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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 3117.PDF
INTERIORS turer can build 100 aircraft much more efficiently than we can can build 100 of some thing. But each one of these aircraft has its unique differences and unique requirements, people in the custom completion business can satisfy these requirements more easily," he says. Boeing Business Jets is the only OEM that does not handle completions, and has no plans to do so. "We're no good at it," says Tom Lindberg, Boeing's vice-president, customers. "We will focus on what we do well, and that's building a green aircraft," he says. Bombardier and Gulfstream allow their cus tomers the option of taking their completed green aircraft (one which does not have an inte rior) to their preferred choice of completion centre. Bombardier has opted to complete the first 24 Global Expresses at its Montreal, Dorval centre, which is scheduled to open early in 1998. "We will do the first units in Montreal and then evaluate the situation," says Jim Ziegler, Bombardier's vice-president and general man ager of aviation services. Although he concedes that the interiors business is lucrative, he believes that die relationship with the customer is more important. "It is difficult to get valuable feedback through our independents...you can gather information more readily when you have access to the customer," he says. Bombardier owns completion centres in Tuscon, which han dles the Learjet 31, 60 (for which 50 comple tions are planned for 1997) and the Challenger 604, and at Wichita, Kansas, which will handle die Learjet 45. Gulfstream is upgrading its factory-owned completion and service centres in Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia, and Long Beach, California, in a bid to win more business. "We want to bring more work in house: we alreadv handle 100% of the GV work and around 90% of the GIV work," says Pat Eranssen, director of interior design. According to Eranssen, Gulf stream will complete around 21 GIVs and 13 GVs in 1997, which will increase to 25 GIVs and 30 GVs in 1998. Dassault Falcon Jet handles all completions for its range from its Little Rock, Arkansas, site, which it set up around 15 years ago. "We recog- Bombardier plans to complete its initial batch of 24 Global Express at a dedicated site, now being built nised the advantage of keeping the work in- house. It's is the only way to control the quality and the schedules," says Bob Petri, manager of interior specification. Petri claims that cus tomers can be put off a sale if they are quoted a price for a green aircraft. "They don't want to buy an empty aeroplane and then pay another $l-$2 million for an interior." He adds that, when aircraft were "shipped out" in the past and a problem occurred with the interior, the cus- tomerwould complain to the manufacturer and not the completion centre." Petri adds that the workload has grown substantially."We are exceeding 50 aircraft completions a year and we will try to do as many as we can in-house" RAYTHEON DECISION This viewpoint is echoed by Carl Childs, Raytheon Aircraft's vice-president of sales and marketing. "Raytheon made the decision to perform completions on the entire product line in-house. It is the only way to control your product line," he says. Raytheon now handles around 400 aircraft completions a year across the range, of which around 30 are on Hawker 800s. The company plans to increase Hawker production alone in 1999 to between 45 and 50 aircraft. "If you take an aeroplane from Savannah to Dallas, it can be sitting on the ground for up to a year, and there is no utilisa tion. It can take as little as three months to com plete a Hawker," he adds. Cessna also performs its own completions from its site in Wichita. "We do not sell aircraft without interiors," says Jan Mclntire, Cessna's director of corporate communications. The company claims that it will complete around 180 new interiors by the end of 1997. A criticism often levelled at OEMs concerns their ability to offer value for money or a wide choice of interior for the customer. Completion centres assert that they are often the preferred choice of the customer when given the flexibil ity. "Their approach is very different," says Brown. "They cater to the individual's specific needs, whereas the manufacturer will identify the standard configuration that they have devel oped." He believes that the difference between the cost of a green aircraft and that of a manu facturer-completed one may not always be a realistic one. "If you buy a green aircraft from Gulfstream, the credit for the price of the inte rior is not always obvious, because when you buy a Gulfstream you are buying 'a Gulfstream'. If you want to subtract the price of the interior it is simply their interpretation of it," he adds. Business for the OEMs and independent completion and refurbishment centres is strong, and both are keen to express their will ingness to maintain close links with each other. According to Innotech's Brown, ".. .we want to support the OEMs and develop a close associa tion with them - after all, there is more than enough work to go around." Van Nice, howev er, believes that completion companies should be more cautious of expanding too rapidly. "We could increase the number of aircraft that we complete, but what we would prefer to do is expand our core business and continue to grow at a reasonable rate. Trying to double or triple your capacity area over a two-to-three year peri od is a recipe for doom." • 3M high technology Scotchcal™ 5690 making film and 3WFM Digital Imaging systems combine with Graphicraft's high quality print, manufacture and skilled application to create a fast and environmentally friendly way to implement your aircraft livery - permanent, promotional or temporary. For exterior finishing, the future is in Decals - the proven alternative to paint Permanent Decals Paint Stencils Temporary Liveries Promotional Liveries Mandatory Marking Kits - Decal or Stencil Interior Placards Window Masks 15 The Manron Centre, Manton Lane, Bedford MK41 7PX England Telephone:+44(0)1234 340058 Fax:+44 (0)1234 342293 E-Mail: graphicraft@dial.pipex.com SITA: CB GG CCR £ FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 12 - 18 November 1997 69
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