Showing posts with label T-7A. Show all posts
Showing posts with label T-7A. Show all posts

04 July, 2023

Saab welcomes first T-7A Red Hawk flight by USAF pilot



The first flight by a United States Air Force’s (USAF) pilot of a T-7A advanced jet trainer built during the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase took place on June 28 from St. Louis, USA.

The 63-minute flight by the USAF test pilot Maj. Bryce Turner, 416th Flight Test Squadron and Boeing T-7 chief test pilot Steve Schmidt, was observed by senior representatives of the USAF, Boeing, and Saab, as well as an audience who watched online via the internet.

“The first flight of the T-7A by a serving Air Force pilot is a historic achievement for the program and is a tribute to the years of hard work and dedication from Saab and Boeing,” said Erik Smith, President and CEO of Saab in the U.S.

Saab is responsible for the development and production of the fully installed aft section for T-7A. The seven afts produced at Saab in Linköping, Sweden are part of the EMD test aircraft. Saab has opened a state-of-the-art manufacturing facility West Lafayette, Indiana for the production series aircraft, which will be used for pilot training by the U.S. Air Force.

The T-7A program is currently in the EMD phase. The EMD phase includes engineering, verification and validation activities, test aircraft build, flight test support and preparation for series production. Saab’s first EMD delivery to Boeing was in April 2021. Since then, all further EMD deliveries were completed in just over a year. On April 28, 2022, Boeing and Saab rolled out the first T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer test aircraft built for the EMD phase. An initial trial flight of the EMD aircraft was performed earlier by a Boeing test pilot.

06 June, 2023

U.S. Air Force has 'fantastic' with Boeing despite vast delays and issues over T-7A Red Hawk training jet


The U.S. Air Force and Boeing say they have a great relationship despite a recent government report warning of a “tenuous” connection between the two over the delays for the T-7A Red Hawk training jet.  According to Breaking Defense the two parties have a solid relationship.

“I’d say our relationship is not tenuous. My relationship with my counterpart and my [program executive officer’s, or PEO’s] relationship with his counterpart are actually fantastic,” Col. Kirt Cassell, chief of the T-7A Red Hawk division, told Breaking Defense in a May 23 interview. “Collectively, the Air Force and Boeing have had some leadership changeover occur recently. And we are really hitting our stride together as a team.

“This is a fixed price contract, and with that, there could be a perception that the losses are driving a tenuous relationship,” he added, referencing the $1.1 billion Boeing has lost on the program to date, “but I’ll be honest with you, I’m really pleased with my counterpart. I know my PEO is terribly pleased with his counterpart.”



29 April, 2022

Saab delivers for the T-7A Flight Test Programme

During a roll-out ceremony on Thursday, April 28, the first T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer test aircraft built under the Engineering and Manufacturing Development (EMD) phase of the programme was revealed at Boeing’s production facilities in St Louis, Missouri, with senior representatives of the United States Air Force (USAF), Boeing, and Saab all in attendance.

The aircraft is part of a new, modern, and advanced pilot training system which will be delivered to the USAF, known as T-7A Red Hawk in honour of the Tuskegee Airmen.

"Today is the culmination of years of work, design, and partnership between Boeing and Saab. Saab’s knowledge and expertise contributed to the design and production of this world-class trainer, with more than a thousand Saab employees involved. Collectively we set out an ambitious vision: to redefine what a trainer jet is, but also how they are made, and we have succeeded,” said Saab’s President and CEO Micael Johansson.

“This programme has significantly grown our U.S. operations, fulfilling Saab’s promise of U.S. jobs, technology transfer and local economic benefits. Saab’s new advanced manufacturing and production facility for the fully installed aft fuselage of the T-7A Red Hawk, located in West Lafayette, Indiana, is a testament to Saab’s commitment to the U.S. as a multi-domestic company,” said Micael Johansson.

With the T-7A Red Hawk, Boeing and Saab have applied an innovative digital strategy for design, development, and production of military aircraft. For several years, model-based engineering has been integral to Saab’s success – first, with the development of Gripen E, and now, as part of the T-7 program.

The close working partnership between Boeing and Saab enabled the programme to deliver an all-new aircraft in record time, through a relentless focus on efficiency and accuracy.

The next steps for the program include a first flight for the EMD T-7A and Saab’s continued knowledge and technology transfer to its U.S. operations.





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17 May, 2021

First T-7A Red Hawk joined in record time

 
In one historic moment, the front fuselage of the first Boeing [NYSE: BA]-Saab T-7A Red Hawk advanced trainer was joined perfectly with its aft section in less than 30 minutes — a testament to the digital heritage of the U.S. Air Force’s first “eSeries” aircraft and witness to the benefits of model-based engineering and 3D design.

The digital splice was completed in 95% less time than traditional splices and with substantial quality improvements.

“This moment marks a key stage in the evolution of the T-7A Red Hawk,” said Chuck Dabundo, vice president and program manager of Boeing T-7 programs. “Employing digitally advanced manufacturing and build techniques developed by Boeing over the past two decades, we are bringing this trainer to future pilots sooner than ever before possible and with greater quality.”

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