While Discussing America's Debt Problem...

While discussing the bailout package...

The nation's real tab, on the other hand, amounted to $53 trillion as of the end of the last fiscal year. That was the sum of our public debt; accrued civilian and military retirement benefits; unfunded, promised Social Security and Medicare benefits; and other financial obligations -- all according to the government's most recent financial statement of September 30, 2007.

Since we're going to have to save ourselves, recent events could hardly be called encouraging. It took an additional $100 billion in incentives -- some would call them "sweeteners;" others might call them bribes -- to get lawmakers to pass the rescue package.

Let's face it -- the regular order in Washington is broken. We must move beyond crisis management approaches and start to address some of the key fiscal and other challenges facing this country if we want our future to be better than our past.

It looks like a few people get it. I wonder about the impacts to our country given the same issue brought-up in this commentary. Really, it took how long and the politicians just don't understand what they are passing laws to regulate and protect. It seems like a system that could use some new talent. Lets send some people to DC who have some expertise other than politics. Perhaps an engineer or two, an economist, etc. Some people with some real problem solving skills, the ability to put politics aside, and get some work done.

Tags: Business

The fighting continues... The next mid-east war?

It looks like this is going to stay bad for a while. The fighting is certainly not stopping. Not sure what Hamas and Hezbollah are trying to accomplish. To what purpose do they attack Israel's soldiers, killing some and then to kidnap some of them?

If you attack a country's soldiers, is it not an act of war? Is Iran trying to provoke Israel through Lebanon to take the focus off of themselves?

What is going on behind the portion we can see? What are they trying to accomplish?

How did the world become so dangerous so quickly? I thought that peace was finially making progress in that area of the world. For the first time in some time, there was hope and change. Then Hamas won the election, and things regressed quickly to their previous condition.

CNN-Article:

BEIRUT, Lebanon (CNN) -- The Israeli military and Hezbollah traded deadly attacks for a fifth straight day on Sunday, with the Lebanon-based militants striking Haifa and other towns deeper inside Israel.

Tags: Current Events

Missiles Everywhere... Will Missile Defense Work?

Missile defense... Will it work?

How would anybody know? Well I can guess that the pundits have no idea. Complex projects like this one take a lot of work. Engineering is the task of taking scientific principles and converting them, bending them to your will - if you permit me, to a usable product. The scientific principles are sound. Physics says you can hit one object with another object and stop it with a kinetic energy transfer (explosive or direct impact). All that is left is the engineering. Is it feasible to build a system that kills a target moving very fast with today's technology?

For the moment, let us just say yes. If this is true, then all it takes are a bunch of engineers, some managers, some support folks, some time, some money, and a lot of testing.

Here we are at my point. Unless you test a system, many, many times, it will not work. Every testing failure is an opportunity to learn. For those of you out there who don't understand engineering, let me give you a tidbit of knowledge about the field - everything you learn is from a failure. In fact, failures are usually the only time you learn. Every time something goes wrong, you learn more about the system than you knew before you began the test. With each successive, and hopefully new, failure, you learn just a bit more. Until eventually you have a successful and robust operational system.

Unfortunately, the missile defense system must operate on the public forum and each failure is plastered all over the news. In this environment, managers get nervous about public failure. Who can blame them? Many programs are based on the public perception of them. How does congress view the program? How does the media/public view the program? These are all real concerns, and they take over the program. Till eventually, you are afraid to test the system, because you are afraid of failure. When instead, we need to embrace failure, because that is how we learn, and how eventually you get a working robust operational system.

The media needs to lay off, and let the people work.

New York Times Article

North Korea test-fired at least six missiles over the Sea of Japan on Wednesday morning, including an intercontinental missile that apparently failed or was aborted 42 seconds after it was launched, White House and Pentagon officials said.

Time Online Article

...the technological challenge of building a missile shield has turned out to far more daunting than originally thought. In a series of scripted $100 million tests, 155-pound interceptors have destroyed dummy warheads in just five out of 10 tries between 1999 and 2005. The two most recent tests failed when the boosters designed to lob the interceptors into space failed to launch. After spending a year beefing up quality control, two tests are planned for later this year. Despite the system's shakiness, the White House in 2002 ordered the Pentagon to build it, citing "the contemporary and emerging missile threat from hostile states." Because of the perceived urgency, the Pentagon relaxed its normal procurement rules and testing requirements.

Tags: Aerospace | Defense | Engineering

Boeing to take about $1 bln in charges for delays, settlement - MarketWatch

Boeing to take about $1 bln in charges for delays, settlement - MarketWatch:

Boeing Co. said Thursday it will record about $1 billion in charges in the second quarter for delays in outfitting surveillance aircraft for Turkey and Australia and to settle charges over obtaining information on a rival's rocket business and contracting scandals."

Shuttle Getting Ready for Next Launch

Everyone is getting ready to hold their breath. Best of luck to the crew and people involved in the upcoming shuttle flight and mission.

Shuttle Is Set for Liftoff Saturday, With All Eyes on the Fuel Tank
New York Times 06/27/2006
Author: Warren E. Leary
c. 2006 New York Times Company
With dogged determination, NASA will try resuming regular space shuttle missions this week, hoping that the venerable spacecraft will weather aging components and falling debris long enough to finish construction of the International Space Station.

The shuttle Discovery is scheduled to be launched as early as Saturday from Cape Canaveral, Fla., on just the second flight since the loss of the Columbia and its crew of seven. Officials hope to test the modifications and new procedures instituted after the disaster.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration flew its first test flight after the disaster almost a year ago, and the second was to follow just weeks later. But a problem with shedding foam persisted, even after the space agency spent more than a year and hundreds of millions of dollars to correct it.

The Columbia disintegrated while returning from a research mission on Feb. 1, 2003, after being critically damaged at liftoff when a piece of foam weighing 1.67 pounds broke from its external fuel tank and struck its left wing. That opened a crack that admitted superheated gases when the craft re-entered earth's atmosphere.

When the highly modified Discovery flew last year, much less foam debris fell. But the tank still shed several unacceptably large pieces, weighing up to a pound, that could have done severe damage. NASA grounded the fleet and removed 35 more pounds of foam from critical areas. This month, mission managers pronounced the Discovery ready to fly again, even though some engineers argued that more needed to be done.

Tags: Aerospace | Space | Engineering

Boeing Discusses Production Rates for 787

The production rate is one of those things that seems a little mysterious. Afterall, why can't they just build 40 at once? Aircraft are not like cars in many ways. I cannot really see 1,000,000 aircraft coming off the production lines anytime soon. Aircraft are big and expensive, and it take a little bit to build them. Especially room. It may be the largest building in the world by volume, but it isn't THAT big.

Boeing steps up rollout of 787s
Seattle Times 06/24/2006
Author: Dominic Gates
(Copyright 2006)
EVERETT -- Boeing's head salesman disclosed Friday that 787 jets will be rolling out of Everett at a minimum rate of 10 a month soon after production starts -- a faster rate than for any previous wide-body jet in the company's history.

The increase, from an original plan for seven a month, probably won't require a large number of extra production workers. But, in a hot market where Boeing can sell as many of these new wide-body jets as it can build, a speedy ramp-up will boost sales.

"We're talking about stepping up fairly rapidly to 10 a month," said Scott Carson, vice president of sales at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, speaking Friday at a Chamber of Commerce breakfast meeting. Boeing has never before built more than seven per month of any wide-body model.

Boeing plans to deliver the first 787s in May or June 2008, according to internal schedules obtained by The Seattle Times. The company has firm orders or commitments for more than 400 aircraft, with sales proposals under evaluation for 500 more.

Because Airbus won't roll out a rival to the 787 until 2011 or 2012, the more airplanes Boeing can build before then, the more of the market it has to itself.

Tags: Aerospace | Engineering

Lockheed to Blame Again for Spacecraft Crash!

Lockheed seems to have been the cause of another crash. Well I say another, but this crash happened a little while back. The one that was returning outspace dust, but ended up crashing into the desert. Lockheed also had some trouble with units a little while back on a Martian spacecraft. Don't even get me started on engineers who don't keep track of their units - uuuuuugggggghhhh! For all you young engineers out there, never deliver a number without its corresponding units - NEVER!

Lockheed blamed for crash
The Genesis lander, which collected solar wind particles, failed to deploy its parachute because a faulty sensor was installed, NASA says
Denver Post 06/14/2006
Author: Kelly Yamanouchi
Copyright 2006 The Denver Post. All rights reserved.
A NASA investigation board said the crash of its Genesis lander in September 2004 was the result of deficiencies in prelaunch processes that led to faulty switch design.

The spacecraft traveled for three years to bring back solar-wind particles so that scientists could study the solar system's birth and development. The Genesis return capsule crashed into the Utah desert.

Tags: Aerospace | Space | Engineering

More News About Airbus's Troubles with the A380

Airbus is having trouble with their new A380, and the media seems to be enjoying the bit of good news for Boeing. The engineering difficulties always add up on a program one it has a little maturity.

Bet on Huge Plane Trips Up Airbus
After Surpassing Boeing, European Competitor Could Fall Back for Years; Midsize Jetliner Also Stumbles
The Wall Street Journal 06/15/2006
Authors: J. Lynn Lunsford and Daniel Michaels
(Copyright (c) 2006, Dow Jones & Company, Inc.)
Airbus's high-stakes bet on a giant plane is running into serious trouble, creating a major crunch for one of Europe's industrial titans as it battles Boeing Co. for dominance of the passenger-jet market.

Airbus announced Tuesday that deliveries of its double-decker A380, designed to be the world's largest passenger jet, would face a further six months of delays because of the unexpected complexity of wiring the aircraft. Shares in European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co., which owns 80% of Airbus, fell 26% yesterday as investors panicked about the A380 and other bad news. EADS said the delay would shave $2.5 billion in operating profit between 2007 and 2010.

Before yesterday, the A380 had already been at least six months behind. EADS's stock is now down by a third for the year.

Yesterday, Singapore Airlines also announced it was ordering 20 of Boeing's 787 "Dreamliner" jets in a deal valued at $4.52 billion at list prices. The order came as Airbus was fleshing out details of size, range and economics of its planned A350, which has been criticized by customers, including Singapore Airlines, for falling short of the promised efficiency and comfort of the 787. Boeing's stock jumped $5.03, or 6.5%, to $82 in 4 p.m. composite trading on the New York Stock Exchange.

The setbacks at one of Europe's biggest exporters and employers is changing the balance of power in a marketplace that is crucial to global trade. For Boeing, which three years ago was criticized by customers for being out of touch with passenger needs, it marks a major reversal of fortune just as a new generation of airplanes is being created that could shape the race for years.

Tags: Aerospace | Business | Engineering

Business Week: On a Wing and a Prayer at Boeing

Boeing is in action, according to Business Week Online, and still has a few issues to deal with on the 787 program. I'm sure they will get it figured out soon.

On a Wing and a Prayer at Boeing
The stakes have never been higher for the company and its Dreamliner, its revolutionary lightweight jetliner
BusinessWeek Online 06/07/2006
Author: Stanley Holmes
For Boeing (BA ) the 787 Dreamliner, with its radical new lightweight design, represents far more than a potentially juicy profit stream. The carbon-fiber-reinforced plastic aircraft is supposed to be the symbol of a new Boeing -- a visionary company that has transcended its recent ethical scandals, designed the most innovative commercial plane ever, and devised the most sophisticated manufacturing process in history to produce the aircraft. But as crucial deadlines loom, BusinessWeek has learned that Boeing's engineers are wrestling with several significant technical and production problems that could threaten the scheduled 2008 delivery of the jetliner.

At a time when Boeing has left itself with little margin for error, the wide-ranging series of glitches could create a domino effect if not resolved quickly. The most important piece of bad news -- the fuselage section, the big multi-part cylindrical barrel that encompasses the passenger seating area, has failed in company testing. That's forcing Boeing to make more sections than planned, and to reexamine quality and safety concerns.

Elsewhere in the aircraft, suppliers are struggling to meet Boeing's exacting technological standards and ambitious production deadlines. The first two nose sections, for instance, were deemed unacceptable by Boeing. Software programs designed by a variety of manufacturers are having trouble talking to one another. And the overall weight of the airplane is still too high-- especially the single biggest part of the 787, the carbon-fiber wing.

BIG PAYOFF. A light, strong plane is the big payoff for the huge technical risk Boeing is taking in crafting parts out of composites. Small wonder that as the entire Boeing team prepares to build the first airplane, tensions among engineers have erupted into shouting matches, say people familiar with the matter.

Technical glitches, missed deadlines, and stretched nerves are par for the course with new planes. But far more than a new plane is at stake. Boeing has undertaken a grand business experiment with the Dreamliner. In a bid to tap the best talent and hold down costs, the aerospace icon has engaged in extreme outsourcing, leaving it highly dependent on a far-flung supply chain that includes 43 "top-tier" suppliers in 12 countries. It is the first time Boeing has ever outsourced the most critical areas of the plane, the wing and the fuselage. About 80% of the Dreamliner is being fabricated by outside suppliers, vs. 51% for existing Boeing planes.

The Dreamliner's mounting challenges call into question whether such a radical business model can succeed, and whether the advantages of collaboration on such a scale are outweighed by the loss of logistical control. For Boeing in particular, it raises the question of whether the company is entering a danger zone that could result in a serious blow to its credibility. In the years since Boeing's epic production disaster in the late 1990s, the company has regained much of its reputation and the ground it had lost to European rival Airbus. The Dreamliner has been central to that remarkable revival, racking up a record 350 firm orders in two years. That has forced Airbus to go on the defensive and rethink its midsize plane strategy.

Aerospace | Business | Engineering

Bubbles in fuselage a hitch in FAA certification for 787

The 787 program ran into a little problem when trying to cure the last of a set of nine fuselage barrels. Looks like they know what happened and are working to correct it.

Bubbles in fuselage a hitch in FAA certification for 787
Glitch won't sidetrack program, Boeing says
Seattle Post-Intelligencer 06/09/2006
Author: James Wallace
(Copyright 2006)
A final composite fuselage section that was to be used in certifying The Boeing Co.'s 787 Dreamliner failed during manufacturing, sending engineers scrambling to keep the company's all-important new jetliner program on schedule.
...
The 787 will have a composite airframe, including the fuselage -- a first for commercial jets. Boeing cannot afford any major snags in proving the technology to the Federal Aviation Administration and other regulatory agencies if the plane is to enter airline service on schedule.
...
"We know what happened," Bair said. "We learned some things as a result, which is part of what this whole process is about. We know what we have to do to support our certification plan."

To develop, refine and prove new manufacturing processes needed for the Dreamliner, Boeing and its partners have been producing composite fuselage test barrels since late 2004 at the company's developmental center, the same facility that in the late 1960s was used for work on Boeing's supersonic transport before it was killed by Congress. The center is near the south end of Boeing Field.

Eight barrels were produced there without significant problems.
...
The failure came on the ninth, and what was supposed to be the final, fuselage barrel. Testing of that barrel was to have provided the data Boeing supplies the FAA as part of the 787 certification process. A commercial jetliner must be certified before it is allowed to carry passengers.

Ultrasonic testing found it was too porous -- too many bubbles were in the composite material after the fuselage section came out of an autoclave in April, Bair said. It took engineers more than a month to fully understand the issue.

Commercial jetliners have traditionally been made out of aluminum. For the fuselage, this requires pieces of aluminum held together by thousands of rivets. The composite fuselage barrels of the 787, however, are made in one large piece. They are the largest composite pressure vessels ever made. The barrel that had the bubble problem was the largest that Boeing had made yet -- about 33 feet long.

The manufacturing process involves laying down carbon fiber material on a huge mold. That mold, or mandrel, is mounted on a tool that rotates the barrel as the plastic carbon fiber tape is applied. The structure is then wrapped and placed in a huge autoclave oven for curing. While in the autoclave, the barrel is under enormous pressure, which essentially squeezes the layers of composite material together.

Every composite part that is cooked this way has a certain level of "porosity" that is acceptable, Bair said.
...
But testing of the ninth barrel showed its porosity level made the barrel unacceptable, he said. The bubbles might have made the structure too weak, he said. The problem was a "subtle condition" and could not have been spotted by someone simply looking at the barrel.

The problem was the mandrel, Bair said. It was built some time ago and was too big. The mandrel changes size as it is heated in the autoclave and this must be taken into account when the fuselage barrel is made. Some of the material on this mandrel had been machined off to get it back to the proper size, Bair said, but as a result there were places that leaked. That's why too many bubbles formed during the curing.

Bair said engineers knew there was some risk of this happening.

Aerospace | Engineering

AFRL Long Range Strike Studies Almost Done

AFRL is almost finished with their Phase 2 Long Range Strike Study. What will be the bomber of choice for the generation after next? Stay tuned for Phase 3!

Next-Generation Long-Range Strike Study Nears Completion
Aviation Week & Space Technology 06/12/2006
Author: William B. Scott
The U.S. Air Force's anxiously awaited Next-Generation Long-Range Strike (LRS) Phase 2 study should be completed this fall, giving service leaders a portfolio of options for platforms that could be operational in 2018.
...
Speed, range, loiter time in the target area and penetration altitude are all important elements of an ideal long-range strike aircraft.

Aerospace | Defense | Engineering

CNN.com - Student fatigue to blame for�drop in SAT scores? - May 12, 2006

Ever notice how there is an expert for everything? Our excuse-making lazy entitilement attitude is really getting out of control. Why do we insist that anything that is stressful is bad? Tell you what, life is stressfull, college exams are stressfull, work is stressfull - get used to it. Grow up. People need to understand making it easy for kids, does them no favors. It just makes them think life should be easy and that they are entitiled. I'm really getting sick of this stuff. For America to succeed we need generations of kids who realize they will need to work to better themselves, work to get ahead. This is yet another sign of our lazy society, and will lead to our own downfall. Each year, brings new heights of lazy behavior.
CNN.com - Student fatigue to blame for drop in SAT scores? - May 12, 2006:

At three hours, 45 minutes, the newly expanded SAT exam can be a grueling marathon of essays and multiple-choice bubbles, many high schoolers say. Now, with preliminary figures showing a small but noticeable drop in scores this year, some experts wonder if student fatigue is to blame.
...
Typically, students' scores rise a combined 30 points on the math and critical reading sections on a second try. While more students are taking the SAT, fewer are taking it multiple times, said College Board spokeswoman Chiara Coletti.
...
Bob Sweeney, a guidance counselor at Mamaroneck High School in New York, said his students reported being exhausted by the test. 'I hope this will give (the College Board) some pause to say 'Maybe this needs to be fixed,'' he said."