Lien :
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/1/89eb5512-603d-11de-a09b-00144feabdc0.html
Dangerous Dreamliner delays
Published & Last updated: June 23 2009 22:50
Voilà le vrai risque !The ticking clock has once again got the better of Boeing. The company announced on Tuesday that, for the fifth time, its flagship new aircraft will not be taking to the air on schedule. The discovery of an area of structural weakness means that it will be several weeks before a new plan for flight tests can be set. There is now a significant chance that the entire Dreamliner programme becomes a commercial disaster.
Voir nos remarques ci-dessus, ... surtout dans la parti concernant le risque de chercher à faire le "fast-tracking" du processus de certification !The previous delay was related to fastners, compounded by last year’s machinists strike. With perhaps 4m parts on the modern airliner, even small problems in one area can then impact on other parts. For instance, earlier this decade BAE Systems discovered a initially small problem in the Nimrod military aircraft, which ultimately resulted in great delays and catastrophic cost overruns. The latest postponement at least suggests that Boeing’s very short timetable for testing and certification is too aggressive.
Eh, oui !Even brief delays are expensive, both for Boeing and members of its long supply chain. For instance, thanks to delays to its Airbus A380 programme, analysts estimate the break even point has risen from 250 deliveries to about 400. As staffing makes up the vast bulk of expenses, time equates to higher costs that must then be spread over eventual sales.
Meanwhile, delivering late allows customers to impose a financial penalty. The worst scenario for Boeing would be a failure to get production up to speed in time – a rate of 10 aircraft a month is targeted by 2012 – and then not catch up with the delivery schedule for the 860 on order. In such a case, there would little hope of making a profit on the programme for several years. The clock ticks ever louder.