[Normy]

The European Union countries, in specific France actually purchase a LOT of military hardware from the United States. Even the new KC-45 tanker is about 50% American built. The A330 that it is based upon is about 25% US content by value [the engines, and the TOTALLY HOT Honeywell FMS suite in that awesome cockpit! Incidently, Airbus cockpits are designed by Porsche, down to the shape of the side stick~]

So there is some pressure within the US government to occasionally pick a European product. The Harrier jet is a GREAT example of when the....well, "European" uhmm....British [they ought to be considered part of North America!] came up with a product that was far superior to anything that we had at the time. The other great example is the use of the French Dassault Falcon [a private jet] for use by the Coast Guard for routine patrol duties. People that have flown these and other jets say that there is no comparison: This airplane DOES the work and everything else just sort of frets and has fits! The Falcon is THE mid-sized business jet.

-Yet, there was that famous tank that the French government proposed to the United States in 1979, when the MX-1 was being proposed to the US government by General Dynamics and Chrysler, the maker of the turbine engine that powered this eventual winner of the competition between the two. Chrysler's tank was amazing: It could fire on the roll...and get this: because of the 1500 hp turboshaft engine [which could make that sort of power all day long, unlike the more typical piston engines...] it was capable of 60 mph!

Well, the poor French tank couldn't do that kind of speed, despite the 64-valve turbodiesel V-16 engine, which was shown to have 25% better fuel consumption. And it developed 1600 hp...100 more than Chrysler's turbine. And the French machine weighed 3500 pounds less....


-Why couldn't the French tank compete? Simple: It was equipped with 1 forward gear and 5 reverse!


Sorry...I get in these weird moods at times!

N!