Cancellation of the Comanche programme must act as a warning to existing programmes that are suffering significant cost overruns and technical problems.
The most important of these is the Joint Strike Fighter, now struggling to meet the specification of cost and weight. The weight problem can be solved by redesign, change of material and adjustments to engine power, albeit at the expense of unit cost and performance margins.
Programme overrun is a major problem and the solution is not obvious. The compromise of conventional take-off and landing (CTOL) and short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) in one geometric shape must result in significant development problems. With hindsight it may have been more sensible to accept an "alternative wing" on the grounds that the CTOL version would have enough power for STOL anyway.
The major risk to the programme is that it is extending to a point where cancellation will be the most sensible cost option,.
Considering the level of involvement it is unlikely that the US government would take this option, but equally to satisfy the participants they will consistently be seen to be "moving on".
D F Newland Stanmore, Middlesex, UK
Source: Flight International
