E-7 Wedgetail

I have a small crush on Valerie Insinna and this just made it worse:

“The Air Force’s use of the phrase “rapid prototype” seems to be stretching the meaning of both words. The first aircraft won’t deliver to the US Air Force until FY27, despite already being in production for the UK’s Royal Air Force, a five year gap that doesn’t quite seem rapid. As to being a prototype, the E-7 Wedgetail itself is a proven design, based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation airliner and first delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in 2009.”
 
I predict SWA brings back the 737 type requirement shortly. Between the Wedgetail and P-8 their needs are met with lower training costs. I'll wait for the "pilot shortage" argument with popcorn in hand.
 
The Air Force’s use of the phrase “rapid prototype” seems to be stretching the meaning of both words. The first aircraft won’t deliver to the US Air Force until [2027], despite already being in production for the UK’s Royal Air Force, a five year gap that doesn’t quite seem rapid. As to being a prototype, the E-7 Wedgetail itself is a proven design, based on the Boeing 737 Next Generation airliner and first delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force in 2009.
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Here I thought "wow it's crazy the B-52 has been flying for so long", but now I'm realizing the Guppy is the "new" B-52. That gd thing will be flying until 2100. :mad:
 
It was observed recently that the youngest B-52 has been flying for longer today than the time between when it rolled off the assembly line and the Wright Bros first flight.

December 17, 1903
October 26. 1962
September 4, 2021

For the 737 that date will be July 30th, 2030. (April 9th, 1967)
 
Minuteman said:
It was observed recently that the youngest B-52 has been flying for longer today than the time between when it rolled off the assembly line and the Wright Bros first flight.

December 17, 1903
October 26. 1962
September 4, 2021

For the 737 that date will be July 30th, 2030. (April 9th, 1967)
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The B-52 first flight was ONLY 10 years after the B-29s first flight. How nuts is that??
 
Skåning said:
The B-52 first flight was ONLY 10 years after the B-29s first flight. How nuts is that??
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Hah that is crazy, had never put that together myself, but pretty cool. That decade of aeronautical engineering is pretty difficult to compare to many others (I suppose 1900s, or maybe 1970s or 1980s for aerospace, being contenders).
 
Skåning said:
Here I thought "wow it's crazy the B-52 has been flying for so long", but now I'm realizing the Guppy is the "new" B-52. That gd thing will be flying until 2100. :mad:
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There are Airmen whose Fathers and Grandfathers have all flown the B-52. It is truly amazing.

I like this video.....a lot.......MikeD sent it to me a couple of years ago.



I've had this one around for a long time.

 
A Life Aloft said:
I've had this one around for a long time.

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I love how there's just a random bundle of wires hanging down - maybe we should have something better by now...

1651210498290.png
 
ASpilot2be said:
You were almost right the first time. The KC-767 is the model. That's what other countries call it. We just call it the KC-46.
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The KC-767 was also an AF designation up until the time of the production order.

The AF killed a lease deal in 2006. Later, Boeing's KC-767 entry, which differed from the earlier aircraft offered for lease, was beaten by the Airbus-ish KC-45. The award was overturned and the KC-767 won and was surprisingly designated KC-46.
 
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