Jun 15
JobelleAir Force, News Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik, Boeing C-17 Globemaster, C-17 airlifter, C-17 Globemaster III, C-17 sale, c17 globemaster, Foreign Military Sales, Globemaster C-17, IAF
Air Chief Marshal P.V. Naik told India Strategic defence magazine in an interview that while the government had accorded approval earlier this month to buy 10 aircraft, the air force was now processing a case for six more of these airlifters.
At a later date, “we will add some more,” he disclosed but did not specify the number.
Naik said that IAF’s existing Soviet-vintage IL-76 heavy-lift aircraft would last approximately another 10 years, and the induction of the C-17 Globemaster IIIs during this period would be a timely replacement. India has less than 20 IL-76 in a dedicated transport role, while there are six midair refuellers designated Il-78, and another three to house the Israeli Phalcon AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems).
The IAF has to replace the old aircraft and also augment its capability and capacity in accordance with the current and emerging security situation in the region in the foreseeable future.
The Indian government has just cleared the deal for 10 C-17s for $4.1 billion, and together with another six aircraft, the deal would be for around $6.5 billion, inclusive of the 30 percent offset clause.
The US government, and the Congress, has already cleared the deal under the government-to-government Foreign Military Sales (FMS) programme and it would be sealed once the Indian government signs the agreement and the US government issues what is called the LoA, or Letter of Acceptance, possibly by mid-June, to sell the aircraft to India.
Reliable sources, however, say the IAF could opt for eight more aircraft, in which case the deal for the C-17s could touch about $10 billion or so.
Source: The Economic Times
Sep 05
TynibelleArmy, Blog Articles, News Biofuel, C-17 Globemaster III, c17, c17 globemaster, US Air Force, USAF
A C-17 Globemaster III flew on all engines using fuel infused with JP-8, biofuel derived in part from animal fat, and synthetic fuel derived from coal.
The 418th Flight Test Squadron conducted the flight test from Aug. 23 to 27; thus, reaching a new milestone in the US Air Force’s ongoing alternative fuels certification efforts. Also, the flight was a first for any Department of Defense aircraft where a 50 percent mix of JP-8 was blended with 25 percent renewable biofuel and 25 percent fuel derived from the Fischer-Tropsch process, which is essentially liquified coal or natural gas.
It was also the first time an aircraft from Edwards Air Force Base in California had used fuel derived from beef tallow, which is essentially waste animal fat.
Lt. Gen. Mark D. Shackelford the military deputy to the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition said “The C-17 fleet is the biggest Air Force consumer of jet fuel annually,” adding “This is a big step forward in achieving the Air Force’s energy goal of increasing the available supply of fuel by acquiring half of the Air Force’s domestic jet fuel requirement from domestically derived, environmentally friendly alternative sources by 2016.”
The Air Force, for several years, has been looking at alternate sources of fuel to support their operations, said James Holther, a 418th FLTS project engineer for biofuel testing. “The first thing the Air Force did was look at Fischer-Tropsch fuels that use natural gas or coal as the feedstock, and this is just a continuation of that ongoing effort.”
The hydro-treated renewable jet fuel, or HRJ, used by the C-17 contains biomass that can be made from either animal fats or plant extracts such as camelina, a weed-like plant not used for food. The HRJ is blended with regular JP-8 jet fuel for the testing to gather data to support Air Force transport aircraft certification on alternative fuels from various feedstocks.
“When the certification effort is completed, it won’t matter what feed stock or process was used to make the fuel, we will simply call it JP-8,’” said Jeff Braun, the director of the Air Force Fuel Certification Office.
The testing process featured the C-17 flying with different combinations of HRJ and JP-8. The testing required the C-17 to perform several maneuvers at different altitudes such as decelerating and then accelerating, to see how the plane responds with the HRJ mixed in, Holther said.
The flight testing culminated Aug. 27 with the C-17 using a blend of HRJ: JP-8 and a Fischer-Tropsch fuel mixture: 50 percent JP-8, 25 percent HRJ and 25 percent Fischer-Tropsch. The potential use of alternative fuels could provide the Air Force with more options and greater flexibility in the future.
According to Holther, successful testing of the HRJ with the C-17 will be used by the AFCO office to support certification of the biofuel in military and commercial transport aircraft.
- planenews.com
-wikipedia.org
Jun 24
TynibelleBlog Articles, Trivia a10 thunderbolt, ac-130, c-130, c-130 hercules, c-130h, c17, c17 globemaster, cv 22, cv-22 osprey, f117, f117 nighthawk, f14, f15, f15 eagles, f16, f16 falcon, F16 fighter, f22, f22 raptor, hh-53, hh-53 super jolly green giant, mh-53, mh-53 pave low, mq-1, mq-1 predator, raptor, sr-71, sr-71 blackbird, su-27, Sukhoi, super jolly green giant, super valkyrie, tomcat, USS john c. stennis, uss stennis, vf-1s
Transformers movie poster (2007)
Aside from helicopters, other aircraft have been featured and continue to be featured in Hollywood films. Usually, warplanes star in action films to bring more oomph to the films. But these bad boys don’t come cheap because they cost thousands of dollars to “act.” Some go for solely CGI instead. Still, these thousand-dollar aircraft bring in more audiences so no loss but more gain for the producers.
Director Michael Bay on set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
One movie that incorporated both real aircraft and CGI is the blockbuster film Transformers. Other than land vehicles, this film used aircraft like an F-22 Raptor for the character Starscream. Starscream is one of the enemy Decepticons which originally transforms into an F-15 Eagle based on the cartoon movie The Transformers: The Movie which was released on August 8, 1986.
Real airmen as extras on the set of Transformers at Holloman Air Force Base
Other aircraft used were F-117 Nighthawks, CV-22 Osprey, A-10 Thunderbolt II, C-17 Globemaster III, MH-53 Pave Low, HH-53 Super Jolly Green Giant, AC-130 Gunship, C-130 Hercules, MQ-1 Predator, and Air Force One. Looks like these bad boys aren’t just cutout for war but also for “acting”, too, so move aside Herbie.
Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen movie poster (2009)
Most of us thought that prominent fighter aircraft used in first Transformers film were mind-blowing but our whole heads got blown off when we saw the sequel Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen. Starring again was the C-17 Globemaster III, and new planes like the F-16 Fighting Falcon and the SR-71 Blackbird. The SR-71 Blackbird was used for the character Jetfire. This character was depicted as a VF-1S Super Valkyrie, as an F-14 Tomcat, and as a Sukhoi SU-27 In earlier toy models.
On set of Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen at Smithsonian Air and Space museum
Part of the SR-71 Blackbird on set of the sequel
Autobots logo on the tail fin of Michael Bay's private jet
Though not an aircraft, another bad boy… girl rather, was featured in the sequel. The USS John C. Stennis aircraft also starred in the film making it bigger and better.
The USS John C. Stennis carrier
On board the USS John C. Stennis carrier for Revenge of the Fallen
Actor Josh Duhamel as Capt. William Lenox
Aside from blowing our minds and/or heads off, Hollywood blockbusters keep us asking for more and with Transformers 3 being released on the 1st of July next year, will it finally blow every bit of us away?
-af.mil - transformerslive.blogspot.com
-youtube.com -transformers.moviechronicles.com
-wikipedia.org
Nov 19
NinaBlog Articles c-17 globemaster, c17 globemaster
Airmen aboard C-17 Globemaster IIIs from Hickam AFB transported dolphins from the Navy Marine Mammals Program in San Diego, Calif., to Noumea, New Caledonia, Nov. 8 to locate and dispose of more than 200 contact mines that were leftover from World War II.
The active-duty and Reserve C-17 aircrew from Hickam AFB helped deliver the dolphins for Lagoon Minex 2009, a humanitarian project in which U.S. forces along with French, Australian and New Zealand military will work together Nov. 9 to 20 to locate and dispose of the World War II mines.
The dolphins are integral to the exercise because of their biological sonar capabilities. They are used for underwater surveillance and mine detection, location, marking and recovery.
The organizers of the exercise couldn’t afford to transport the animals to New Caledonia. Assistance arrived with the cooperation of a C-17 crew from the 535th Airlift Squadron here and a Reserve C-17 crew from the 452nd Air Mobility Wing from March Air Reserve Base, Calif. Through current projects and training missions, a plan was put into action to get the dolphins moved.
The nine-person crew from Hickam AFB said they were happy to do their part in this worthwhile exercise.
Airmen from McChord Air Force Base, Wash., will take the mammals back to San Diego at the end of the exercise.
Dolphins are not the typical cargo for a C-17.
Oct 29
NinaBlog Articles C-17, c-17 globemaster, C-17 Globemaster III, c17 globemaster
The first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III purchased by the NATO Airlift Management Organization and the Strategic Airlift Capability (SAC) consortium officially joined the Heavy Airlift Wing (HAW) at Papa Air Base, Hungary, as part of a ceremony commemorating the activation of a new airlift capability for 10 NATO and two Partnership for Peace nations.
The advanced airlifter, known as SAC 01, is the first of three C-17s that will be assigned to the HAW in western Hungary this year and will soon start flying missions in support of the International Security Assistance Force operations in Afghanistan.
The unique SAC approach to shared use of the strategic airlifter is viewed as a model for the future acquisition and management of defense capabilities. The SAC nations will share acquisition and operating costs for the C-17s over the nearly 30-year course of the agreement. SAC 01 has been contributed by the United States, a member of the consortium. Hungary agreed to both host the wing at Papa Air Base and to register the C-17s under the Hungarian flag.
“Boeing is proud that the C-17 is a part of this historic day,” said Jean Chamberlin, Boeing vice president, Global Mobility Systems. “It’s the only aircraft capable of performing all of SAC’s airlift missions – strategic and tactical, military and humanitarian, brigade airdrop and aeromedical evacuation — and it can do all of that using standard runways or short, austere airfields.”
The SAC group includes 10 NATO nations — Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovenia, United States — and Partnership for Peace members Sweden and Finland.
Oct 05
NinaBlog Articles C-17, C-17 Globemaster III, C-17 Globemaster III model plane, c17, c17 globemaster
McChord Air Force Airmen deployed a U.S.-based Federal Emergency Management Agency team to American Samoa aboard a C-17 Globemaster III in the wake of a 7.6 magnitude undersea earthquake that caused a devastating tsunami to strike the region.
Airmen transported a nine-person FEMA team and their telecommunications and logistics equipment to the region.
The FEMA personnel are part of the Seattle-based FEMA Global Emergency Response Support team.
“We could not do this without the U.S. Air Force at McChord providing the air frame to the get this emergency response equipment and team to the people in Samoa in need of aid,” said Lee Champange, the Global Emergency Response Support director. “We are re-establishing communications that had been wiped out. The Air Force is transporting our computers, video equipment, telecommunications equipment and logistical equipment so we can set up to conduct a response and recover.”
“Easing suffering is an extremely gratifying mission,” said Col. Kevin Kilb, the 62nd Airlift Wing commander. “This is the most capable airlifter in the world for this and many other missions, and humanitarian relief is one of the most satisfying missions we fly.”
Multiple McChord AFB Airmen and C-17s remain postured for additional relief taskings.
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