Latest news with #F55
Cambrian News
04-08-2025
- Sport
- Cambrian News
Sarn Helen runners shine at races in Wales and London
Race 2 of the AbeRAStwyth 5K series saw fantastic times being posted by Sarn Helen Runners. 2nd Overall and 1st M35 was Dylan Lewis in a superb time of 16:45, Rhodri Williams with a new PB in 17:15, Wyn Thomas 2nd M35 in a new PB time of 17:32, Dylan Harcombe 18:15, Nicola Williams 2nd OF in 20:43, Nathan Topham 23:20, Shelley Enders 1st F55 in 25:26 and Martin Darby 25:45.
Yahoo
25-07-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Richmond and Zetland Harriers compete in regional races
The weather has been ideal so far for the track and field season for the Richmond and Zetland Harriers Benedict Simpson-Alexander competed in Derby at the Northern U20 and Senior Championships in the 800m at the end of June . Benedict won his heat in the U20M race in a time of 1m 58s (PB) and finished 5th in the final in 2m, then in the 1500m final, he finished 5th in 4m 03s. The third match in the NEMAA league series at the Monkton Stadium in Jarrow saw Nicola Simpson finish second F50 in the 3000m in 12m 50s. Pauline Whittaker was second F55 in the javelin with 16.74m, second F55 in the 100m in 17s and second F55 in the 400m in 1m 21s. Benedict Simpson-Alexander at the Northern U20 & Senior Championships in Derby (Image: Supplied) Pauline then went on to compete in the fourth match two weeks later and in the shot put she was first F55 with a throw of 7m 03s, third F55 in the 200m in 36.15s and second F55 in 57.85s. Jonathan Simpson took on the challenging Dales Runner DR30 (31.7km) the first weekend in July. The race was never going to be an easy one with the route starting at Muker and ascending nearly 3,000ft up to Tan Hill, taking in spectacular Swaledale scenery and a section along the Pennine Way before heading back for the finish in Muker. Jonathan finished 36th overall in 3h 50m 10s. There was also the option of the shorter Swinner Swagger (15.5km) which is the second half of the longer DR30 route. Nearly 10,000 runners gathered in Newcastle on July 6th for the AJ Bell Great North 10k, the biggest 10k race in the North East with the course setting off from the new Great North Road start line before running through the sights of the city centre and crossing over the Tyne Bridge twice. Paul Simpson had a good run on a testing route finishing 256th in 39m 43s, Nicola Simpson was supporting daughter Kerry who was running in her first ever 10k race both finishing in 54m 57s. Ken Harker competed in the Sunderland Harriers 5k the evening of July 10th finishing 31st overall in 19m 48s. The following week saw three evening races take place, the New Marske Harriers Summer Coast Road 5k in Redcar was on July 16th. There were impressive times from the Harriers, Dan Spencer finished 19th overall in 17m 40s, Mark Forrest 35th in 18m 28s, Paul Ellis 40th in 18m 43s and Jonathan Simpson 59th in 19m 51s. It was also the final race in the Harrogate District Summer Race League (HDSRL) — the Norman Smith Handicap Race — which was hosted and well organised by Wetherby Runners. This fun event rounds off the main series, with runners who completed at least two league races receiving a starting time based on their performance, so that slower runners start earlier and, if the handicap system works perfectly, everyone finishes at the same time. Competitors were set off at 30 second intervals with a very hilly and challenging route of just under 6 miles starting and finishing in the village of Sicklinghall. Rebecca Smith was the first Harrier back in 46th place (handicap position) in 44m 43s, Paul Simpson 51st in 39m 49s, Nicola Simpson 130th 43m 51s, Gail Smith 133rd in 53m 51s and Pauline Whittaker 274th in 56m 03s, the race was followed by food and the end of league presentation. The following day was the Durham City Run 10k and 5k event, taking in the historic landmarks of the city. New members Peter Bird and wife Grace took part in the 5k race with Peter finishing 7th overall in a superb time of 17m 21s and Grace had a strong run finishing 77th overall in 23m 02s. In the 10k distance Rob Scott did a magnificent time of 31m 51s and was 3rd overall and Sammy Bell 283rd overall in 48m 09s. The Harriers have as usual been getting their Saturday morning 5k fix taking part in parkruns both locally and further afield tourism. And finally a special mention and thank you to Moody Construction who have donated £500 to the running club, each year the company choose a different group to donate to, employee Scott Wardman and his children are members of Richmond and Zetland Harriers. Further information on the club and training nights can be found on the website
Reuters
09-06-2025
- Business
- Reuters
Trump's vision for a twin-engine F-55 fighter jet faces reality check
WASHINGTON, June 9 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump's vision of a new, twin-engine version of Lockheed Martin's F-35 fighter jet may need to be scaled back due to cost and engineering realities, according to two people familiar with the matter. Speaking in Doha last month, Trump said the new "F-55" would feature "two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35." However, there is a caveat, with Trump saying, "if we get the right price." Trump was not shown a twin-engine redesign of the F-35, the two sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity due to the sensitivity of the matter. Developing such a jet would require an extensive overhaul, running into billions of dollars and taking years to complete, the sources said. Lockheed Martin (LMT.N), opens new tab had briefed Trump on a possible upgrade to the F-35 during multiple meetings before the Doha event, the people said. The proposal included just one "advanced" engine, a redesigned nose and forward fuselage, and a new sensor suite. Trump's reference to the "F-55" - the designator of the jet - caught officials and industry insiders off guard, particularly the mention of twin engines, a feature Trump has said he prefers for safety in case one engine fails. Lockheed is exploring the development of two new fighter jet variations, according to industry experts and the two sources. The proposed F-55 emerges against a backdrop of intensifying global competition in military aviation. China continues rapid development of its J-36 and J-50 stealth fighters, while Russia advances its Su-57 program despite economic constraints. After Doha, Lockheed acknowledged Trump's comments with measured enthusiasm, stating, "We thank President Trump for his support of the F-35 and F-22 and will continue to work closely with the Administration to realize its vision for air dominance." A Wall Street analyst tracking what might replace Lockheed Martin's (LMT.N), opens new tab F-35, said "it sounds like Trump has asked DoD to consider a twin-engine variant of the F-35 'if we get the right price,'" according to a note from TD Cowen. Shifting the F-55 to two engines would initiate a costly and lengthy redesign of the F-35's airframe - and while it would make the jet fast, it would delay production by years, industry experts and one of the people said. Lockheed CEO James Taiclet had told investors in an April call that the company was exploring a "fifth-generation-plus" fighter concept that would apply technologies developed for its unsuccessful F-47 bid to enhance the F-35 platform. These new technologies would make it much harder to export the F-55, the people said, adding that they are still highly controlled. "We're basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari," Taiclet told analysts in April, claiming such an approach could deliver 80% of next-generation capability at half the cost. Boeing (BA.N), opens new tab beat out Lockheed to win the contract for Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD), now named the F-47 which will be America's first sixth-generation fighter and intended to replace Lockheed Martin's F-22 Raptor. Because Lockheed lost the NGAD competition it is able to leverage its production plans for new jets. Lockheed had production spaces already lined up, the people said, and the president was made aware the company was poised to move ahead. "Lockheed is much further along than he realized," one of the people said. The timing of the F-55 announcement raises questions about how it fits into existing defense procurement plans and budgets. The Pentagon is already managing multiple high-cost aviation programs, including the ongoing F-35 program, the new F-47 development, and potentially the Navy's next generation carrier-based fighter jet - F/A-XX. For Lockheed Martin, the F-55 concept represents a critical opportunity to maintain relevance in the high-end fighter market after significant setbacks in next-generation competitions. Boeing's NGAD, which was just awarded and therefore is not in mass production yet, is expected to eclipse the F-22's capabilities, and so would F-55, the person said, making it a formidable fighter jet.
CNN
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade
The United States is examining development of a twin-engined warplane to be known as the F-55, as well as an upgrade to its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor called the F-22 Super, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Trump was speaking at a meeting of business leaders including the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace in Doha, a day after announcing a string of business deals including an order from Qatar for 160 Boeing commercial jets. Trump referred to the F-55 both as an upgrade to the Lockheed F-35 and a new development in comments that appeared to echo talk by the US arms giant of a 'best value' alternative, after losing out to Boeing to replace the F-22 superfighter. He also highlighted the role of the new air dominance platform called the F-47, recently awarded to Boeing, opens new tab, and said the United States was simultaneously looking at upgrading the stealth fighter that it is designed to replace, the F-22. 'We're going to do an F-55 and – I think, if we get the right price, we have to get the right price – that'll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35, and then we're going to do the F-22,' Trump said. 'I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we're going to do an F-22 Super, and it'll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet,' he said. 'We're going to be going with it pretty quickly,' he added. Trump last month awarded Boeing the contract for the F-47 – a replacement for the Lockheed F-22 stealth fighter featuring a crewed aircraft flanked by a cohort of drones and seen as America's most advanced or sixth-generation fighter. Lockheed Martin, which lost out to Boeing in that Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) competition and was dropped from a separate contest for a new US Navy stealth jet, has said it is now looking at plans for a 'fifth-generation-plus' fighter. CEO James Taiclet told analysts last month that Lockheed was looking at ways of applying technology developed for its losing bid for the F-47 contract to the F-35, delivering 80% of the capability for half the cost. 'We're basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,' he told analysts. A Lockheed spokeswoman said 'We thank President Trump for his support of the F-35 and F-22 and will continue to work closely with the Administration to realize its vision for air dominance.' Lockheed is separately in the midst of a delayed technology and software upgrade for the existing generation of F-35 strike fighter to boost cockpit displays and processing power. Analysts said it was not immediately clear how Trump's list of potential developments fitted into known programs and spending plans, or the timing of existing programs. Agency Partners aerospace analyst Nick Cunningham said the F-55 may alternatively refer to the F/A-XX program, intended to replace the US Navy's aging Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet with the service's own sixth-generation stealth fighter. The Navy and Congress are battling with the administration to keep the plans moving forward, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Announcement of a winning bidder had been expected as early as March. Funding of the radar-evading F-22, which is designed to combat other fighters, has been fiercely debated for years as Congress blocked plans by the Air Force to speed up retirements to focus on the next generation blueprint that became the F-47. Any significant upgrade to the out-of-production F-22 would be costly, while Trump's reference to two engines implies the F-55 would not be a straightforward derivative of the single-engined F-35 but imply an ambitious new platform, analysts said. 'Adding an engine to the F-35 makes it a new aircraft,' UK-based defense analyst Francis Tusa said.
CNN
16-05-2025
- Business
- CNN
Trump floats possible new F-55 warplane and F-22 upgrade
The United States is examining development of a twin-engined warplane to be known as the F-55, as well as an upgrade to its Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor called the F-22 Super, US President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Trump was speaking at a meeting of business leaders including the heads of Boeing and GE Aerospace in Doha, a day after announcing a string of business deals including an order from Qatar for 160 Boeing commercial jets. Trump referred to the F-55 both as an upgrade to the Lockheed F-35 and a new development in comments that appeared to echo talk by the US arms giant of a 'best value' alternative, after losing out to Boeing to replace the F-22 superfighter. He also highlighted the role of the new air dominance platform called the F-47, recently awarded to Boeing, opens new tab, and said the United States was simultaneously looking at upgrading the stealth fighter that it is designed to replace, the F-22. 'We're going to do an F-55 and – I think, if we get the right price, we have to get the right price – that'll be two engines and a super upgrade on the F-35, and then we're going to do the F-22,' Trump said. 'I think the most beautiful fighter jet in the world is the F-22, but we're going to do an F-22 Super, and it'll be a very modern version of the F-22 fighter jet,' he said. 'We're going to be going with it pretty quickly,' he added. Trump last month awarded Boeing the contract for the F-47 – a replacement for the Lockheed F-22 stealth fighter featuring a crewed aircraft flanked by a cohort of drones and seen as America's most advanced or sixth-generation fighter. Lockheed Martin, which lost out to Boeing in that Next Generation Air Dominance (NGAD) competition and was dropped from a separate contest for a new US Navy stealth jet, has said it is now looking at plans for a 'fifth-generation-plus' fighter. CEO James Taiclet told analysts last month that Lockheed was looking at ways of applying technology developed for its losing bid for the F-47 contract to the F-35, delivering 80% of the capability for half the cost. 'We're basically going to take the chassis and turn it into a Ferrari,' he told analysts. A Lockheed spokeswoman said 'We thank President Trump for his support of the F-35 and F-22 and will continue to work closely with the Administration to realize its vision for air dominance.' Lockheed is separately in the midst of a delayed technology and software upgrade for the existing generation of F-35 strike fighter to boost cockpit displays and processing power. Analysts said it was not immediately clear how Trump's list of potential developments fitted into known programs and spending plans, or the timing of existing programs. Agency Partners aerospace analyst Nick Cunningham said the F-55 may alternatively refer to the F/A-XX program, intended to replace the US Navy's aging Boeing F/A-18 Super Hornet fleet with the service's own sixth-generation stealth fighter. The Navy and Congress are battling with the administration to keep the plans moving forward, Reuters reported on Wednesday. Announcement of a winning bidder had been expected as early as March. Funding of the radar-evading F-22, which is designed to combat other fighters, has been fiercely debated for years as Congress blocked plans by the Air Force to speed up retirements to focus on the next generation blueprint that became the F-47. Any significant upgrade to the out-of-production F-22 would be costly, while Trump's reference to two engines implies the F-55 would not be a straightforward derivative of the single-engined F-35 but imply an ambitious new platform, analysts said. 'Adding an engine to the F-35 makes it a new aircraft,' UK-based defense analyst Francis Tusa said.
