Jeff has been involved in aerospace journalism since the mid 1990s. Prior to joining Aviation Week, Jeff served as managing editor of Launchspace magazine and the International Space Industry Report. He has been the editor and chief of Aviation Week's Aerospace Daily & Defense Report since 2007 and has been a regular contributor to Aviation Week magazine. He received his B.A. from the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Va.
The Marine Corps' V-22 Osprey tiltrotor program is investigating a March 27 accident in which an Osprey on the ground undergoing a post-maintenance checkout experienced an engine control problem that caused it to become accidentally airborne for a few seconds. Neither of the pilots was injured in the Class-A mishap, which occurred at Marine Corps Air Station New River in North Carolina. The aircraft fell on its landing gear and its right wing broke off.
An engine problem with the Global Hawk unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that caused two high-altitude engine failures last year has been linked to improperly manufactured engine blades, according to program officials.
Shifting requirements scuttled the B-52 Stand-Off Jammer program and pushed its projected cost from an original estimate of roughly $1 billion up to nearly $7 billion, according to Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley. "I think you could say there were lots of people that took opportunities to have it be something other than the initial requirement," Moseley told reporters following a breakfast speech in Washington April 4. Though such efforts were well-meaning, the ultimate result argues in favor of freezing configurations early, Moseley said.
