Some Future Titles of Interest for SPF Members

Dagger said:
North American YF-93A Penetration Fighter (Air Force Legends Nr 227)

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Can't wait!
 

The RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter: Technical Accomplishment, Program Frustration (Library of Flight)​

On December 5, 2003, Lt. Gen Richard A. Cody, Army Deputy Chief of Staff and an experienced aviator, flew the Comanche. According to the January 2004 issue of National Defense he “…gave the aircraft a stellar review. …Cody said that the Comanche had ‘exceeded his expectations’ and was particularly impressed by the rotor system, engine response and control. Cody also reportedly said the aircraft was ‘easy to fly’ and should be put into the hands of soldiers as soon as possible.” Twelve weeks later the program was cancelled.

Mike Hirschberg, executive director of the Vertical Flight Society, wrote in the January/February 2017 issue of Vertiflite magazine: “The RAH-66 Comanche was the most advanced helicopter ever built. First, inadequate R&D funding levels during the Clinton administration stretched out its development over two decades. Then, with only two prototypes completed, the Comanche had to be sacrificed in 2003 to field upgrades to the existing U.S. Army rotorcraft fleet so it would remain viable in Afghanistan and Iraq.… This terrible choice was necessitated by the lack of sufficient funds for vertical lift aviation.”

So, what happened? How did Comanche become expendable? How did a program that was originally scheduled to enter Low Rate Initial Production in 1996 get delayed to 2011? How did an aircraft originally designed to replace the Army's light scout/attack fleet grow to become a virtual replacement for the much larger, heavier AH-64 Apache?

This is a story of great accomplishment and much frustration. The program never stayed stable for more than a few years at a time. From 1991 to 2004 Comanche went through six program restructures, mostly due to reductions and stretch-outs in Army funding. This is the story of a program that enjoyed strong support at the most senior levels of the Army and DoD – until it didn't.

This is the Comanche history, as told by the some of the key members of the Comanche development team.
 

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RAP said:

The RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter: Technical Accomplishment, Program Frustration (Library of Flight)​

On December 5, 2003, Lt. Gen Richard A. Cody, Army Deputy Chief of Staff and an experienced aviator, flew the Comanche. According to the January 2004 issue of National Defense he “…gave the aircraft a stellar review. …Cody said that the Comanche had ‘exceeded his expectations’ and was particularly impressed by the rotor system, engine response and control. Cody also reportedly said the aircraft was ‘easy to fly’ and should be put into the hands of soldiers as soon as possible.” Twelve weeks later the program was cancelled.

Mike Hirschberg, executive director of the Vertical Flight Society, wrote in the January/February 2017 issue of Vertiflite magazine: “The RAH-66 Comanche was the most advanced helicopter ever built. First, inadequate R&D funding levels during the Clinton administration stretched out its development over two decades. Then, with only two prototypes completed, the Comanche had to be sacrificed in 2003 to field upgrades to the existing U.S. Army rotorcraft fleet so it would remain viable in Afghanistan and Iraq.… This terrible choice was necessitated by the lack of sufficient funds for vertical lift aviation.”

So, what happened? How did Comanche become expendable? How did a program that was originally scheduled to enter Low Rate Initial Production in 1996 get delayed to 2011? How did an aircraft originally designed to replace the Army's light scout/attack fleet grow to become a virtual replacement for the much larger, heavier AH-64 Apache?

This is a story of great accomplishment and much frustration. The program never stayed stable for more than a few years at a time. From 1991 to 2004 Comanche went through six program restructures, mostly due to reductions and stretch-outs in Army funding. This is the story of a program that enjoyed strong support at the most senior levels of the Army and DoD – until it didn't.

This is the Comanche history, as told by the some of the key members of the Comanche development team.
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Looks highly interesting RAP, any ideas as to where I can get a copy?
 
Dagger said:
The new F-35 book looks to be interesting. Some info on the authors:

Tom Burbage was the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. In that position, he led the Concept Demonstration Phase and Lockheed Martin’s competitive selection as the Prime Contractor in October 2001. He then led the first decade of the program design, development, test and production. Prior to his assignment on the F-35, he led the F-22 Raptor development program and was the President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company. Before joining Lockheed Martin, Tom was a Naval Aviator, completing the US Navy Test Pilot School and accumulating more than 3,000 flight hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. He received a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the US Naval Academy and holds master's degrees in Aeronautical Systems from the University of West Florida and Business Administration from UCLA.

Betsy Clark has had a front-row seat to the F-35 Program and has watched it evolve over the past 12 years. She first became involved as a member of a review team from the US Department of Defense in 2010 and has participated in eight additional reviews, providing independent advice to the Australian Defense Department on the status of the program. Betsy began her career in 1979 after earning her doctorate in cognitive psychology. Betsy has spent the past 35 years studying large, complex software development projects and has reviewed countless defense projects in the US and Australia.

Adrian Pitman was the Director of Acquisition Engineering Improvement in the Australian Defence Materiel Organization (DMO when he was tasked in 2011 to lead an independent Australian review of the F-35 Program prior to Australia formally committing to buy the first 14 of 100 F-35 aircraft. Adrian subsequently participated in a total of nine F-35 reviews, up until 2015. Adrian has spent 55 years of military service in the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Department of Defence. Over this time, he has worked or been associated with, five generations of British, French and USA jet fighter aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
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Some credibility which is nice
 
GTX said:
Dagger said:
The new F-35 book looks to be interesting. Some info on the authors:

Tom Burbage was the Executive Vice President and General Manager of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Program. In that position, he led the Concept Demonstration Phase and Lockheed Martin’s competitive selection as the Prime Contractor in October 2001. He then led the first decade of the program design, development, test and production. Prior to his assignment on the F-35, he led the F-22 Raptor development program and was the President of the Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems Company. Before joining Lockheed Martin, Tom was a Naval Aviator, completing the US Navy Test Pilot School and accumulating more than 3,000 flight hours in 38 different types of military aircraft. He received a bachelor's degree in Aerospace Engineering from the US Naval Academy and holds master's degrees in Aeronautical Systems from the University of West Florida and Business Administration from UCLA.

Betsy Clark has had a front-row seat to the F-35 Program and has watched it evolve over the past 12 years. She first became involved as a member of a review team from the US Department of Defense in 2010 and has participated in eight additional reviews, providing independent advice to the Australian Defense Department on the status of the program. Betsy began her career in 1979 after earning her doctorate in cognitive psychology. Betsy has spent the past 35 years studying large, complex software development projects and has reviewed countless defense projects in the US and Australia.

Adrian Pitman was the Director of Acquisition Engineering Improvement in the Australian Defence Materiel Organization (DMO when he was tasked in 2011 to lead an independent Australian review of the F-35 Program prior to Australia formally committing to buy the first 14 of 100 F-35 aircraft. Adrian subsequently participated in a total of nine F-35 reviews, up until 2015. Adrian has spent 55 years of military service in the Royal Australian Air Force and the Australian Department of Defence. Over this time, he has worked or been associated with, five generations of British, French and USA jet fighter aircraft operated by the Royal Australian Air Force.
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Some credibility which is nice
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I worked for Mr. Burbage for a while when I was at Lockheed Martin. Good man.
 

Spy Ships: One Hundred Years of Intelligence Collection by Ships and Submarines​


Spy Ships: One Hundred Years of Intelligence Collection by Ships and Submarines: Polmar, Norman, Mathers, Lee J., Brooks, Rear Admiral Thomas A: 9781640124752: Amazon.com: Books

Spy Ships: One Hundred Years of Intelligence Collection by Ships and Submarines [Polmar, Norman, Mathers, Lee J., Brooks, Rear Admiral Thomas A] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. Spy Ships: One Hundred Years of Intelligence Collection by Ships and Submarines
www.amazon.com
 
FighterJock said:
RAP said:

The RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter: Technical Accomplishment, Program Frustration (Library of Flight)​

On December 5, 2003, Lt. Gen Richard A. Cody, Army Deputy Chief of Staff and an experienced aviator, flew the Comanche. According to the January 2004 issue of National Defense he “…gave the aircraft a stellar review. …Cody said that the Comanche had ‘exceeded his expectations’ and was particularly impressed by the rotor system, engine response and control. Cody also reportedly said the aircraft was ‘easy to fly’ and should be put into the hands of soldiers as soon as possible.” Twelve weeks later the program was cancelled.

Mike Hirschberg, executive director of the Vertical Flight Society, wrote in the January/February 2017 issue of Vertiflite magazine: “The RAH-66 Comanche was the most advanced helicopter ever built. First, inadequate R&D funding levels during the Clinton administration stretched out its development over two decades. Then, with only two prototypes completed, the Comanche had to be sacrificed in 2003 to field upgrades to the existing U.S. Army rotorcraft fleet so it would remain viable in Afghanistan and Iraq.… This terrible choice was necessitated by the lack of sufficient funds for vertical lift aviation.”

So, what happened? How did Comanche become expendable? How did a program that was originally scheduled to enter Low Rate Initial Production in 1996 get delayed to 2011? How did an aircraft originally designed to replace the Army's light scout/attack fleet grow to become a virtual replacement for the much larger, heavier AH-64 Apache?

This is a story of great accomplishment and much frustration. The program never stayed stable for more than a few years at a time. From 1991 to 2004 Comanche went through six program restructures, mostly due to reductions and stretch-outs in Army funding. This is the story of a program that enjoyed strong support at the most senior levels of the Army and DoD – until it didn't.

This is the Comanche history, as told by the some of the key members of the Comanche development team.
Click to expand...

Looks highly interesting RAP, any ideas as to where I can get a copy?
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On Amazon for $39 and change.... Mark
 
Very much recommend the The RAH-66 Comanche Helicopter: Technical Accomplishment, Program Frustration
book. It is a prime demonstration of how bureaucracy, and unprepared officers can muck up a program.
 
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For those interested in the free NASA ebooks:

www.nasa.gov

NASA

NASA.gov brings you the latest news, images and videos from America's space agency, pioneering the future in space exploration, scientific discovery and aeronautics research.
www.nasa.gov www.nasa.gov

F-16XL, U-2, X-34 and many other programs of interest to SPF members are covered.
 
From Tony Buttler
1. TSR.2 Seminar

The Royal Aeronautical Society's Aeronautical Heritage Group has organised a day-long seminar for TSR.2, which is to be held at Cosford Air Museum on Saturday 13th May, starting at 10.00am. At the moment I have no booking or cost details, but will supply them when available. The event will include the following:

10:10:00​
0:30:00​
The Path to GOR339Clive Richards
10:40:00​
0:40:00​
From Paper to HardwareTony Buttler
11:20:00​
0:25:00​
Break
11:45:00​
0:40:00​
TSR-2: Building the Industrial CoalitionKeith Hayward
12:25:00​
0:40:00​
Off-the-Shelf' OptionsPaul Stoddart
13:05:00​
1:00:00​
Lunch
14:05:00​
0:30:00​
A 'melancholy spectacle': the downfall of the TSR-2, 1957-1965.Clive Richards.
14:35:00​
0:40:00​
Empty skies. British Procurement Dilemmas and Opportunities.Sam Hollins
15:15:00​
0:25:00​
Break
15:40:00​
0:40:00​
TBDBen Goodlad
16:20:00​
0:40:00​
TSR-2: A Warning for Tempest?Mike Pryce
17:00:00​
0:30:00​
Panel session Q&A


2. Italian Secret Projects

As far as I know Crecy have not received any manuscript for the book, so where the 2023 release date came from I have no idea. I fear that it will no longer go ahead, but I understand Crecy are planning to have other titles on Italian subjects (though no info as yet).

3. Propeller Twilight

I have been checking the page proofs for my latest book this week and they look pretty good I think. That should mean we are still on for a July release.
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overscan (PaulMM) said:
From Tony Buttler
1. TSR.2 Seminar

The Royal Aeronautical Society's Aeronautical Heritage Group has organised a day-long seminar for TSR.2, which is to be held at Cosford Air Museum on Saturday 13th May, starting at 10.00am. At the moment I have no booking or cost details, but will supply them when available.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I wonder if any details been shared yet? I see an event page has now been added to the RAeS site, but not being a member I can't see any details regarding if non-members are able to attend.
 
Dew said:
overscan (PaulMM) said:
From Tony Buttler
1. TSR.2 Seminar

The Royal Aeronautical Society's Aeronautical Heritage Group has organised a day-long seminar for TSR.2, which is to be held at Cosford Air Museum on Saturday 13th May, starting at 10.00am. At the moment I have no booking or cost details, but will supply them when available.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I wonder if any details been shared yet? I see an event page has now been added to the RAeS site, but not being a member I can't see any details regarding if non-members are able to attend.
Click to expand...
I am the tail-end Charlie of the event.

As soon as I get other details I will post them here. I certainly hope more than just the speakers can attend!
 
Mike Pryce said:
Dew said:
overscan (PaulMM) said:
From Tony Buttler
1. TSR.2 Seminar

The Royal Aeronautical Society's Aeronautical Heritage Group has organised a day-long seminar for TSR.2, which is to be held at Cosford Air Museum on Saturday 13th May, starting at 10.00am. At the moment I have no booking or cost details, but will supply them when available.
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
I wonder if any details been shared yet? I see an event page has now been added to the RAeS site, but not being a member I can't see any details regarding if non-members are able to attend.
Click to expand...
I am the tail-end Charlie of the event.

As soon as I get other details I will post them here. I certainly hope more than just the speakers can attend!
Click to expand...
My abstract/bio for those interested:

TSR2: A Warning for Tempest?
The TSR2 project failed, but it created a way of delivering combat aircraft that lives on. Although a UK national project, it was a collaboration between two large firms. TSR2 was also linked to developments in military doctrine, operational analysis and approaches to technological development, notably the weapons system concept. All were features that contributed to its downfall, yet all have become an integral part of modern combat aircraft development. In this paper Dr Mike Pryce will look back to TSR2 and highlight the ways its lessons were refined on Tornado, Typhoon and the F-35 programme, and how they may be applied to the UK’s future combat aircraft, dubbed Tempest.

Biography
Mike Pryce has worked as an academic at Cranfield/Defence Academy of the UK and the University of Manchester, where he carried out research into combat aircraft procurement. He acted as an advisor to the Ministry of Defence for the 2018 Combat Air Strategy and subsequently carried out operational analysis on future RAF air systems at the Defence Science & Technology Laboratory and for BAE Systems at Farnborough and Warton. He is currently an Emerging Policy Specialist at the UK Civil Aviation Authority where he focusses on future eVTOL developments.
Mike explored advanced ‘jump jet’ design through a DPhil in Science & Technology Policy from the University of Sussex and holds an MSc in the History of Technology from Imperial College, where he is a visiting lecturer in the history of Cold War technology.
 
Mike Pryce said:
As soon as I get other details I will post them here. I certainly hope more than just the speakers can attend!
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Bummer that I can't make it along

Knew this was happening a year ago but then only 1 month notice...
 
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red admiral said:
Mike Pryce said:
As soon as I get other details I will post them here. I certainly hope more than just the speakers can attend!
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Bummer that I can't make it along

Knew this was happening a year ago but then only 1 month notice...
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I think the slides at least will be available after, as with the Sandys event a few years ago.
 
But then no one will hear me ranting on about TSR2

It'll be interesting to compare with the RAFHS TSR2 with hindsight day
 
red admiral said:
But then no one will hear me ranting on about TSR2

It'll be interesting to compare with the RAFHS TSR2 with hindsight day
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There will be plenty of ranting I am sure, and examples of hindsight being a wonderful thing. And that's just me!
 
Bound to be a ton of hecklers in the audience; "Yanks wot killed it!" and "Wilson sold out to Washington!" and "Wilson sold out to Moscow!" etc.
Quite frankly I've never heard so much uninformed waffle repeated so vehemently and so often for any other aircraft. The sheer weight of myth is just unmovable.

Plus if I go to Cosford and see the spilt up prototype collection with my own eyes (apparently the Type 188 is lurking outside unloved and unwanted at the moment) then I'm liable to rant even more.
 
Hood said:
Plus if I go to Cosford and see the spilt up prototype collection with my own eyes (apparently the Type 188 is lurking outside unloved and unwanted at the moment) then I'm liable to rant even more.
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Oh god, really? The last time I went it wasn't long after they'd but a good amount of stuff in places you couldn't see them properly and/or in bad lighting but I seem think the 188 was still with the TSR2 / P1A
 
Hood said:
Bound to be a ton of hecklers in the audience; "Yanks wot killed it!" and "Wilson sold out to Washington!" and "Wilson sold out to Moscow!" etc.
Quite frankly I've never heard so much uninformed waffle repeated so vehemently and so often for any other aircraft. The sheer weight of myth is just unmovable.

Plus if I go to Cosford and see the spilt up prototype collection with my own eyes (apparently the Type 188 is lurking outside unloved and unwanted at the moment) then I'm liable to rant even more.
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If you think this is bad you have to see some of the stuff that the fan's of the Avro Arrow or Arrowheads get up to. Quite frankly some of them are honestly disturbed.
 
GK Dundas said:
Hood said:
Bound to be a ton of hecklers in the audience; "Yanks wot killed it!" and "Wilson sold out to Washington!" and "Wilson sold out to Moscow!" etc.
Quite frankly I've never heard so much uninformed waffle repeated so vehemently and so often for any other aircraft. The sheer weight of myth is just unmovable.

Plus if I go to Cosford and see the spilt up prototype collection with my own eyes (apparently the Type 188 is lurking outside unloved and unwanted at the moment) then I'm liable to rant even more.
Click to expand...
If you think this is bad you have to see some of the stuff that the fan's of the Avro Arrow or Arrowheads get up to. Quite frankly some of them are honestly disturbed.
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At least there are intact TSR2s to look at. All that's left of the Arrow prototypes is the nose section of one of them hanging on a museum wall like a hunter's trophy!
 
Not according to more then a few Arrowheads , if you buy the drivel that they've been peddling. There may one or more intact.
And the really delusional amongst them will tell you it's either air worthy or near air worthy.
 
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The Sikorsky Aircraft Centennial: A Tribute by the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives​

Igor Sikorsky was a pioneering Russian engineer and aviator driven from his home by revolution. The Sikorsky Aircraft Centennial 1923-2023, a Tribute by the Igor I. Sikorsky Historical Archives, documents his work in the United States and that of the pioneering American company that he founded. Ittraces the growth of Sikorsky Aircraft from a struggling fixed-wing aviation concern started on a Long Island farm to a world-leading helicopter manufacturer today headquartered in Connecticut. The book draws on archival documents, photos, and interviews to trace Sikorsky’s early contributions to commercial aviation and the revolution he brought about in vertical flight.
Igor Sikorsky arrived in New York City in 1919 determined to advance aviation technology and later wrote, “The United States seemed to me the only place which offered a real opportunity in what was then a rather precarious profession. I had been inspired by the work of Edison and Ford, the realization that a man in this country, with ideas of value -- and I hoped that mine were -- might have a chance to succeed.” He launched Sikorsky Aero Engineering Corporation in 1923 and ultimately designed, built, and delivered fixed-wing land planes, amphibians, and flying boats, including the Pan American Airways Clippers that established the first trans-Atlantic and trans-Pacific passenger routes.
With demand for his big flying boats declining, Sikorsky turned his engineering genius to rotary-wing flight and piloted his one-of-a-kind VS-300 helicopter in 1939. Recollections from Igor Sikorsky and his son Sergei describe the trial-and-error testing and improvements that made the VS-300 so important. The senior Sikorsky later told his son, “The jet may have made the world smaller. The helicopter made it bigger by allowing mankind to live and work in areas that would have been inaccessible by any other vehicle.”
From Sikorsky’s first American fixed-wing aircraft, the S-29A, to the latest helicopter design, the S-102 Raider-X, this book tells the story of every model produced by Sikorsky Aircraft. It traces the development of helicopter air mobility in the U.S. Army and Marine Corps, antisubmarine warfare in the U.S. Navy, combat rescue in the U.S. Air Force, and air-sea rescue in the U.S. Coast Guard. The story also covers the introduction of helicopters in scheduled airlines and the oil industry, and it describes the digital design and manufacturing developments that shape how future aircraft will be designed, built and perform.
Richly illustrated with more than 400 unique photos, The Sikorsky Aircraft Centennial 1923-2023 alsocovers the evolution of Sikorsky Aircraft, today a Lockheed Martin Company. It illustrates Igor Sikorsky’s innovative patents and historic memorabilia and tells a proud story of immigration, invention, and industry. This volume will be a fascinating read for every aviation enthusiast and for those looking to learn more about Igor Sikorsky’s history in America.
 

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For my dear Tony Buttler,

and about the American Secret Projects ASP5, for Fighters and Interceptors,it takes so
long,and we want to hear a good news my dear.
 

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