Airbus and Boeing products running behind schedule

[BigDUSA 71]

Come on man, he's in Thailand six months at a time when not "summering" in "lovely" Philadelphia.

 

It's just that his six months only last a few weeks.

 

Once again you don't know what your talking about but that's not unusual for you. I'll be back in September for another three week vacation. Third trip to LOS this year.

[BigDUSA 71]

MCCHORD AIR FORCE BASE - In yet another sign that the Boeing Co. may get another shot at bidding on a new Air Force refueling tanker, the nation's top military officer Thursday said the $35 billion contract should be renegotiated in a fair, legal way.

 

Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, made his remarks a day after congressional investigators upheld Boeing's protest of the tanker contract awarded to Northrop Grumman Corp. and Airbus parent European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co.

 

Mullen, the top military adviser to the president and defense secretary, discussed the issue during a visit to McChord Air Force Base in Tacoma and in an interview with KOMO News.

 

"Clearly, they (the Air Force) are the responsible service, and it should be done in a way that supports obviously the law, the regulations, our acquisition authorities, so a decision can be made," he said of the tanker contract bidding.

 

But he added that the decision on what to do is up to the Air Force, since he has no direct authority to intervene in contract bidding to replace the Air Force's aging fleet of air refueling tankers.

 

"Where we go with this quite frankly is to the service to generate," he added.

 

The Government Accountability Office said Wednesday that it found "a number of significant errors that could have affected the outcome of what was a close competition between Boeing and Northrop Grumman."

 

So far, the Air Force has had no immediate reaction to the GAO findings, saying only that it is aware of the report and will review it.

 

Boeing said it looks forward to working with the Air Force on the next steps in this "critical procurement for our warfighters." Northrop said it continues to believe its plane was the service's best option.

 

While the GAO decision is not binding, it puts tremendous pressure on the Air Force to reopen the contract and could pave the way for Boeing to capture part or all of the award. It also gives ammunition to Boeing supporters in Congress who have been seeking to block funding for the deal or force a new competition.

 

The contract has sparked a fierce backlash among lawmakers from Washington, Kansas and other states that stand to gain jobs in Boeing succeeds in landing the contract.

 

"Boeing and the American people are the big winners in this decision," said Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Wash. "The Air Force will have no choice but to rebid this project."

 

House Armed Services Committee Chairman Ike Skelton, D-Mo., agreed: "The GAO did its work, and the Air Force is going to have to go back and do its work more thoroughly."

 

By statute, the Air Force has 60 days to inform the GAO of how it will respond to the recommendations. Sen. Pat Roberts, a Kansas Republican, called on the Air Force to rebid the contract and said he would introduce legislation requiring a new competition if the service does not reopen the process.

 

Boeing estimates the tanker contract would support 44,000 new and existing jobs with more than 300 U.S. suppliers. The company would perform much of the work in Everett, Wash., and Wichita, Kan.

 

Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., stressed that Congress needs to examine more than just the narrow technical issues raised by the GAO review, including the role of subsidies and American jobs in defense contracts.

 

The contract for 179 aerial refueling tankers is the first of three deals worth up to $100 billion to replace the Air Force's entire tanker fleet over the next 30 years.

[wacmedia 277]

Thursday said the $35 billion contract should be renegotiated in a fair, legal way.

 

Hi,

 

With Russia having all the oil I have a feeling America is going to get a fair amount of "fair, legal treatment" itself in the near future.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Once again you don't know what your talking about but that's not unusual for you. I'll be back in September for another three week vacation. Third trip to LOS this year.

 

Is that you "wintering in Thailand" then? Three trips in a year ......... just think of all the airfares you could have saved ................

[BigDUSA 71]

Is that you "wintering in Thailand" then? Three trips in a year ......... just think of all the airfares you could have saved ................

 

No I'm not wintering in LOS just making my usual three to five trips a year to LOS. BTW the increase in airfare is of little concern since I have no problem in financing my trips to LOS. My 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a car not a pickup truck.

[Hub 203]

QUOTE(Hub @ Jun 23 2008, 02:57 AM)

 

Come on man, he's in Thailand six months at a time when not "summering" in "lovely" Philadelphia.

 

It's just that his six months only last a few weeks.

 

 

Once again you don't know what your talking about but that's not unusual for you. I'll be back in September for another three week vacation. Third trip to LOS this year.

 

Damn that pesky little search button!

 

QUOTE(CheshireTom @ Apr 8 2008, 01:05 PM)

 

Will that be as good as your free beer offer.

 

Tell you what though ......... I'll set up a Paypal account, you deposit your 5k USD into it (as I will do) and If you make the move before the first flight and stay in Thailand for 12 continuous months then I'll pay 5k to the orphanage and return 5k to you. However, if you fail to meet those requirements, I'll pay 5k to the orphanage and return 5k to me. Deal?

 

 

As I've stated before, I'm in Thailand for 6 months at a time.

 

 

 

 

QUOTE(CheshireTom @ Oct 27 2007, 04:32 PM)

 

What happened to your relocation? I thought you were staying for good.

 

Wife and I will be looking at houses from 20 December and she goes home on the 25th. I'm staying on to continue to look for a suitable place and we're looking to make the move next October. Plan is to spend the winter in Pattaya and back in Philadelphia for the summer.

 

Looks like that relocation has turned into another short vacation! Why do I have the feeling your five-day marketing campaign last December to get your wife to finance your move to Thailand didn’t get the results you were looking for? Maybe you shouldn’t have shuffled her off on a plane xmas morning to spend the holidays by yourself?

[eltib 54]

Hub,

 

Don't you have fun finding quotes previously made?

Edited June 24, 2008 by eltib

[Hub 203]

Hub,

 

Don't you have fun finding quotes previously made?

 

Love it. This guy has so many different stories he doesn't know if he's coming or going anymore.

[Hub 203]

My 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a car not a pickup truck.

 

I am sure Tom is going green with envy over your "new toy" (a 15K hatchback) while he kicks back in his new multi-bedroom beach condo in Songla, a suite at Nirvana Place in Pattaya/Jomtien, or high-end serviced apartment on Sukhumvit.

 

Is that you "wintering in Thailand" then? Three trips in a year ......... just think of all the airfares you could have saved ................

 

Should I hold my breath on the orphanage getting it's $5k from BigD?

 

[CheshireTom 1,377]

I am sure Tom is going green with envy over your "new toy" (a 15K hatchback)

 

 

It looks like a girl's car ................

[Hub 203]

It looks like a girl's car ................

 

Or more like a middle age lady with cankles and stretchy pants...

[eltib 54]

I thought Big D's ride was more like this one....

Edited June 24, 2008 by eltib

[BigDUSA 71]

It looks like a girl's car ................

 

Fit's my needs and it's paid for.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Fit's my needs and it's paid for.

 

Look on the bright side. No self-respecting man is going to steal it.

[eltib 54]

Look on the bright side. No self-respecting man is going to steal it.

 

Who says car thieves are "self respecting?"

 

Heck if they can get cheap parts from it to put on the market, (unlike the Hyundais, Kias, and Daowoos) they will steal it.

[ozboy 31]

No I'm not wintering in LOS just making my usual three to five trips a year to LOS. BTW the increase in airfare is of little concern since I have no problem in financing my trips to LOS. My 2009 Pontiac Vibe is a car not a pickup truck.

 

 

 

Any chance at all that pontiac could give boeing some tips?? after all they obviously have a 2009 car built ,tested and on sale 7 or 8 months BEFORE 2009 even starts lol.

ozboy

[BigDUSA 71]

Any chance at all that pontiac could give boeing some tips?? after all they obviously have a 2009 car built ,tested and on sale 7 or 8 months BEFORE 2009 even starts lol.

ozboy

 

The reality is it's a Toyota design but built in a factory jointly owned and operated by GM and Toyota. GM tweaked the suspension and added a high end stereo option. Years ago I owned a Geo built in the same factory and it was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned.

[eltib 54]

Lets get back on track here. I thought this was a post of Boeing vs. Airbus?

 

http://www.irconnect.com/noc/press/pages/n...s.html?d=145311

 

 

GAO Analysis Does Not Alter the Air Force Finding that the KC-45 is the Superior Tanker

 

WASHINGTON -- June 25, 2008 -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) said, today, that it continues to support the United States Air Force and looks forward to its next steps regarding the direction of the KC-45 tanker program. This follows today's public release of the full Government Accountability Office (GAO) analysis of the original tanker contract award to Northrop Grumman.

 

"The document makes clear that the GAO's issues with the contract do not reflect on the tankers' capabilities. In fact, in several areas key to the selection decision the GAO found no basis to object to the Air Force evaluation," said Paul Meyer, Northrop Grumman vice president of Air Mobility Systems and KC-45 program manager. "We look forward to a prompt assessment from the Air Force concerning what happens next."

 

On Feb. 29, the Air Force selected Northrop Grumman to provide the next generation of aerial refueling tanker, the KC-45. The Air Force has an urgent need to replace its aging tanker fleet.

 

"The KC-45 is needed now, and Northrop Grumman is ready now to provide it," said Meyer. "Should the Air Force choose to proceed with our existing contract, we are ready to get to work. Northrop Grumman offered the superior tanker and nothing in the GAO analysis contradicts this essential truth.

 

"Northrop Grumman remains the only company in this competition that has built, tested and flown its plane. In addition, our refueling boom has just completed its 100th flight test. At this point, our competitor has offered only a paper plane," Meyer said. "For our men and women in uniform, the most important thing is to field the new tanker as soon as possible. Only Northrop Grumman is ready to do that."

 

About the KC-45

 

The KC-45 Tanker aircraft will be assembled in Mobile, Ala. - establishing Mobile as the new cornerstone of the Southern Aerospace Corridor. The program will employ 48,000 American workers at 230 U.S. companies in 49 states; and will be built by a world-class industrial team led by Northrop Grumman, and includes EADS North America, General Electric Aviation and Sargent Fletcher.

 

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide.

[CheshireTom 1,377]

Any chance at all that pontiac could give boeing some tips?? after all they obviously have a 2009 car built ,tested and on sale 7 or 8 months BEFORE 2009 even starts lol.

ozboy

 

Nice one but I think you'll find the BigD doesn't do humour.

[wacmedia 277]

Hi,

 

Boeing in more trouble.

 

Boeing Shares Fall 6% After Goldman Sachs Downgrade

 

Goldman Sachs on Wednesday downgraded Boeing Co. to sell from neutral because a weaker economy and high jet fuel prices are likely to translate into significanlty less aircraft orders. "We also expect consensus estimates to be revised down as delivery rates and margin expansion, which is driven by rising delivery rates and pricing from strong orders, will likely disappoint," the investment firm said in a note to investors. Additioanly, Goldman Sachs said it expects more problems with the 787 Dreamliner program as the new plane begins its first flight tests later this year. Boeing shares were down nearly 6% at last check to $70.30.

 

 

Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.

[eltib 54]

Hi,

 

Boeing in more trouble.

 

Boeing Shares Fall 6% After Goldman Sachs Downgrade

 

Boeing shares were down nearly 6% at last check to $70.30.

Copyright © 2008 MarketWatch, Inc.

 

Now down to 68.21

 

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Boeing Co.'s McDonnell Douglas Corp. received a $273.3 million contract from the Air Force for continued maintenance of the C-17 Globemaster III flexible cargo aircraft, the Pentagon said late Thursday.

Shares of Chicago-based Boeing fell $1.47 to $66.74 in morning trading Friday.

 

 

 

And Boeing stocks go down further...

 

Real Time quote

 

BOEING CO(NYSE: BA)

After Hours: 66.92 0.00 (0.00%)4:07PM EThelp

Edited June 27, 2008 by eltib

[JONPAT 222]

Would it be off topic if we were to guess how low BA will go before hitting bottom for its stock price ?

 

I'm thinking $55.00

[BigDUSA 71]

Airbus Military has rolled out the first A400M military transport aircraft from the final assembly line for the new airlifter in Seville, Spain.

 

 

Designed initially to a requirement from European air forces for a new airlifter, the A400M incorporates materials and technology being used in the newest civil jets. The new aircraft incorporates features such as electronic flight controls, carbon composite structures and an automated handling system will bring new standards of operability and safety to military aircrews.

 

 

Launched under a single contract in 2003 with orders for 180 aircraft from seven European launch customers, the A400M is the most ambitious military procurement program ever undertaken in Europe.

 

 

Launch customer nations Belgium, France, Luxembourg, Germany, Spain, Turkey and the United Kingdom were later joined by Malaysia and South Africa, which ordered the A400M for their own requirements and brought commitments for the new airlifter to 192 aircraft. Chile, too, has signed a letter of intent to acquire A400Ms.

 

 

"This event demonstrates our joint determination to show that EADS can design and manufacture a long-range military transport aircraft which will set new standards in airlift and open further potential in international markets. It also serves to justify the confidence which our customers placed in us when awarding the initial contract," said Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS, parent of both Airbus Military and Airbus.

 

 

The initial 180-aircraft contract, worth some 20 billion euros ($31.16 billion), was signed between Airbus Military and OCCAR, (Organisation Conjointe de Coordination en matière d'Armement), the contractual body representing all seven European customer nations).

 

 

Airbus Military designed the A400M to be versatile enough to offer both tactical and strategic airlift capability. With a payload of up to 37 tonnes over ranges of up to 4,700 nautical miles (5,409 miles), the A400M is designed to carry all loads and vehicles in the European Staff Requirement (ESR) inventory, serve as an aerial delivery platform and act as an in-flight tanker for both fast jets and helicopters.

 

 

Typically, the A400M will be capable of carrying a 32-tonne payload over 2,000 miles, and can carry up to 116 paratroopers, according to the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD). It will be able to drop cargo by parachute, by gravity extraction from its loading ramp, or by landing on rough landing strips. The Royal Air Force's A400M fleet will be based at Brize Norton in Oxfordshire, the RAF's main transport-aircraft hub.

 

 

The turboprop-powered A400M will be able to travel at speeds comparable with jet transports both at low level and at altitude, according to the MOD. The crew of three, comprising two pilots and a loadmaster, will have available the same advanced flight-deck and cabin technology used in the latest Airbus commercial jet programs, such as the A380.

 

 

EADS says the A400M is the first truly new military transport aircraft of its category designed in over 30 years, with twice the capacity and twice the payload of the aircraft types that it will replace in European service.

 

 

The A400M is powered by four new-generation TP400-D6 turboprop engines, developed, manufactured and supported by EuroProp International (EPI). EPI is a European joint venture company, the partners of which are Rolls-Royce, Snecma Moteurs, MTU Aero Engines and Industria deTurbopropulsores (ITP).

 

 

EPI's TP400-D6 engine is rated at more than 11,000 shaft horsepower. It drives Ratier-Figeac FH386 advanced-airfoil propellers that allow the aircraft to fly up to a cruise speed of Mach 0.72.

[eltib 54]

Would it be off topic if we were to guess how low BA will go before hitting bottom for its stock price ?

 

I'm thinking $55.00

 

Nope...

[BigDUSA 71]

PARIS - Shares in European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. fell Thursday after a U.S. government agency recommended reopening a $35 billion U.S. Air Force tanker contract that it won with partner Northrop Grumman.

 

In Paris trading, shares in Airbus parent company EADS fell 2.5 percent to close at 13.21 euros ($20.48).

 

The General Accounting Office said it found "a number of significant errors" in the selection process that led to the Air Force awarding one of its biggest contracts in decades to Northrup and EADS instead of U.S. competitor Boeing Co. The decision is not binding, but it puts heavy pressure on the Air Force to reopen the contract and could help Boeing capture part or all of the deal.

 

For EADS, breaking into the world's largest military market is crucial to CEO Louis Gallois' strategy of reducing the group's dependence on the commercial airliner market.

 

Gallois said Wednesday he was "disappointed" with the GAO decision, but noted the evaluation concerned "the selection process, not the merits of the aircraft."

 

The Air Force's decision provoked fury among U.S. politicians, who objected to the military deal being awarded to an overseas contractor. Boeing had supplied refueling tankers to the Air Force for nearly 50 years.

 

Democratic presidential nominee Sen. Barack Obama lauded the GAO decision and called for a "fair and transparent" rebidding of the contract.

 

Sen. John McCain, the presumptive Republican presidential nominee who was instrumental in the Pentagon's long attempt to complete a deal on the tanker, called the GAO decision "unfortunate for the taxpayers."

 

Under the EADS-Northrop proposal, the tanker frame is to be based on the Airbus A330 passenger jet, and final assembly would take place in Mobile, Alabama. Civilian Airbus A330 freighters would be assembled there, too.

 

Europe would play a role in building the tanker, with the nose made in France, the wings in Britain and part of the fuselage in Germany.

 

Northrop said its tanker contract would support four new factories and 48,000 jobs with 230 U.S. suppliers.

 

Boeing estimates the tanker contract would support 44,000 new and existing jobs with more than 300 U.S. suppliers.

 

Boeing shares rose $1.93 to $76.58 on Thursday.