Comments on: Boeing dropped from competition for Air Force “doomsday” plane

By: pzatchok

pzatchok — Wed, 06 Dec 2023 23:37:30 +0000

When your whole business plan involves cost-plus government contracts for your profit margin your pretty much out of the market with any other contract.

Any large enough commercial airframe could be adapted to the new plane they need.
Subcontractors build everything else anyway. They just need someone to install it all and bring it together.

By: Col Beausabre

Col Beausabre — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 18:56:03 +0000

Won’t be a 747 airframe, unless the USAF buys used. “The final 747 was delivered to Atlas Air in January 2023 after a 54-year production run, with 1,574 aircraft built.” Federal procurement regulations prohibit buying used equipment unless it has been rebuilt to “as new” condition with the firm that does that work giving a guarantee the same as a new build purchase.

By: BillB

BillB — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 14:43:15 +0000

I have to agree with Dave Eastman. Thing is that whoever gets the contract will probably use a Boeing airframe as the basis for the aircraft. There is no other U.S. manufacturer of large airframes and there is a probably a requirement for the airframe to be of U.S. manufacture. I don’t remember clearly, but about 50 years ago, what is now L3 in Greenville, Texas was the subcontractor that did the 747 to VC-25 or E-4 conversion.

By: Blair Ivey

Blair Ivey — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 13:16:44 +0000

“Doomsday Plane” kind of has a new meaning for Boeing, now,

By: john hare

john hare — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 08:44:44 +0000

What are the realistic options for another company to move into the airliner business? Boeing and Airbus seems a little lacking as competitive suppliers.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 06:43:00 +0000

The death of the 747 I lament…not their leadership

By: David Eastman

David Eastman — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 05:03:25 +0000

My first reaction reading this is exactly what Mr. Zimmerman has said. Boeing telling it’s investors “We have lost lots of money on fixed priced contracts due to our inability to fulfill our commitments on time or budget. Our plan to fix this is to stop bidding on fixed price contracts” is just admitting that they are nothing more than a money sponge hoping for locked in customers in a no-competition environment. At the same time, lots of small hungry new companies are moving into the very spaces where Boeing has been the past “go-to” provider. If I was an investor, I’d be pulling my money out of Boeing as fast as possible. And if I lived in a location where Boeing or one of it’s dedicated suppliers was a major part of the local economy, I’d be planning to move before the economic and real estate crash when they close factories, offices, etc.

By: Jeff Wright

Jeff Wright — Mon, 04 Dec 2023 02:51:39 +0000

747 would have been perfect—but nooo…