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Aviation History
1962
1962 - 1927.PDF
FLIGHT International, 6 Sepletnber 1962 413 SUCCESS IN THE EXPORT MARKETS... programme without taking any aircraft out of commercial use (in the case of the airlines), has now been accepted—though individual companies may have differing reasons for using simulators. In this sense, the climate is favourable for salesmanship, and selling is achieved partly by reputation and partly by persistence. An example of the former is Redifon's standing with Boeing, who saw Lufthansa's 727 simulator and congratulated the German airline upon it, and have sent senior representatives to Crawley. Persis tence is exemplified in the time taken to negotiate overseas orders; one of Redifon's American contracts—like one of R.F.D.'s over seas orders—first came under discussion two years before signa ture. Regular contact with customers is essential—"we are always travelling," says Mr Staynes, "both sales-wise and engineering-wise." He himself goes to the United States six or seven times a year. When there, he believes in the psychological importance of telephone contact. "If you write you may never get an answer for months," he says; the telephone brings an immediate response. Another important factor is good customer relationships; thus, say Redi- fon, "we always respond instantaneously to any request for assis tance." Like many other manufacturers, they hold regular training courses, which may last anything from six to 32 weeks, according to the customer's requirements. Redifon have a qualified simulator instructor who may be "lent" to customers; they also have repre sentatives who lectured to the German Air Force in German—a good sales point this, indeed, talking to customers in their own language. It is not only in simulators that Redifon do a worldwide business; other products of theirs which find an overseas market are marine radar trainers (Japan, Canada and Finland are among customers) and ATC radar simulators (on order for Indonesia, Egypt and the Argentine, among others; sold to Germany, Spain and New Zea land). One instance of good customer-company relationship and a tribute to air attaches may serve to round out this Redifon success story. The first concerns a Venezuelan order which had got behind on payment; the customer wrote to say, quite simply. "Will you please add the interest to what we owe you ?" The second, a word from the company that they have always received help from British air attaches. This kind of assistance is of utmost value to com panies, keeping them in touch with the situation overseas and the prospect of new orders. Redifon think in export terms; but in addition to regular visits overseas by their own staff, it is helpful to have information from the man on the spot—as in the case of other concerns—to effect the right introductions through his local contacts. Radar and Radio Nowhere is the question of exports more keenly and consciously under review than in the Marconi aeronautical division premises at Basildon, Essex, the new town of trim private dwellings and luminous modern factories. From here, the airborhe radar systems that guide civil aircraft to their destinations and military aircraft to their targets go out all over the world, either in British-built aircraft or as direct exports to countries who put the equipment in the aircraft they manufacture, such as the Fokker F.27 Friend ship. A review of the export situation by the division's manager, Dr B. J. O'Kane, was lucid and realistic; its keynotes might be said to be reliability of equipment, and backing up by after-sales service. He pointed out the differing bases on which equipment may start: development contract from the Government; sales to the Services and to the Government; purely civil types of equipment sold to the airlines, sometimes adapted from equipment—for example the radio compass—made for fighter aircraft; and private-venture developments, such as are now being sold to Dassault for the Mirage III and IV. (This French customer received Dr O'Kane's commendation for practical co-operation.) He summed up the whole business of exports like this: "You've got to show competence in the field before anyone will place orders." On co-operation with France, he points out that they haven't had up to now a very large electronics industry. Marconi have orders for the Mirage HIE and IV, the Doppler in the former having a different type of computer. Manufacture is being carried out by CSF under licence. Simulator in airline markings; an order for Alitalia being fulfilled in the Redifon Flight Simulator Division's premises at Crawley
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