James Bell, Boeing’s chief financial officer, recently cast doubt on whether the Boeing 767 will be the company’s entrant in the anticipated tanker replacement competition. He said this not because it couldn’t do the job, but because he thinks it’s possible the Pentagon may change the requirements. Bell told the Seattle Times that he would expect the company’s 767 to win a tanker competition if the specifications remain fairly true to USAF’s previously identified criteria. If not, he said, “we will respond with a different platform.” He did not disclose what that might be.
The Smithsonian’s announcement that an F-117A Nighthawk, tail number 85-0818, is headed to the Smithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum, or NASM, is welcome news. The acquisition of this Nighthawk fills a long-standing historical gap—indeed, need—in the collections of what is generally considered the world’s premier air and space…
