Pretty interesting from Diamond at the European air show—
Wow - moving all prop plane manufacturing to China! Interesting.
-Dane
as you all probably know the Lancair kits are built in southeast Asia
In reply to:
Wow - moving all prop plane manufacturing to China! Interesting.
Dane
I think they mean that the China factory will be able to build all Diamond models (for the Chinese market); however, the North America and European plants will continue to build planes for those markets.
Sounds like a good thing, and a gutsy move. The big global players do this routinely, but to see a small aviation player make the jump is encouraging. This could lead to lower costs, broader investment and customer bases, and better political/regulatory diversity. For us, wider choice, secure supply and lower prices.
In reply to:
I think they mean that the China factory will be able to build all Diamond models (for the Chinese market)
Maybe, but that’s not what the release says:
And with that, Dries dropped a bomb. Diamond, he said, is establishing what it calls the Diamond China Project, a new manufacturing facility that will be built “about 300 kilometers east of Beijing.” Site construction began one month ago, and it will be twice the size of Diamond’s Austrian facility — and capable of employing 1,700 employees and building 600 aircraft a year. Eventually, all propeller-driven Diamond aircraft will be built at the Chinese plant, starting with DA40s. The first DA40 will roll out the so-called “Aviation City” factory doors by year-end.<<
Of course, the release could have gotten it wrong. Do you have some extra info from Diamond suggesting that this is just Chinese-market production? Thanks.
In reply to:
Maybe, but that’s not what the release says:
And with that, Dries dropped a bomb. Diamond, he said, is establishing what it calls the Diamond China Project, a new manufacturing facility that will be built “about 300 kilometers east of Beijing.” Site construction began one month ago, and it will be twice the size of Diamond’s Austrian facility — and capable of employing 1,700 employees and building 600 aircraft a year. Eventually, all propeller-driven Diamond aircraft will be built at the Chinese plant, starting with DA40s. The first DA40 will roll out the so-called “Aviation City” factory doors by year-end.<<
Of course, the release could have gotten it wrong. Do you have some extra info from Diamond suggesting that this is just Chinese-market production? Thanks.
And people think it’s tough to fly their new Cirrus home from DLH to the west coast in the middle of winter.
Aviation City, sounds like the Toyota City concept. If true, look for engine and avionics announcements to follow.
In reply to:
Maybe, but that’s not what the release says:
… Eventually, all propeller-driven Diamond aircraft will be built at the Chinese plant, starting with DA40s.
Of course, the release could have gotten it wrong. Do you have some extra info from Diamond suggesting that this is just Chinese-market production? Thanks.
Jim
Yeah, the Diamond release clarifies it. You’re the wordsmith, but I thought the sentence was ambiguous.
The place is only 100 NM from my home base Singapore, Malacca WMKM. The company CTRM (partially government owned) is not only building parts of the Lancair but also the Eagle trainer and even some parts for Airbus. They are looking at technology transfer and the average Malaysian worker salary is about 300/500 USD a month. This is not a new trend , German glider manufacturers were subcontracting a lot of work in Poland and the Tcheck Republic even 20 years ago. Composite work is labour intensive and the government makes the place attractive. Of course 10 years later you have to face the same people as competitors…but you survive 10 years and maybe more. Aircrafts are not fridge or Tv but it takes still 1000 + hrs to build one…
Cheers,
JJ
The official second PR release clearly spelled out that they will keep Canada and Austrian production in addition to China. This will give them good flexibility for each geographic area. I am sure this clarification also allows a number of excellent employees to sleep a bit better! Pretty progressive company for GA!! Nice to see!
In reply to:
The official second PR release clearly spelled out that they will keep Canada and Austrian production in addition to China. This will give them good flexibility for each geographic area. I am sure this clarification also allows a number of excellent employees to sleep a bit better! Pretty progressive company for GA!! Nice to see!
Yes, but when the Chinese plant gets up and running, they will look at the transportation costs and decide that the $$ they save on labor and benefits will more than offset the transportation costs, so the other 2 factories will be closed down.
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Composite work is labour intensive and the government makes the place attractive. Aircraft … takes still 1000 + hrs to build …
BTW, I also notice that Van’s (metal) RV aircraft quickbuild kits are
“assembled by Wright Aircraft, Inc. in the Philippines, or High Performance Aircraft International in the Czech Republic, from parts supplied by VanÂ’s.”
Intresting. A trend?
Competition is good.
In reply to:
Jim
Yeah, the Diamond release clarifies it. You’re the wordsmith, but I thought the sentence was ambiguous.
It was ambiguous - it says “all will be built at” - but what it seems they meant was that the facility will be capable of building all of their aircraft. Doh!
-Dane