If all stays on track, the Air Force technical community could see an advanced composite cargo aircraft flight demonstrator (see above) by Sept. 30, 2008. Barth Shenk, program manager, told us earlier this week, that AFRL’s Air Vehicles Directorate is now evaluating proposals submitted last month and expects to finalize its recommendation by the end of this month. Besides asking for a “detailed design description,” the only constraint placed upon contractors was to be innovative and use close to production-ready composite materials. Schenk said that AFRL wants contractors to be free to build aircraft by unconventional means, and in unconventional ways.
A-10s Headed to CENTCOM to Bolster Air Force Presence
March 23, 2023
As the Air Force’s broader focus shifts to the Pacific and Europe, the U.S. military will rely on aging close air support aircraft to meet the needs of its forces in the Middle East. A-10 Thunderbolt IIs will deploy to the region in April, a U.S. official told Air &…