***“Comparatively, Boeing’s 776 tanker is 85 percent built in the United States.”***
The way Boeing is complaining I thought they were 100% American.
The way Boeing is complaining I thought they were 100% American.
That's only because it's based on a 26 year old plane based on a 30 year old design. The 787 which would be an even better tanker than the A330 if it could be offered l0 years from now, has much more foreign content. It's not the fly by wire system that makes the A330 superior; it's the better aerodyamics of the wing at takeoff and during climb. Boeing wings tend to be designed for optimal performance during the cruise phase of flight. Airbus wings tend to be optimized for takeoff and climb. That's why their tanker could take off with a much larger fuel load from 7000' runways.