Boeing tweaks details of tanker proposal for Air Force

Published 2:24 pm Tuesday, September 22, 2009

On its face, the Boeing Co.’s tanker platform may look a lot like it did the last time the Air Force tried to award its $35 billion contract.

But the company hopes the finer details will sway its customer.

“We feel like it’s a new day,” said Bill Barksdale, spokesman for Boeing’s tanker program.

Boeing won’t have all the details of its tanker proposal until after the Air Force releases its full requirements. The Pentagon is expected to release a draft this month.

Boeing is again considering tankers based off either its 767 or 777 commercial aircraft. Its competitor, duo Northrop Grumman and EADS, is expected to propose a tanker derived from Airbus’ A330, which is closest in size to Boeing’s 777.

Last week, Boeing gave the Air Force a sneak peek at what it has been working on in the last year since the agency terminated the previous contest.

Boeing paid attention to what the Air Force said during the last contest, Barksdale said. The Air Force initially picked Northrop and EADS’ larger tanker over Boeing’s KC-767. Through the ensuing briefings and Boeing’s protest, which ultimately led the Air Force to end the contest, the Chicago-based company determined some points it needed to change. On its own, Boeing also looked for additional ways to improve its offering.

“We’re planning on giving the Air Force a tanker with maximum capability at a lower cost than the competitor,” Barksdale said.

No Frankentanker

During the last competition, Barksdale said Boeing tried to offer the “best” of its 767 derivatives. The result was a 767 with a fuselage from one derivative, wings from another, earning it the nickname “Frankentanker” from its competitor.

Although Boeing was confident in its ability to produce such a tanker, the Air Force saw risk in the prospect of producing a tanker that, technically, had never been built before. And Boeing’s problems in building KC-767 tankers for Japan and Italy didn’t help matters. Therefore, Boeing won’t take its chances with a mix-and-match tanker.

Winglets

In Boeing’s presentation to the Air Force, several of the company’s artist renderings of its 767 tanker show an aircraft with winglets. Boeing’s single-aisle 737 commercial jet is known for its fuel-saving winglets. But the company, through a joint venture, has started offering winglets on its 767-300ER jets as a retrofit. The curved fixture at the end of each wing can provide operators with a 1 to 6 percent fuel savings, depending on range.

Fuel-savings and overall cost will play a role in the Air Force’s decision. Members of Congress have stressed the need for the Air Force to consider both near-term acquisition costs as well as the lifetime cost of operating whichever tanker is selected.

Winglets aren’t offered on Boeing’s larger 777, nor are winglets available on the Airbus A330.

Flight deck

To counter criticism from its rival over the age of the 767, Boeing said that it will update the flight deck of its 767, making it a digital cockpit similar to that of the 777 or new 787. The first commercial 767 was developed in the late 1970s, but Boeing emphasizes that it continually upgrades its products by doing things like improving the flight deck.

Supplier changes

Boeing still expects to build either the 767 or 777 airframe in Everett. But some speculation arose after the briefings about whether Boeing’s Wichita workers would play a role, should Boeing win the contest. Boeing has relied on its Wichita work force for the Italian and Japanese 767 tankers.

“Wichita is an important part of our operations and is in our baseline plans for tanker modifications,” Barksdale said.