On Jun 22, 3:55 pm, wrote:

And since it is doubtfull you could build an airplane with automated
machinery that inputs sheet steel, stamps out parts, and spot welds
them together, airplanes will likely always be labor intensive to
build.

I dunno. When I learned to fly in the 1970s I asked the Cessna
dealer how much a new 172 cost. "Way too much," he said. "$21,000."
It WAS a lot, considering that I was making maybe $14000 a year, so it
would have cost me 1.5 years' salary.
Now a 172 costs well over $200k. What happened? $200K is a long way
past 1.5 times my salary.

Dan