Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

To: TalonDJ
I too am an avionics enginner, now retired, and have worked with the F-111, F-16 and Tomahawk cruise missile through the tough times. Each had innovations and growing pains that we overcame despite the "It'll never work" handwringers.

I don't disagree that the solution may be dumping the LION batteries, I'm just tired of reading the "world is coming to an end" comments about the 787. It will fly again.

24 posted on 03/18/2013 12:03:08 PM PDT by pfflier
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 21 | View Replies ]


To: pfflier

I have worked on both commercial and military systems. There is a huge cultural difference. Air Force pilots understand they might be pushing the envelop to ensure our country is protected by the latest and greatest goodies. Passengers on a commercial plane just want to get where they are going safely. That is all they signed up for.

That said, it is a battery. Of course it is not the end of the world. Swap it for something that works, even a revised LION, and move on. But, perception matters. Part of why this was such a big mistake for Boeing was because of the knee jerk reaction. They blew some of their cache of public trust on this one. They still have more in the bank, but it is still damaging. Some people will not want to get on a 787 after this regardless of the fix. We can tell them they are stupid and dismiss them as handwringers, but our opinion of them does not effect the reality of public opinion. A lot of people just plain don’t want to be lab rats for Boeing’s technology tests. They need to fix this fast and then look real hard at how something this untested made it on a production design. Their development processes should never have let that happen.


25 posted on 03/19/2013 8:48:26 AM PDT by TalonDJ
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 24 | View Replies ]

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article


FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson