Posted on 05/24/2006 8:23:32 AM PDT by COEXERJ145
LONG BEACH, Calif., May 23, 2006 -- Boeing [NYSE: BA] today delivered its final two 717 airplanes to Midwest Airlines and AirTran Airways in a ceremony before thousands of employees, retirees and dignitaries in Long Beach, Calif. The deliveries conclude commercial airplane production in Southern California that began in the 1920s with the Douglas Aircraft Co.
The 717 program, which produced 156 airplanes, pioneered breakthrough business and manufacturing processes for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
"Our production system is an industry benchmark because of the lean manufacturing and employee involvement practices we pioneered on the 717 in Long Beach," said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally. "The 717 has forever redefined how we build airplanes. We're extremely proud of the airplane, our employees and our many supplier partners on the program."
The program was launched by an order from AirTran Airways in 1995, and the airplane quickly became renowned by customers for its excellent economics, performance and reliability. Based on the Douglas DC-9 and launched as the McDonnell Douglas MD-95, the 100-seater was renamed the Boeing 717 after McDonnell Douglas and Boeing merged in 1997.
Douglas opened the Long Beach factory in 1941 as part of President Roosevelt's Arsenal of Democracy - a request to the nation's industries to halt civilian production and assist in making wartime equipment. The facility produced almost 10,000 airplanes for World War II before transitioning to commercial airplane production after the war. Douglas merged with the McDonnell Aircraft Company in 1967, forming the McDonnell Douglas Corporation.
"Truly, it is our people who have acted with tremendous pride and have achieved all of these great accomplishments," said Pat McKenna, vice president and general manager of the 717 program. "They have done this not only on the 717 program but throughout the Douglas history."
More than 15,000 airplanes have been produced in the Long Beach factory.
That's what most corporations do, with the parent company owning the stock or membership interest in the entity that hold the IP. The IP benefits the parent company, and its shareholders, who paid for the IP by buying the rights to it or by employing and paying those who produced it at no personal risk and expense to themselves.
(Denny Crane: "Every one should carry a gun strapped to their waist. We need more - not less guns.")
Not on the borderline individual scale I am advocating.
Great point.
This plane has always scared the carp out of me. Engines just don't look like they can do the job. But they have, over the years. Great track record.
Why would Canada give subsidies to a Brazilian company?
It is a high gross weitght version of the 737-700 with a provision for extra (removable) fuel tanks in the cargo hold. It is just a 737-700 with the wings and landing gear of the 737-800. Apparently Boeing has started marketing it to airlines as the 737-700ER. It is also the basis for the 737-700C convertible cargo version and the Navy C-40A, Airforce C-40B, and the Congressional (pork) C-40C. The BBJ in no way is a suitable plane for short range hops the way a regional jet is.
http://www.aerospace-technology.com/projects/bbj1/
The spacious 807ft² cabin can be customised to meet individual or business requirements for 8 to 149 passengers.
They don't seem to advertise it too much. Maybe there is not too much of a profit margin?
Truth be told, I almost miss for nostalgia's sake the deafening shriek of the old water-cooled turbojets on the early 707's. Realize they're not at all efficient, but oh that sound! Fortunately their descendents live on in our military fighter jets.
Looks like an MD-80.
Too big. Who needs a 150 seat business jet?
The ones who don't need to seat 8?
Who needs an 80 seat executive jet?
I still like the converted 757's better. Supposedly the only reason there was no BBJ model based on the 757 was that it is a joint venture with GE and there was no option for GE engines on the 757.
Interesting, didn't know that. That might have kept the 757 line going.
I doubt it. Anyone looking for a 757 sized business jet can find a 757 from an airline that needs a D-check for a lot less than the cost of a new 757 or even a much smaller business jet. Considering how few hours business jets are flown, a well maintained former airliner is just as good as a new plane.
It all depends on your contract. You should be set set as long as you don't see the words "work for hire" or anything about assigning patents in the contract. In work for hire, you basically sell your interest in the work by receiving payment up front.
You have to extend that a bit and make it depend on the contract. Did the civil engineer have to invent something special in order for your house to be built? If so, it's his. Did you ask the civil engineer to invent something so that he could engineer the house? If so, did you specify that patents must be assigned to you? If you did, you probably paid the engineer a more than if he kept it.
Did you ask the architect to do work for hire, or have a contract to assign the architectural drawing copyrights to you? If so, they're yours, and you paid more for the architect's services.
Companies would be out a lot of money if employees kept a right to everything, and salaries would be less. Also, let's say IBM did it this way. With thousands of patents coming from thousands of employee inventors, could you imagine the legal department necessary to control all of those patents? At the very least, they'd have to contract IBM to control all the patents, but with royalties being paid to the inventors -- enter a big royalty department like the record labels have.
Yeah, but the President flies with aides, security staff, and the press.
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