ST. LOUIS–Featuring a stubby and compact aircraft design, Boeing [BA] designed its T-X trainer offering from scratch for affordability with an eye on meeting the Air Force’s threshold requirements, according to a key executive.
“Size relates to cost,” Darryl Davis, president of Phantom Works at Boeing defense, space and security, told reporters here Tuesday. “The smaller and more compact (the aircraft), the more the requirements you can meet (and) the more affordable it is. The Air Force asked us to focus on meeting the threshold requirements and that’s what we’re about doing, really driving cost down.”
Boeing’s T-X offering is a single engine aircraft powered by a General Electric [GE] F404 engine that Davis said is in the classic Hornet fighter jet. It features two wings in the back, which Davis said is for maneuverability in high angle of attack. Davis said the Air Force asked for 25 degrees angle of attack in its requirements for T-X, which is formally known as the Air Force’s Advanced Pilot Training Systems (APTS). He added that typically aircraft tails can be “grown” to be extremely large for high angle of attack, but that Boeing chose to pursue a different path.
Boeing’s T-X offering also features stadium seating, an advanced cockpit with embedded training, according to a company statement. Boeing also believes its T-X offering offers state-of-the-art ground ground-based training and a maintenance-friendly design for long-term supportability.
Boeing is taking secrecy of its cockpit solution seriously. The company covered up the cockpit on the T-X that was on ceremonial display here and Davis declined to provide specifics to reporters about the cockpit, other than it would be all glass.
Saab is Boeing’s “principal partner” on T-X. While Davis and Saab officials were coy about the work share involved for each company, Davis said Saab brought a lot of subsystem reuse from its Gripen fighter jet. Saab North America President and CEO Michael Andersson said the company is responsible for the aft portion of the aircraft, including subsystems.
Boeing has built one T-X aircraft, which was on display during an unveiling ceremony, and another that looked about 50 percent complete in another building on Boeing’s campus here. These two aircraft are production aircraft.
This second jet, Davis said, is ready for a structural fuel test in a few weeks. Davis said Boeing has not determined where it would build all 351 aircraft if the company won the contract, but it would build its five engineering and manufacturing development (EMD) aircraft in St. Louis.
Boeing’s first T-X aircraft has not flown yet, Davis said, but flight testing would begin before the end of the year. He said the aircraft would be flown to prove key performance parameters (KPP) as part of an accelerated flight test program. Davis said flight testing would begin on Boeing/Saab money.
Davis said while there is no requirement for weapons carriage on T-X, Boeing’s offering is capable of accommodating two “hard points.” Boeing is also eyeing foreign military sales (FMS) for T-X, Davis said, but the company knows that will be difficult if the company doesn’t win the contract. He said the company would reconsider if it didn’t win.
The aircraft is also designed to accommodate aerial refueling. Davis said while the Air Force did not require an aerial refueling capability, the company included it so the service could implement it, if desired.
T-X will replace the Air Force’s T-38 trainers. Initial operational capability (IOC) is planned for 2024. T-X could be worth as much as $8.8 billion. Other companies interested in bidding for T-X include Lockheed Martin [LMT] with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI); Northrop Grumman [NOC] with L-3 Communications [LLL] and BAE Systems; Raytheon [RTN] with Leonardo, CAE [CAE] and Honeywell [HON] and possibly [TXT].
The final request for proposals (RFP) is expected by the end of 2016.