Projects

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AT-6C Project Outline

Introduction

The first project for EXCALIBUR R&D, LLC is an assessment of the potential for an armed version of the AT-6 for the current and future COIN fight and to empower the Blogosphere and seek collaboration on whether it's a good idea or not. This is your chance to work on a concept to better support our troops deployed to Iraq, Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

EXCALIBUR has no contract for this and will receive no money for this proposal, but, we think we'll be able to begin building the EXCALIBUR network as well as begin refining the process. Our motivation is to see what ideas and assessments can be brought to bear in the pursuit of collaborative national security. Despite having no contract, we think this concept is very worthwhile and should proceed immediately. We also hope to show potential clients the ability to collaborate and innovate so we most heartily welcome all participants, whether you agree or disagree with this concept.

Excalibur honors Major William Brian Downs EXCALIBUR honors Major William Brian Downs whose article in Airpower Journal is linked below. Major Downs was killed while instructing an Iraqi Air Force pilot on 30 May 2005 near Baghdad. More information is at the bottom of this page.

Overview

Hawker Beechcraft T-6B The basic concept is to rapidly acquire the Hawker Beechcraft T-6B and turn it into an armed COIN aircraft which we call the AT-6C. We are seeking to make this concept of operations (CONOPS) briefing as complete as possible. We are hoping to do this in a fairly rapid fashion and so we will only be seeking information for 45 days and will then collate all the information and post. Hopefully, the entire process will take less than 60 days, a process we will hope to tighten up further in the future. This briefing will then be available here on the web and for those that want to be given it in person, we might be able to brief, but any costs associated will have to be paid by the requesting company or organizations.

Excalibur Proposal(s)

The basic proposal is here. Please take a look at the briefing as well as look through the information posted in the Background and Discussion sections.

Background Information for this Project

Here are some questions we asked and answers from those in the know:

Discussion and Received Information

If you just want to post a comment, please post here: Excalibur Blog Post address here. If you want to propose additional information or you have another aircraft you would like to champion, please send it in using the format on slide 14 as a baseline. If you represent another airplane or company, please state so and we will present your concept either up front or in the backups.

Requests for Information and Assistance

If you look at the briefing, you'll see the historical slides are not filled in. We are seeking folks to volunteer to complete the different slides. You don't have to be a historian or retired flier, but if you are, great. We'd especially like to see if there are any native South Americans and French folks that might want to tackle those area slides. We will look at all the slides, we might merge them or modify but will give credit to all those that help. E-mail your submissions to at6@excaliburrd.com.

Help needed:

historical slides numbers 7-10, any volunteers for any or all
what is the approximate planning fuel burn rate for an F-16C per hour?
what is the approximate planning cost per pound of fuel the USAF is currently paying?
any estimates on how many strike or non-traditional strike sorties are flown in the CENTCOM AOR per month? We are not looking for any confidential data, just any place where CENTCOM posts this info?

Alternative views or better scenarios:

if anyone would like to propose an alternative concept, (note specifically for a fixed wing COIN a/c) please submit. Or, if anyone would like to rewrite or provide better scenarios to illustrate, we would like to receive your alternative views.