Cost of Cockpit Instruments

"Le Chaud Lapin" wrote

When I see this device, I see

1. My two Dell computers with 17" monitors

You are dreaming, and talking out of your but, while doing so.

Your Dells are not bright enough to be direct sunlight readable, which an
airplane display must be.

Your Dell does not have hard drives capable of operating above 12,000 feet.
(or perhaps much lower)

Oh, and that software you mentioned is expensive.

How about overhead to make all of this stuff, for a market of perhaps 2% of
your Dells. Same with the designing of the software.

How about profit for the investors? They will need some, spreading the cost
over not too many units.

I wish the stuff were not so expensive. Wishing will not make it so.
--
Jim in NC

Morgans wrote:


How about overhead to make all of this stuff, for a market of perhaps
2% of your Dells. Same with the designing of the software.


2%, surly you jest. Try 0.02%

On Sep 19, 3:17 pm, "Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net
wrote:
Morgans wrote:

How about overhead to make all of this stuff, for a market of perhaps
2% of your Dells. Same with the designing of the software.

2%, surly you jest. Try 0.02%

Actually, most laptop models sell around 10 million units a month, and
have a lifecycle of 2 years. That is a total of 240,000,000 units.

Most EFIS systems sell maybe 1000 to 2000 copies. For grins lets say
one is REALLY successful and sells 10,000 units.

10,000 divided by 240,000,000 is 0.004%

The market is absolutely TINY compared to consumer electronics.

That is the number 1 reason why everything is so expensive. That's
why even experimental equipment is much more expensive than consumer
electronics.

Number 2 is the cost of certification.

Number 3 is liability insurance.

On Sep 19, 5:01 pm, wrote:

Actually, most laptop models sell around 10 million units a month, and
have a lifecycle of 2 years. That is a total of 240,000,000 units.

Most EFIS systems sell maybe 1000 to 2000 copies. For grins lets say
one is REALLY successful and sells 10,000 units.

10,000 divided by 240,000,000 is 0.004%

The market is absolutely TINY compared to consumer electronics.

That is the number 1 reason why everything is so expensive. That's
why even experimental equipment is much more expensive than consumer
electronics.

Now *this* makes sense. This is what I suspected all along.

The problem is a catch 22. The planes are expensive because the
volume is relatively low. The volume is relatively low (partially)
because the planes are expensive.

I don't know how much the cost of an airplane is related to sensors,
controls, and monitoring equipment, but as an electrical/software
engineer, it's very difficult to spend $3000 for something you know
you could make for $150.

Number 2 is the cost of certification.

Number 3 is liability insurance.

I think if manufacturers where to build airplanes cheap (in cost),
Problems 2 and 3 will begin to fix themselves.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in message
...
Morgans wrote:


How about overhead to make all of this stuff, for a market of perhaps
2% of your Dells. Same with the designing of the software.


2%, surly you jest. Try 0.02%

chuckle Yep, that is probably more like it.
--
Jim in NC

On Sep 19, 9:14 pm, "Morgans" wrote:
"Gig 601XL Builder" wrDOTgiaconaATsuddenlink.net wrote in ...

Morgans wrote:

How about overhead to make all of this stuff, for a market of perhaps
2% of your Dells. Same with the designing of the software.

2%, surly you jest. Try 0.02%

chuckle Yep, that is probably more like it.

It's a catch 22. Market would probably increase dramatically if, say,
prices for electronics were cut in half. But as someone else pointed
out, it would have to be an industry-wide change in attitude, not a
little tweak here and there. Manufacturers would have to take it on
faith, for example, that if they were to make a reasonably-priced USB-
based OEM altimeter unit, it would find its place in an overall
system.

Those building experimental aircraft could lead the way by building an
entire system based on commodity components, as many as possible, and
maintaining a record of costs, etc. The resulting system would likely
not be something for mass market, but it would be a start.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

Le Chaud Lapin wrote:

It's a catch 22. Market would probably increase dramatically if, say,
prices for electronics were cut in half. But as someone else pointed
out, it would have to be an industry-wide change in attitude, not a
little tweak here and there. Manufacturers would have to take it on
faith, for example, that if they were to make a reasonably-priced USB-
based OEM altimeter unit, it would find its place in an overall
system.



Apple sold 1.8 million Macs in the first quarter of 2007. There are only
245,000 aircraft registered in the US. So if an item were sold and installed
in every single aircraft registered in the US you would still be shy by 1.55
milion as compared to the freaking Mac.

You really need to understand how small the market really is.


Those building experimental aircraft could lead the way by building an
entire system based on commodity components, as many as possible, and
maintaining a record of costs, etc. The resulting system would likely
not be something for mass market, but it would be a start.

-Le Chaud Lapin-

We could but we also like the safety of having things we are pretty damn
sure are going to work in flight. Most of us use AN bolts and aviation grade
parts for just that reason. I could save a ton by going to Home Depot and
buying bolds there. But I'm not going to.