elements of my car's design in order to repair it.
Lots of recoil form the gun...
Don’t think so. You may be thinking of the A-7, the A-4 or most likely the A-1 Sandy.
The YA-10A first flew on 10 May 1972, so the copyrights were probably registered before this date.
The copyright would have endured for a first term of 28 years from the date it was secured. During the last (28th) year of the first term, the copyright was eligible for a second renewal term of an additional 28 years. If no application was filed for renewal, the work would enter the public domain after the initial 28 year term.
The C-47 and the DC-3 are essentially the same aircraft, the main difference is bigger cargo doors on the C-47.
It depends on the data rights of the drawings. Some drawings have unlimited data rights (meaning anybody the USAF authorizes can do the work), some of them are limited data rights, some are proprietary.
Unlike patents, trademarks never die. I think the standard the courts use in such cases is whether the copy would ‘create confusion in the mind of the consumer’.
Given that this is FR, I’m pretty sure someone who actually knows will be along to correct me soon. ;^)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.