The latest Boeing issue is - faulty parts from a supplier.
Sound familiar?
From Stephen Losey at Defense News:
Boeing said Friday that quality problems with parts slated for the T-7A Red Hawk training jet mean it will delay by several months delivering the next test aircraft to the Air Force.
Boeing is also now planning to start low-rate initial production on the T-7 in mid-2024, several months later than the company’s original plan. Boeing vice president and T-7 program manager Evelyn Moore told Defense News Friday that supply chain issues were also why the company will postpone the planned start for its production schedule.
Air & Space Forces Magazine reported some months back that there were delays over ejection seat issues and other problems.
The T-7 Red Hawk is a new design. There are always going to be problems with turning prototypes into production line aircraft, so this isn’t entirely unexpected.
The Air Force really needs these new trainers; the current aircraft in that role, the T-38 Talon, has been around for decades and the fleet is aging out after years of use. Efforts to speed T-7 production, while understandable, always carried the risk of haste making waste.
The DefenseNews article doesn’t get into the specifics of the latest parts problem, but it may be one more example of how the company’s internal culture of building safe, reliable aircraft has been compromised by the demand to maximize profits.
This is more bad news Boeing doesn’t need. The good news is it’s happening early enough to get the T-7 right before going into full production, and while Boeing is under intense pressure to clean up its act. Fingers crossed that this will be resolved quickly and adequately.