| Issue 5 | Volume 144 | Tuesday, September 29, 2015 | theavion.com |
Photo Courtesy: The Boeing Company The Boeing-built KC-46A Pegasus tanker takes off on its first flight, from Paine Field, Everett, Wash. to Boeing Field, Seattle. The KC-46A is a multirole tanker Boeing is building for the U.S. Air Force that can refuel all allied and coalition military aircraft compatible with international aerial refueling procedures and can carry passengers, cargo and patients. (Photograph and caption courtesy of The Boeing Company)
Boeing KC-46A Pegasus Tanker Takes Flight
Micah Knight Managing Editor On the afternoon of Friday, September 25, a charcoal grey aircraft lifted off from Boeing’s Paine Field runway in Everett, Washington. The aircraft was the KC-46 “Pegasus,” the first flight of a new generation of aerial refueling tankers. During the flight, Boeing engineers and an Air Force team tested the engines, flight controls, and environmental systems before taking the plane to its maximum altitude of 35,000 feet. After a four-hour flight, the first KC-46 landed at Boeing Field in Seattle. The Air Force’s current aerial refueling tanker fleet, comprised of KC-135 Stratotankers is over 50 years old - it was introduced
in 1957, and the last one was produced in 1965. The older the planes get, the more maintenance, overhaul time, and cost is required to maintain the fleet. KC-135 operations and support costs were about $2.2 billion in 2003, and are projected to grow to $5.1 billion for 2017. In 2003, the Air Force began slowly replacing KC-135 tankers with leased Boeing 767 airframes, which were modified to be tankers. However, the lease contract was much more expensive than it would have cost to purchase the planes, and allegations of corruption were filed. An investigation discovered that an Air Force procurement officer was negotiating a job with Boeing while negotiating contracts with
the company. Boeing’s CFO was terminated, the CEO resigned, and the company paid $615 million in fines. In 2006 the Air Force requested proposals for a new tanker aircraft program. After considering a 777-based tanker model, Boeing finally decided to modify the 767 into a tanker and went through a number of revisions before their final bid. After a lengthy selection process, in 2011 the Air Force announced the selection of Boeing’s “KC-767” aircraft for the KC-135 replacement program. The new model of aircraft would have the military designation KC-46 “Pegasus.” The KC-46 has a cargo deck above the refueling system, allowing it to carry
more passengers and cargo than the KC-135. The passenger space gives it room to be a useful medical evacuation aircraft. The Pegasus can hold more fuel than the Stratotanker, though not a substantial amount more, and can fuel any U.S., allied, or coalition aircraft equipped with midair refueling capability. The pilots are given 15-in, 787-style advanced electronic displays to optimize flight parameters, and the refueling boom operator has a 24-inch display with a 3-D picture. The modern avionics will make the plane simpler and easier for pilots to fly, rather than having to learn 50-year old cockpit layouts and avionics. Boeing will produce 179 of the tankers by 2027 as
the first stage of the Air Force’s KC-135 replacement project. It is still to be determined what the Air Force will do in the coming decades to replace the rest of the fleet, but some KC-135s may be in service for 100 years before being replaced. Boeing initially modified 767 airframes before reconfiguring the airframes for the KC-46. The KC-46 had a wiring issue in 2014 which set the program back several months. The first flight comes seven months after schedule, but the aircraft is scheduled to perform aerial refueling with various Air Force planes later this year. Boeing and the Air Force have announced that the goal of the delivery of 18 tankers by August 2017 will still be met.
Toyota Developing “Flying” Car Keenan Thungtrakul Correspondent The idea of a flying car has been around since the first cars were rolling off the production line at the first automobile factories. So far, every attempt to take a stab at creating a flying car has been met with failure. A fatal crash back when the concept was still popular had
derailed further efforts into this science-fiction kind of invention. Now, the Japanese-based Toyota Motor Company is taking a new shot at developing a flying car suitable for the production market. The drawings from the patent application filed March 2014 showed the car having a front shaped like an airplane nose with a tail on the end for a rudder. Mul-
tiple airfoils will be stacked atop each other. A practical flying car would be able to function like an airplane yet still be able to be drive on a road surface and park in a garage rather than a hangar. Toyota plans to have two modes available for the car: “roadable” mode and flight mode. With road mode, the wings are collapsed and brought against the top of
the car; for flight, they can then be extended for flight. Despite the evident blend of car and airplane, an official from Toyota has said that the plan does not entail a full-fledged flying car but rather a model that can act like a hovercraft and get off the road a bit to reduce friction and possibly increase fuel mileage. The airfoils themselves showed no indications of ailerons or eleva-
tors for roll and pitch control, though the possibility to include them is still there. While this may be the best shot yet at getting personal airborne vehicles affordably, the whole design process is only beginning. There is a lot more to do and a lot more processes to execute before flying cars hit the road, but eventually they will. It is just a matter of time.
Eagle Alert:
Chad Bullock Campus Safety & Security Multiple vehicles were broken into while parked in the Enterprise and Yeager Lots in the early morning hours of Saturday, September 26th. These were smash and grabs that happened very quickly. Campus Safety & Security along with Daytona Beach Police are continuing to investigate the incident. We remind you to increase your awareness and be alert in all parking lots on campus. Please call Campus Safety & Security immediately at 386-226SAFE (7233) if you see any suspicious activity. Always place all valuable property out of view and ensure your vehicle is locked and secured. Place valuables such as iPads, GPS devices and stereo equipment completely out of sight. Please contact the Campus Safety & Security Department at 386226-6480, for any questions or concerns. Call (386) 226-SAFE (7233) for emergencies.