Second engine equals fewer airplanes?
“From an airman’s perspective, do I like the thought process of having a second engine, a second source to go to? Of course, because it buys down risk from my standpoint. If I discover tomorrow that a single engine type has some embedded technological problem or some bad part that was inserted, and I only have one engine to go to, that would result in the grounding of a fleet of airplanes. Now, that has happened extremely rarely, and if it did happen, you would also have ways to deal with it. ... But from an issue of, ‘Can we afford one?’ the answer is no. Do I accept fewer airplanes to buy an alternate engine? You know that is the real debate and the discussion.”
—Gen. John Corley, commander of Air Combat Command, speaking about whether to maintain a second engine for the F-35 with defense reporters in Washington, D.C., March 27, 2008.

Four Percent or Bust

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25 Years Ago in Air Force Magazine

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50 Years Ago in Air Force Magazine

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