Lockheed Martin Aeronautics is looking to its employees -- some of them, anyway -- for a few good ideas on how to cut the cost of developing and producing the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
Lockheed has launched a monthlong program called the F-35 Affordability Challenge. Using a special computer program called Brainstorm, the project asks salaried employees to submit ideas for cost-saving techniques that can be analyzed."Since we launched the program Monday morning, we've already had about 30 suggestions," spokesman B.J. Boling told staff writer Bob Cox.The F-35 program was initially sold to the Pentagon and Congress as a low-cost way to provide all three U.S. military services with new-generation combat jets. But costs run amok.As a result, the Pentagon, Congress and outside critics are making noise about program costs and hammering on Lockheed to make the aircraft more "affordable."Lockheed will pick the most promising ideas and have them reviewed by its in-house experts to see if they can be implemented. Employees with the winning ideas will be recognized by the company."Hopefully through this filtration process we'll get a few ideas that come out the other end that will result in real affordability gains," Boling said.New public artFort Worth has landed a sculpture by Mexican artist Yvonne Domenge. Now to get it here from Chicago.A 13-foot-tall yellow steel sphere, Tabachin Ribbon, part of a temporary exhibit at Chicago's Millennium Park, has been offered to the city.Fort Worth Public Art wants to place the sculpture in the plaza area on the east side of the Municipal Courts building at Ninth and Throckmorton streets.Tabachin Ribbon is one of three sphere pieces the artist has on display in the Boeing Galleries in the downtown Chicago park until Oct. 21. The artist asked that the pieces be donated to suitable cities or museums when the exhibit ended.Greg Ibañez, vice chairman of the Fort Worth Public Art Commission, said the group was asked to apply for one of the sculptures by Edward Uhlir, executive director of Millennium Park Inc. Uhlir spoke at Fort Worth Public Art's 10th anniversary luncheon in November."We decided to go for it," Ibañez said, and funding was identified.The City Council will vote in August or September to accept the donation. Downtown Fort Worth Inc.'s Urban Design Committee and the Downtown Design Review Board have already endorsed accepting the sculpture. The Historic and Cultural Landmarks Commission will need to approve the planned location.The sculpture, named after the tabachin tree in Madagascar, is valued at $155,000. It will cost about $40,000 to pick up the sculpture, transport it to Fort Worth and install it here. It weighs about 6,000 pounds.Sandra Baker, 817-390-7727sabaker@star-telegram.comJim Fuquay, 817-390-7552jfuquay@star-telegram.comBarry Shlachter, 817-390-7718barry@star-telegram.comHave more to add? News tip? Tell us
