BA609 Flys Again!

[CTR]

My friends at Bell emailed me today to tell me that the BA609 has
returned to flight test. Today it made four flights totaling about an
hour before bad weather rolled in. More should be on the internet
tomorrow. This should put them on track for achieving airplane mode
this summer.

Take care,

CTR

[Helowriter]

Okay, what did Walter Sonnenborne say at the Forum about the US
helicopter industry? I'm still trying to get his remarks.

HW

[CTR]

Helowriter wrote:
> Okay, what did Walter Sonnenborne say at the Forum about the US
> helicopter industry? I'm still trying to get his remarks.
>
> HW

If you have ever heard Walter Sonneborne speak, you know he pulls no
punches. His uncensored speech covered the following:

1) NASA's stupidity in cutting all rotorcraft research funding.

2) US helicopter industries ignorance in not realizing the future
ramifications of outsourcing engineering jobs to India and China.

3) US helicopter industries myopia in abandoning the commercial light
helicopter business and leaning to heavily on military contracts.

4) The US educational systems incompetence in not encouraging students
to choose technical and science career paths.

5) The litigous US environnment that stifles creativity.

Just to mention a few high points.

Take care,

CTR

[Helowriter]

Yep, he's right on all of the above.

I'd add the current willingness of the DoD to import European
helicopters for US military requirements is a threat out of proportion
to the benefit.

HW

[SHIVER ME TIMBERS]

I always found it a little ironic that years ago in the heyday of the
"cold" war that our Canadian military were still using radio equipment
that used tubes, and that the only supplier of those tubes were
companies in Russia.

[CTR]

Helowriter wrote:
> Yep, he's right on all of the above.
>
> I'd add the current willingness of the DoD to import European
> helicopters for US military requirements is a threat out of proportion
> to the benefit.
>
> HW

Does this opinion include Boeing's response to the Army's ARH RFP of
the Dutch investment firm RDM Little Bird?

Take care,

CTR

[Helowriter]

No, I still consider that an American product, despite the ownership
and outsourcing. (Howard Hughes probably still has a hand in it from
beyond.)

I do think the VXX decision was a bad one (for lots of reasons,
technical and political) and I wonder what they're going to do on PRV
and LUH . The shear numbers involved make it a bad deal to buy
Eurocopter or Agust Westland products -- even if the entire EU selected
American aircraft, the numbers don't match up. We buy 400 of something
and they buy 40.

I still believe our rotorcraft industry is a national asset to be
nurtured much as Europe has done with Eurocopter. The Brits have no
problem naming AW preferred provider and giving them advisory status on
future procurements. If they can protect their industry, we should do
something to protect ours.

We got ourselves into the postion where no US manufacturer was able and
willing to bid on the Army fixed-wing transports. (Commuter airliners
and trainers are beneath US industry) Do we really want to abandon our
rotorcraft leadership too?

HW

[CTR]

Helowriter and Company!,

Just got back from a pub celebrating with some Bell guys. The BA609
tiltrotor reached full airplane mode for the first time today, 9:25 AM
Central time. The crew even did a high speed pass of the field in
airplane mode for the techs and engineers.

Media has been informed. But bombs in London and Tom Cruise will
probably take up the air waves and paper press space for the next week.

Think about it. This is the first new class of general aviation
aircraft in over 50 years. A vertical take off and landing aircraft
capable of 300 mph, 1200 mile range at 25,000 ft altitude in presurized
comfort.

Todays event is equivalent to the first flight of the Learjet, Comet or
Boeing 707. But Google BA609 and there is no news about this mile
stone event.

But Google Tom Cruise...

Have fun,

CTR

[[email protected]]

I am very enamored with the BA609 - visually it's such a *fine* looking
aircraft, and right now there's nothing in the world that I'd rather
have some stick time in.

That said - I'm not a math/economics expert by any means, and therefore
I don't really understand how anyone could make money with a BA609 -
but I am rooting for them to do so. 8^)

Dave Blevins

P.S. I'm de-planning any attendance of TomC's movies for at least the
near term... The guy is turning out to be a weirdo (nevermind that he's
a rated pilot), and I don't want to direct any cash in his or his
causes' way anytime soon.


On 22 Jul 2005 17:24:49 -0700, "CTR" > wrote:

>
>Helowriter and Company!,
>
>Just got back from a pub celebrating with some Bell guys. The BA609
>tiltrotor reached full airplane mode for the first time today, 9:25 AM
>Central time. The crew even did a high speed pass of the field in
>airplane mode for the techs and engineers.
>
>Media has been informed. But bombs in London and Tom Cruise will
>probably take up the air waves and paper press space for the next week.
>
>Think about it. This is the first new class of general aviation
>aircraft in over 50 years. A vertical take off and landing aircraft
>capable of 300 mph, 1200 mile range at 25,000 ft altitude in presurized
>comfort.
>
>Todays event is equivalent to the first flight of the Learjet, Comet or
>Boeing 707. But Google BA609 and there is no news about this mile
>stone event.
>
>But Google Tom Cruise...
>
>Have fun,
>
>CTR

[CTR]

Dave & Company,

Rotorhub UK has posted a brief article with a photo at the address
below:n

http://www.shephard.co.uk/Rotorhub/Default.aspx?Action=745115149&ID=6a98889b-33e9-4bea-9fc4-5cf30e4e114d

Supposedly, Bell still has deposits for almost 70 BA609 orders
..Partner Agusta and fuselage supplier Fuji Heavy Industries feel that
number is just the begining. Last I read three years ago the BA609 was
to sell for 11 million each. But no doubt that has gone up by now.
Still their seems to be no shortage of billionairs today and private
jets are selling well.

Some one wrote about ten years ago that the tiltrotor is like a four
wheel drive Jeep. The Jeep makes a lousy car and a motorcycle can
travel off road much better. Early Jeeps were also so expensive you
could buy a nice car and a motorcycle for less than the cost of a Jeep.
Despite these facts, early civilian Jeeps did sell. Slow at first,
but with each new Jeep customer a new use was discovered.

Maybe the same story will hold true for the tiltrotor BA609.

Take care,

CTR

[Jim Carriere]

CTR wrote:
> Some one wrote about ten years ago that the tiltrotor is like a four
> wheel drive Jeep. The Jeep makes a lousy car and a motorcycle can
> travel off road much better. Early Jeeps were also so expensive you
> could buy a nice car and a motorcycle for less than the cost of a Jeep.
> Despite these facts, early civilian Jeeps did sell. Slow at first,
> but with each new Jeep customer a new use was discovered.
>
> Maybe the same story will hold true for the tiltrotor BA609.

I hadn't heard this analogy before. What an interesting argument.
As you say, maybe the tiltrotor will turn out the same way.

[Helowriter]

Well, there is an awful lot of money out there. People buy
Gulfstreams, Horizons, and other high-end jets to fly intercontinental
routes. There will be high-rollers with the resources to buy a tilt
rotor.

The BA609 opens a niche commercial market -- longer-than-helo range
trips with no regular airport at one end.

That said, I think there's a significant government market for a
smaller tilt rotor, and once the 609 gains acceptance, I think they'll
find a solid market.

HW