If McDonnell-Douglas were still a separate company, we could do a conversion of the C-17 airframe to a tanker as plan B.

Personal opinion: If MD had not merged with Boeing, it would likely be bankrupt today, or teetering on the edge, or seeking the sale of its more profitable units (which would NOT include production of "heavies"), or seeking a different merger partner.

Today's global economics of "heavies" manufacture boil down to only three players: Boeing, EADS, and the output of Russian industry. (China may be a future player.) MD's "heavies" business would have made it the fourth horse in a three-horse race.

--
Mike Kanze

"Life isn't about how to survive the storm, but how to dance in the rain."

- Anonymous

"Michael Shirley" wrote in message newsp.uc28ilh2ra3qj7@schooner-blue...
On Fri, 20 Jun 2008 13:14:40 -0700, Jack Linthicum
wrote:


CoS USAF, Gates differ

I saw that. Still, I hope that the contract isn't rebid. Boeing has been
behaving rather badly lately, doing everything from bribes to transferring
sensitive
technologies to the Chinese. They really don't deserve that Tanker
contract.

We wouldn't be having these problems if the merger between Boeing and
McDonnell-Douglas had been denied as it should have been. Boeing's the
only domestic maker of large airframes. Absent inviting EADS in, there's
no quick way to get some competetion in that area of manufacture. And
that's serving us badly.

If McDonnell-Douglas were still a separate company, we could do a
conversion of the C-17 airframe to a tanker as plan B. Replace the rear
door with an afterbody carrying a boom and a station for the boomer and a
hose reel for supporting planes that use the Flight Refueling Probe &
Drogue method. Leave the front cargo door in place for secondary cargo
deployment. That would be a great tanker, but we can't do that either
without rewarding Boeing for behaving like a firm that deserves to be cut
off from further contracts pending a major shakeup and maybe even spinning
off assets to reform McDonnell-Douglas since that merger was a lethal
mistake.



--
"Implications leading to ramifications leading to shenanigans"-- Admiral
Elmo Zumwalt, USN.