WIX Archives

More questions at the bottom ......

Posted by Christer on Thu Oct 24, 2002 07:27:30 AM

In reply top Re: I´m beginning to understand ...... posted by PeterA on Thu Oct 24, 2002 06:19:31 AM

: Christer,
: What I said was - '2.4 x the number of the initial estimat
: e of the potential purchaser'. That is difference that the
: customer 'thought' it might cost or time it might take in
: itially compared to the actual, not what he was quoted by
: the rebuilder/restorer.

I thought that but I wanted to get it from You that the business isn?t as bad as one might be lead to believe!

: Despite what Mick from Australia has posted subsequently,
: nobody in the UK got too 'fat' on rebuilding Spitfires and
: other Warbirds. History shows a trail of small businesses
: that have failed or gone through very lean times over the
: past twenty plus years.
: The fact is that in pure engineering terms, and speaking f
: or Spitfires, they are grossly undervalued for the complex
: ity and magnitude of the engineering. You just cannot rebu
: ild this amount of complexity, with all the requirements o
: f the CAA, with realistic hourly labour rates and make a v
: iable business case. Some of the results of those who cut
: corners in the endeavour are the subject of this forum, in
: suffucient inpsection checks, insufficient investment in j
: igs and fixtures, work being re-done for the second and th
: ird time etc.

I must say that I was surprised to see freshly rebuilt warbirds being sold directly into the new owners workshops!

: For my part I have encouraged several of the small busines
: ses to sharpen up and have provided Project Management Te
: chnicques from the 'prototyping' motor industry, to contro
: l and monitor these projects and give the customer more co
: nfidence.

You mention Project Management Techniques, has that something to do with ISO, as I suggested in my reply to Dan?

: Some will disagree I am sure but if the the people protect
: ing customers at the very top of the wealth tier from bei
: ng 'ripped off' only had the vision to see that paying the
: full market value would open up the market below and thei
: r own investments would surge forward as happened in the 1
: 980's.
: Peter

In WW-NETWORK, winter 1993, there was a Spitfire advertised for sale with a guaranteed airframe rebuild labour cost at ?290,000
Would it be fair to estimate systems, spares and supplies at the approximately same cost?
What?s the estimate for a Merlin/Griffon rebuild including the propeller?

(I?m possibly sticking my nose where it doesn?t belong but, it?s been red-ish before!)

Christer

Follow Ups: