If I remember from the B777 manufacturing video they bent the wing up 26 feet before it failed. 7m, being approx 23 feet, is a little short especially as you would expect it to move further with the additional wingspan. All this is assuming there is a direct relationship between wing loading and deflection, which I hope you will agree is a fair assumption.

SQ will be asking some fairly serious questions if it does cause a delay having already been delayed. I am sure they wouldn’t be happy!

Twin engined wings don´t bend as much as single engined wings. Twin engined wings are usually a bit lighter than single engined wings. The outer engine acts as a counter weight. Thus the 24.3 feet deflection that was achieved before failure is actually quite good. Also the failure occurred with the first set of wings that Airbus produced. Subsequent sets are somewhat stronger.

Come and talk with me about burqa and Islam when you read 5 times carefully Quran and lived 1 year in a Islamic country between its people.
Take care kid!

Your co-religionists never tire of telling me that many of the oppressive customs encountered in Muslim countries have nothing to do with Islam. You alluded to this yourself.
Thus reading the Quran 5 times or perhaps even 25 times will not be particularly instructive. However, anthropology helps a great deal in understanding the turmoil and strife afflicting so many Muslim countries at this moment.

Hi Sauron.
I had hoped that you make a connection between the Islamic world’s march to modernity and the violence that often accompanies such a transition. Alas not.

Afghanistan?
Two examples. Afghan houses (or what passes for a house) usually have a courtyard at the rear where the women conduct their chores. The Buhrka, the stupid dress that most Afghan women are forced to wear, is most impractical and thus the women discard their Buhrkas for something more practical and within the confines of the courtyard this not frowned upon or forbidden. American soldiers routinely invade this private sphere, either by directly entering the courtyard or by looking over the walls and into the yard, thereby viewing the women sans Buhrka. This enrages the local population and does nothing to foster good relations with the community.
Another example: in some village a new well had to be drilled. The Yanks offered to drill the well, only on condition that the locals tell them where Taliban members were located or were likely to be located. Dumb move. Drill the well, fix the school windows and just wait. The locals will offer information. It just takes a while. And trying to learn the language certainly helps.
In some Iraqi towns the Yanks go on patrol at night in M1 tanks. They drive past lightly built houses at two in the morning. The houses trembleand shake, the dogs go mad barking, the children wake up crying and this goes on night after night. Do you think that this engenders goodwill amongst the locals.
Sauron, before you answer that, please just think OK? Just think.

Iraq, a good idea?
The United States, with a population of some 280 million people, and aided by a “coalition of the willing”- remember them?- attacked and has occupied a country with a population of some 26 million, ruled over by a regime far more brutal than the ragheads in Teheran.
Things aren’t going swimmingly, are they?

Your post betrays an expansive degree of ignorance about how to effectively fight terrorism and of America’s role in the Middle East over the last fifty years.
Truly expansive.

Puffadder

Calling U.S. leadership neocon chumps may provide momentary satisfaction but I notice you have no specific policy on how to deal with this situation other than the vague suggestion that everyone should “relax”. Then what happens? Wait for the youthful population in Iran to rise up? Vote the current leadership out? ….
Sauron

Yes.
Sauron I´m not a raving America- hater. I think that some at least will recognise that. The Americans have not handled Afghanistan well. The Taliban is a home-grown movement that received major support from Pakistan, but it nevertheless is a homegrown movement. Thus the manner in which a campaign against it is prosecuted, will greatly influence the type of relationship that will be built up with the civilian community that supports the Taliban. This is something that is completely ignored by the politicians in Washington. Afghanistan is still in the grip of great civil strife and to actively take sides in such a situation is extremely dumb. Vietnam redux.
There has been a litany of complaints from British, German and other field commanders in Afghanistan about the manner in which US troops conduct themselves. Looking to Iraq we see much the same thing happening there. Listening to the evening news on PM (BBC Radio4) recently, an American soldier was asked about his views on the invasion and occupation of Iraq.
He said that America was God´s country and thus he was serving in God´s Army. I was so astonished by this that when I got home (I listened to this in my car) I went online to hear the repeat. I had not misheard. This guy isn´t the only one thinking like that- there are neocons who believe this ludicrous rubbish. They are chumps.
Iran.
Iranian society, as in most Islamic countries, is in a state of flux. Literacy rates are high in some strata and low in others. Endogamy
(marriage between cousins) is still widely practiced but that too is declining- it is nothing like as high as in Pakistan where it is over 50% of all marriages. There are still a lot of women who cannot control their own fertility- thus the exceptionally high birth rate- with all the attendant problems and benefits that insue. I read recently that something like 50% of the population is under 16. This is going to be a major problem for the mullahs.
Iran is not governed by some massive apparatus. What binds them all, as in all muslim countries is the injustices suffered by the Palestinians and American interference in the region.
There was a fledgling democracy in Iran once upon a time. The CIA crushed it and set up a Gestapo called the SAVAK. Many Iranians have not forgotten that.
Just bombard the Iranians with American sitcoms and pop music. SOC will then be able to eat KFC on a sun drenched promenade in Teheran.
The polpulation will rebel. They did that in ´79.

I might be off track here, but has the maritime version of NH90 made it off the ground yet? How many months/years behind schedule is it? Teething problems no doubt, just like any new design.

I was with the RNZAF last year, who have ordered NH90 as their future SAR aircraft. They have no idea when they will enter service yet, as the first flight had been put back once again.

Hi Paul.
I´m the resident Eurocopter and Dassault representative here- have been for some years now :diablo:
Obviously it´s my duty to trash the EH101 and Typhoon.
More seriously though, Agusta and Westland can together look back on many years of experience- the A129 and Lynx both being excellent aircraft. Thus, I was suprised when I heard some years ago that the RAF were restricting the flight envelope of their aircraft and then the Canadian thing. It isn´t just a matter of one or other version having problems. When components start cracking after just a few hours service, it does make people wonder what is going on.
I´m sure that they will sort out the problems.
The NH90 has not produced any unwelcome suprises yet. I frankly don´t expect it to.

Within few years Switzerland will have to replace its F-5E Tiger II, so far it looks like the JAS-39 Gripen is a favorite, however the Rafale is also a possilbe candidate,…

Hi MirageIII
I have to disagree. While the Gripen would be an excellent choice for Switzerland I think that any replacement fighter competition would also coincide with an F18 replacement. I cannot see Switzerland going for two types. I think that they will standardise on a single type. Given the very restrictive national legislation regarding deployment the Rafale would be overkill for them. The Gripen would be in an exceptionally good postion in any future competition.
Dassault should cease all sales activities with regard to Rafale. I have been a forum member for the last six years and have always stated on this forum that the Rafale will not get a single order. I am confident that this will be the case. This is not a problem- the Rafale is the best fighter in Europe right now, bar none. They should concentrate on integrating the Rafale´s avionics into the Mirage 2000 and offer upgrade packages to all the exising operators.

….. a relocated APU exit and 2 new ECM aerials on the fin. Maybe there is also a new refuelling point on the spine but I’m not too sure.

The Mirage 2000 does not have an APU

Perhaps someone can help me out here. Is it the case that the money invested by the UK in the development of JSF buys the UK a share of the construction work whether or not the MoD buy’s the aircraft for the RAF and RN?

Hi FAR
Countries not buying the F35 will not be eligible for production workshare. Committing to buy the F35 doesn´t guarantee a share in production either. The Yanks have made this point time and time again.

The unit price will probably go beyond $100 million, countries will massively downscale their purchases and I doubt that the total production will go beyond 2000 planes- which is still massive compared to European programmes.