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Beyond Mass Production

Remember when America feared that its once-mighty manufacturing base was getting "hollowed out" and its assembly line workers were being transformed into a mindless horde of minimum-wage hamburger flippers? Not too long ago, economic pundits warned that our country was saddled with a low-skilled, poorly educated workforce on the verge of becoming indentured wage slaves to Asian and European corporations.

With the ascendancy of American high technology, you don’t hear that kind of whining anymore. However, amid all the hyperbole over the importance of technology in a postindustrial world, a truism is often forgotten: A national economy can’t sustain its competitiveness — and its standard of living — if it lacks a vibrant industrial base. I’m talking about honest-to-goodness, roll-up-your-sleeves manufacturing.

And that’s where America enjoys reclaimed strength as well. In addition to its high-tech aspects, the aviation industry also exemplifies classic manufacturing. With the advent of technological marvels such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, aerospace is dominated by the company’s Seattle-based aircraft assembly lines, which are turning out the most advanced aircraft in the world. These new aircraft represent a melding of mass production and leading edge innovation.

These issues were the subject of animated debate during Aviation Today’s latest webinar, "New Aircraft, New Opportunities: What the OEMs Have in Store for You", conducted May 15 from 1:00 – 2:00 p.m. (ET). Speakers included Hans J. Weber, president of TECOP International, and Paul Leighton, founder and managing director of The Aircraft Value Analysis Company (AVAC), and editor-in-chief of Aviation Today’s biweekly newsletter, Aircraft Value News. This webinar was recorded and archived; you can still access the entire event by registering for it on www.AviationToday.com.

Mr. Weber is president and owner of TECOP International Ltd., a San Diego-based aviation consulting firm. He has 40 years experience in the technology and aviation fields, as both a consultant and as a senior executive. Leighton’s company, AVAC, is a U.K.-based firm that specializes in future value forecasting.

Weber and Leighton discussed what our industry should expect from the aircraft OEMs in the coming months. They noted that composite aircraft are in the vanguard of aviation manufacturing technology. The use of these "miracle materials" is sweeping all sectors of aviation, but the industry is still struggling with how composites will change conventional ways of flying and maintaining aircraft.

Consternation over composites is especially acute in the maintenance sector, where many mechanics still aren’t sure of the proper way to handle them. Maintenance is a huge bread-and-butter concern for all types of operators. When designing aircraft, OEMs once were in the unfortunate habit of giving maintenance short shrift, but that’s no longer the case. New aircraft are now designed to be easier and cheaper to maintain from the get-go.

The speakers discussed what continued delays of Boeing’s popular Dreamliner will mean for aircraft competition, and whether production problems with the Dreamliner will cause Boeing to lose its newfound advantage over Airbus. They also discussed the status of the various new aircraft offerings from Airbus and whether this European behemoth has finally righted itself.

They particularly focused on what the major airframers have learned lately, in terms of production techniques, and the hard lessons Boeing has gleaned from its global supply chain problems with the Dreamliner — and how other companies can put those lessons to good use.

"The third and most recently-announced 787 delay was widely anticipated," Weber pointed out. "The market and customers appear to have reacted with some relief because they consider Boeing’s most recent assessment and completion plan more credible than previous ones. There will be no cancellations if Boeing sticks to plan, but many customers have indicated that they may demand penalties. If Boeing is able to deliver on its current plan, the delay will be forgiven and forgotten in a few years."

Leighton agreed, but with an important caveat: "As along as the 787 performs to specification," he said.

To learn more about what the OEMs have in store for you and your business, log on to the archived webinar at www.AviationToday.com.