Parts Prices

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GAHorn
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Joined: Fri Apr 12, 2002 8:45 pm

Parts Prices

Post by GAHorn »

One of the shocking things is often the price of airplane parts. It can be a real frustration and it can seem outrageous for of what the part might consist.

I was researching a part-source for a Member and after digging down thru various rabbit holes spanning North America it occurred to me that the IPCs of our airplanes were created without the benefit of laptop computers, laser printers, and data-base software. Each part had, not only to be designed, engineered, materials sourced , jigs constructed, and labor paid to construct the part…. the part had to be gauged for quality control, packaged, labelled, and stored for 70 years (or more). And before all that…. employees had to be hired….sometimes highly-qualified employees. With families, housing, and educations to pay for, those employees may not work cheap. Secretaries, draftsmen, printers, engineers, warehousemen, metal-craftsmen, and even janitors were all required to design, produce, catalog and preserve/store each aircraft part. That all costs real money….money which is tied-up over seven decades of expensive storage and then is devalued due to inflation.

Seventy-years later we are shocked when what looks like a $25 part costs $2500. 8O

But Dang!…we found one!…. And it surely is good to get flying when it all comes-together again. :mrgreen:
'53 B-model N146YS SN:25713
50th Anniversary of Flight Model. Winner-Best Original 170B, 100th Anniversary of Flight Convention.
An originality nut (mostly) for the right reasons. ;)
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