Beechcraft Bailout Gone Bust

Second Line of Defense ^ | 11/20/2011 | Ed Timperlake

[driftdiver]

go back and look at one of my first posts, where I said we were probably going to give the dang things away

[frithguild]

So either you work for this company or you are from Brazil, which one is it?

Now you demand answers to questions about nonsense. Are you Wesley Mouch?

[fallujah-nuker]

Thanks, looks like you are correct. Everything I’ve heard about this deal sounds like it is a foreign aid program. I’d rather we go back to building a large bomber fleet, like we had in the fifties. Our 9-11 memorial should have been wasteland where Kandahar once stood.

[driftdiver]

And yet supposed Freepers celebrate the waste and the outsourcing of the contracts.

Don’t forget Mecca and a few other choice targets.

[fallujah-nuker]

And yet supposed Freepers celebrate the waste and the outsourcing of the contracts.

Brazil is run by a socialist, and is very friendly with Iran. We already had a case where where a Swiss company cut off the supply of IC's used in the JDAM, while we were at war with Iraq. Becoming dependent upon foreign nations for energy shows what we can look forward to if we outsource the means of providing for our national defense. Remember the gas lines of 1973 and 1979? Wichita would be a great place to build a new bomber, they did a great job on the B-47 and B-52.

[elpadre]

...the only plane capabale of providing srvice and value to the American Taxpayer is still alive in this competiiton — the A-29 Super Tucano.”

I haven't seen any comparative cost or performance data. But wonder how purchasing foreign is a plus for Americans. Are we talking cheap like Chinese toys??

[elpadre]

Are there just these two companies in contention??

If so then shame on us. American industry has been known for their ability to quickly tool up for any challenge.

p.s. I soloed in a T-6 in 1949.

[djanes]

If the article were true why would the USAF have let HBC continue on with the program up until weeks before the contract award.

If their aircraft did not meet the basic requirements ‘as-is’ like the article says above someone at the pentagon should have said something.

Otherwise this was all a waste of not only their internal funds but also taxpayer dollars!

The simple truth is that HBC has coordinated with the USAF for years! (There has been involvement with the Iraqi Air Force since 2008!) Why would the USAF have strung them along up till now only to see them get the boot? It doesn’t make any sense.

Some of you seem hung up on how good the Tucano is....but have you seen the advanced systems going into the AT-6.

The Tucano may be proven in combat but does that necessarily mean it’s better? Would you also say the F-22 is a terrible airplane because it hasn’t seen real combat yet?

[tacticalogic]

Did Air Tractor ever have a shot at this? I thought they were building some military models suitable for counter-insurgency.

[PLMerite]

“The simple truth is that HBC has coordinated with the USAF for years!”

The USAF wanted a plane that was production-ready. The AT-6 seemingly is still not ready.

[djanes]

“Did Air Tractor ever have a shot at this?”

Apparently they had about the same shot at this as the AT-6. (sarcasm)

The AT-6 is ready to go right now. AT-1 and AT-2 were the test aircraft and the third off the line is representative of production. So by the time this contract is awarded, yes, it is an ‘off-the-shelf’ peice of equipment.