A aviation & planes forum. AviationBanter

If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Go Back   Home » AviationBanter forum » rec.aviation newsgroups » Soaring
Site Map Home Register Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Cost to install a canopy?



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Prev Previous Post   Next Post Next
  #6  
Old December 9th 05, 06:46 PM posted to rec.aviation.soaring
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Cost to install a canopy?

Earlier, Roger Worden wrote:

Factory labor to assemble new things in
an repetitive process is usually less
expensive than a craftsman in the field
repairing a similar unit...

... or maybe the typical economics don't
hold true in this market.


The latter, quite definitely. Even in the highest-volume glider
"factory," craftsmen doing things onesey-twosey hold the central part
of the process. I think that none of the big players make more than a
few hundred units a year. That may sound like a lot, but it's a far cry
from the tens of thousands or hundreds of thousands of units you'd see
on a car or motorcycle production line.

The bottom line is that even in the factory environment manufacuring
glider parts is an expensive proposition. It may be less expensive than
field repairs and fabrication, but not by much, and business and
transportation expenses more than make up the difference.

Yes, it is definitely faster and more efficient to make a canopy and
frame assembly in the factory. They have the tools and processes and
procedures in place to do it correctly in the fewest possible hours.
However, with production rates so low, and with the installed base so
small, it simply does not make economic sense for them to dedicate part
of their production to spares manufacturing. For a lot of the parts,
they'd end up with a lot of expensive shelf space dedicated to
expensive spare parts for which there is no definite demand. That makes
sense when there are tens of thousands of units with an established
history of spares requirements. But with a few hundred units in the
field there simply is not enough data to build a realistic model of the
spares requirements.

Another problem is that, here in the US at least, the factory is a long
way away. That means expensive transatlantic shipping of a delicate
assembly.

Thanks, and best regards to all

Bob K.
http://www.hpaircraft.com/hp-24

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Enroute GPS Install Cost? Carl Orton Owning 3 May 28th 05 02:26 PM
Cost to install IFR GPS in a basic IFR 172? C Kingsbury Owning 37 August 29th 04 02:22 PM
Duo Discus canopy problems David Starer Soaring 4 June 20th 04 11:09 PM
Canopy crack repair Pete Brown Soaring 0 May 18th 04 03:09 AM
Redundant canopy latching John Soaring 5 March 16th 04 01:50 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 11:29 AM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 AviationBanter.
The comments are property of their posters.