Mark wrote:
On Sep 9, 8:51Â*pm, wrote:
Mark wrote:
Relatively speaking the price of an airplane today
is much higher than they were in the 1970's as
compared to the value of a dollar and average wages
back then. Â*And really, if you look at the price of
complex automobiles with all the bells and whistles
there really is no justification for planes to be priced
so high. There just isn't that much more technology
or material.

For me personally after looking at the economy, I'd
rather keep that much money in a safe place right
now drawing a humble rate of interest than to spend
it on a plane worth 35K that costs 120K.

---
Mark

When airplanes become mass produced in millions per year by robots,
the price won't be much more than cars.

So why, relatively speaking, were planes so much cheaper
back in the 1970's? I don't think it was supply and demand
but I could be wrong.

They weren't.

A decent, used, lower end airplane both then and now costs about the same
as a high end car.

Oh, sure, in absolute dollars they were a lot cheaper then, but so was
everything else.

Of course, airplanes are never going to be mass produced in millions per
year by robots.

Maybe not but with globalization of the world economy I
wouldn't be suprised to see China step up to the plate and
fill this niche.

What niche?

The equipment to do robotic building costs big bucks that can only be
payed for by huge volumes.

Even if the price for a new Cessna/Cirrus/Piper were the same as a new car,
the percentage of people owning airplanes would not change very much simply
because most people are not interested in owning an airplane.

The bottom line is there is no huge market for airplanes at any price which
means the building of them will never be automatted like cars are.

From a stand-point of profitablility I'm sure
Cessna, Piper, and Beechcraft among others have found a
nice balance of optimum profit by producing just enough
inventory to keep the prices where they want them without
having to tool up and mass produce. Labor would be their
largest overhead and human resource management is
always volatile.

Utter nonsense.

All the airplane makers have been struggling just to survive for a decade
or so now.

Back to the Chinese... this short video gives a nice little
tutorial on the state of electric airplanes and China's
contribution. Just think, no oxygen required.

Electric airplanes are toys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TwyyQ1BckK0

In term of cost, the best time to buy stuff is when the economy is
down
and people are dealing.

No doubt and people are selling everything these days,
especially in Florida where houses are 1/2 (or less)
their former price. Most anywhere you can find a boat,
travel trailor, or motorcycle for bargain prices and people
are selling 120K airplanes for 80K. Problem is, after a
year or so most of those toys just end up sitting in the
garage and the 80K plane is STILL overpriced.

What are you, 15?

--
Jim Pennino

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