Andy
707 posts


@TwoPintsJP Because it is faster to build a real thing, test it, analyze the failures and built it again than it is to fiddle fuck in CAD and meetings and theory for many years a great expense the way Boeing does, who also just had a rocket failure.
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Aerospace parts are not 100x overpriced because of paperwork or crazy high standards or any of the reasons folks often think they are.
This is a part that would be $50 if it was an aftermarket dingus for your car’s oil pan, if made to the same tolerances/QC and with the same material. In fact, most OE car parts are held to exceptionally tight dimensional tolerances and quality standards.
Aerospace shops - with all the QC gear and ISO certs and paperwork automation - typically have an hourly rate 1.75x - 2.0x comparable non-aerospace shops. No, QC and documentation do not 100x a part’s cost to make.
What makes aerospace parts expensive are 3 main drivers:
1. Volume. Boeing builds 458 copies of the 737 every year. If you get the contract for the inconel de-icing bleed air manifold (2x per hull), that is fantastic! You are also making only 1000 parts per year. Not huge scale to get automotive industry efficiency (which is usually 7 figures annually).
2. Design For Manufacturability. Aerospace engineers are perhaps (as a group) the worst in the world at designing their parts with any consideration to manufacturing. While one understands for this for power plants and some critical sub-systems, my gut feeling is that 90% of the parts on an aircraft could have a 50% coat reduction with a single round of DfM. I’ve seen some totally stupid things out of Boeing and Airbus on parts- either could save $1B annually if they just had CATIA/NX disable the fillet command.
3. Distribution. Aero has a pile of Persian rug salesman in the parts business. Nobody wants to do the work, so everything has layers of useless “service” middlemen who each mark up 300%. For example- none of my Boeing customers ever work with Boeing, they work with a contractor, who is working for a supplier, who sells to Boeing. Boeing is “saving money” by paying 3x for every nut and washer and valve… Airbus is apparently worse. (my customers making SpaceX parts deal directly with SpaceX, often with access to the engineers for a tight DfM feedback loop).
TL;DR- Aero parts are expensive because of low volume and a sclerotic industry filled with lazy MBA parasites who drag value, not because they are exceptionally hard to make or “the paperwork.”
aircraftmaintenancengineer@airmainengineer
The price of a new magnetic oil drain plug for a Challenger 350 engine starter. 📸 by reddit/kunosion Not an ad
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As someone who makes my living designing and selling crazy production processes on (mostly) 5 axis machines, I appreciate the BOM count jihad and complex parts!
What sucks is over-toleranced parts, stupid fillets, unnecessary surface finish call outs, tight profile bands on complex surfaces made entirely for clearance, etc etc. Harder to build, harder to inspect, almost no real-world need.
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@tonygwynnjr my mom found this cleaning out the garage. It's my Poway little league team coached by Tim Teufel visiting the Padres. A couple photos of your dad and uncle are included I thought you might appreciate. I've still got the signed ball. Enjoy!


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Andy 리트윗함
Andy 리트윗함
Andy 리트윗함
Andy 리트윗함

You can read Profar’s lips: “It’s the guy with the neck tattoo and the ankle monitor. Not that one. No, not that one either. Not that one. No, not that one either. Not that one. No, not that one either. Not that one. No, not that one either. Not that one. No, not that one either”
FOX Sports: MLB@MLBONFOX
Things are getting heated at Dodger Stadium.
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Andy 리트윗함

I’d like to thank the undefeated class act @DonOrsillo for being so nice to my family when we cornered him in the elevator tonight at the @Padres game! #LFGSD

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@MattSkraby @tonygwynnjr @ChrisElloSD is 20 pitches and 5 outs really more than a pro pitcher can handle in back to back days?
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