Brig Gen David Heinz, the F-35's new program executive, spoke to several reporters today about a wide range of program activities. Here are a few bits from my notebook while I continue to work on the news article.
1. Heinz said he believes that the benefits of an engine war may outweigh the $1 billion price tag to complete development of the GE/Rolls-Royce F136 engine. With the F-35 replacing the F-16, F/A-18C/D and AV-8B fleets, a safety-critical flaw in the F135 could pose an unacceptable operational risk. The 1980s engine war also produced a 20% price cut, and this could be repeated, he said. At the same time, Heinz also said that he "categorically supports" the DOD's FY10 budget request that eliminates funding for the F136.
2. The BF-1 prototype will fly in late June. It must complete eight check-out flights in Fort Worth to validate a software fix. Then it will qualify for aerial refuelling, and then ferry to NAS Patuxent River, Maryland, in August. There it will build down to its first pure vertical landing over 12 flgihts likely ending in late September or early October, Heinz said.
3. The flight test phase still has plenty of schedule margin. The 12-aircraft test fleet is budgeted to complete 12 sorties a month per aircraft. The flight test phase includes 5,000 flight test sorites and 10,000 flight hours, Heinz said. If test aircraft deliveries are further delayed, the program can add more sorties per month to complete testing on time, he said.
4. The BG-1 static test aircraft was delivered two months late, Heinz said. But BG-1's static tests are already back on schedule becauase modeling of the aircraft's expected performance exceeded predictions, he said.
5. Secretary of Defense Robert Gates' statement on 6 April that the F-35's FY10 request amounted to $11.2 billion was a mathematical error, Heinz said. The correct figure for the 30-aircraft buy is $10.4 billion, which was the number forwarded to Congress on 7 May. Heinz added that $800 million was not removed from the program. The $11.2 billion figure must simply have been the result of mistaken arithmatic by Gates' staff.
on June 3, 2009 5:21 AM | Reply
i am so amazed at the restraint of the JSF team. many individuals have the pitchforks out to get this project and yet they still carry on in a professional manner not responding to the vitriol being fired at them. i am impressed.
on June 3, 2009 6:24 AM | Reply
Solomon- From conversations with the JSF guys, what I gather is that they realize that the people who matter know the true capabilities of the plane and that the program has the backing of those said people.
Frankly, most of the vitriol comes from people who don't matter and have no qualifications to back up their claims and can thus mainly be ignored because of their irrelevance.
on June 3, 2009 9:22 AM | Reply
6. USMC IOC in 2012 is a fantasy because ...
7. The flight test program is way behind.
8. He has no choice but to support the 2010 budget. But having said that, if the engine isn't killed, this will hurt the program (no fault to team JSF here).
9. "The flight test phase still has plenty of schedule margin. The 12-aircraft test fleet is budgeted to complete 12 sorties a month per aircraft. The flight test phase includes 5,000 flight test sorites and 10,000 flight hours, Heinz said. If test aircraft deliveries are further delayed, the program can add more sorties per month to complete testing on time, he said."
Little of that is believable... and he got away with that statement right in front of a bunch of reporters.
10.#5, And there is another $143 million in a USAF unfunded list for FY2010 (item number 4) which begs why it wasn't in the mainline budget if the justification is to be believed; to provide support equipment and keep costs down on the program.
Softball.
on June 3, 2009 1:20 PM | Reply
Well, let's be fair. I'm a journalist, not an analyst. Heinz's believability is a judgment that is not my place to make. We can question his statements. And we did. But unless I have direct evidence in my hand to prove him wrong (which I'd welcome, by the way!), my job is write down what he says and wait to see whether it proves to be true or false.
on June 3, 2009 4:50 PM | Reply
solomon
You are right about some things.
My opinon doesnt matter right.
But i never ever said that the JSF was a bad plane.
I just have doubts about chanceling the F-22A, retiring 250 pls planes and speeding up the JSF before the testprogramm is finish.
And the other thing is if we look into the past the thought that number will go down isnt that unrealistic.
The 1760 or whatever for the AF are not set in stone, there is a fair chance that it will drop.
on June 3, 2009 6:16 PM | Reply
Dave,
a brilliant explanation of the "why's" behind the restraint...plus your point was just proven in the comments section;))
on June 3, 2009 6:37 PM | Reply
Solomon, I wish I could take credit, but the one of the JSF guy pretty much explicitly told me that's their line of reasoning.
on June 4, 2009 8:17 PM | Reply
> 3. The flight test phase still has plenty of schedule margin. The 12-aircraft test fleet is budgeted to complete 12 sorties a month per aircraft. The flight test phase includes 5,000 flight test sorites and 10,000 flight hours
And what test sortie rate will be demonstrated in FY2009? The last four test aircraft will be delivered in 2010, so 8 ac * 12 flights/mo/ac * 7mo = 672 flights. We won't have to wait long to see if that's realistic...