The Fall of the Firefly: An Assessment of a Failed Project Strategy

Choices made early in a project determine future success. Missteps in early phases will cause trouble later in the project's life cycle. The U.S. Air Force's acquisition of the T-3A “Firefly” trainer was just such a troubled project. Rather than develop a new aircraft, the Air Force decided to save time and money by buying a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) trainer. But significant aircraft modifications undermined the integrity of the COTS strategy. This paper suggests four project lessons: Any project must be managed as a system of interrelated parts; a project strategy must be flexible to accommodate changing circumstances; testing must be done in realistic environments; and concurrency carries with it benefits and dangers.

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The F109-GA-100 Engine Designed Specifically for Trainer Use

Volume 2: Aircraft Engine; Marine; Microturbines and Small Turbomachinery ◽

10.1115/90-gt-167 ◽

1990 ◽

Author(s):

Hans F. W. Maertins ◽

Thomas W. Bruce

Keyword(s):

Life Cycle ◽

Power Management ◽

Air Force ◽

Life Cycle Cost ◽

State Of The Art ◽

High Reliability ◽

Fuel Efficiency ◽

Data Logging ◽

Effective Life ◽

The U.S

The F109-GA-100 (F109) engine, originally developed by Garrett under contract to the U.S. Air Force, is a state-of-the-art powerplant designed specifically for trainer use. The engine has been designed and demonstrated to be fully aerobatic capable, without limitations throughout the training envelope. To minimize student pilot workload, the engine features a full-authority digital electronic fuel control with automatic start and restart, automatic overspeed-/temperature-limiting, simple power management with no restrictions in operation and automatic thrust trim. Maintenance features include extensive built-in test and data logging to support effective life management. Designed for an 18,000-hour life to a duty cycle with a mission severity comparable to that of a fighter, the F109 has demonstrated exceptional durability and high reliability. This durability — coupled with excellent fuel efficiency that rivals a turboprop — resulted in extremely low life-cycle-cost (LCC) as demonstrated in accelerated mission testing. This paper describes the design features of the F109 that establish this engine as a trendsetter for the 1990s and beyond.

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