Wing Production

Guest Discussion
1

I don’t get it?

"SR20 wing production, for example, which required over 1,700 man-hours per wing in December has been reduced to under 600 man-hours

I am trying to picture 10 people working on a wing all at the same time for 40 hours per week. At 1,700 hours it would take 4.25 MONTHS to make ONE wing. (Can’t imagine 10 people, seems they would be bumping into each other.) At a cost of $15.00/hr including benefits, that would be $51,000 for both wings not including materials. I can’t imagine it taking 4.25 months to make a wing.

600 hours is much more resonable, but to drop it by 65% in two months? I must be missing something?

2

10 people at 40hrs per week = 400 hrs per week

1700/400 - 4.1 - five weeks.

new way = 1.5 weeks

Dean

3

I don’t get it?

"SR20 wing production, for example, which required over 1,700 man-hours per wing in December has been reduced to under 600 man-hours

I am trying to picture 10 people working on a wing all at the same time for 40 hours per week. At 1,700 hours it would take 4.25 MONTHS to make ONE wing. (Can’t imagine 10 people, seems they would be bumping into each other.) At a cost of $15.00/hr including benefits, that would be $51,000 for both wings not including materials. I can’t imagine it taking 4.25 months to make a wing.

600 hours is much more resonable, but to drop it by 65% in two months? I must be missing something?
There is only one wing it is tip to tip one only. They may have had two shifts.I dont care as long as they get up to one a day and they make a profit soon.And 215 shows up by the end of May. I will be one happy camper.Of course 100 pounds more usful load would be cool. From Don 215

4

I have no idea how many people work on a wing at a time and have no idea what the hourly rate including benefits is.

I was mostly commenting on the number of hours stated to produce a wing.

Don’t want to start any rumors here!!

5

I meant weeks…was talking on the phone at the same time. Also note, I have no idea how many people work on a wing at a time. I also thought that was per wing, 2 per plane?

David

10 people at 40hrs per week = 400 hrs per week

1700/400 - 4.1 - five weeks.

new way = 1.5 weeks

Dean

6

It’s uni-wing construction - made the same mistake myself a few threads down.

7

I meant weeks…was talking on the phone at the same time. Also note, I have no idea how many people work on a wing at a time. I also thought that was per wing, 2 per plane?

David

10 people at 40hrs per week = 400 hrs per week

1700/400 - 4.1 - five weeks.

new way = 1.5 weeks

Dean

Regardless, the 1,700

        hour number is

        astonishing. Even

        complex homebuilts only

        take in the 3,000 -3,500

        hr. range. My guess is they meant

        to say 700 hours, but I

        could easily be wrong.

        I have 3 big concerns about the 1,700 number:

1)If it took 4 weeks per

        wing, then to produce 5

        planes a week would

        entail 20 crews, each

        devoting 1,700 hrs. per

        wing to reach this goal.

        2) Now, if they did manage

        to reduce the manhours

        by 1,100 per wing

        without a change in

        tooling, then I would be

        a little concerned about

        the quality.

        3) If you look at

        profitability and make

        asumption sthat the cost of the plane is 50%

        labor and 50% materials

        and assume the

        ENTIRE plane only

        took 3,500 hours to

        build (just over 2x the

        total time for just the

        wing) at a labor cost of

        $30 per hour including

        benefits, then the labor

        component is $105,000

        and the material cost is

        $105,000. They would

        be loosing money on

        each plane and the more they produced the more they would loose!

        I didn't even add in the

        corporate overhead,

        sales expense fixed

        costs, (building, debt

        service, insurance,

        utilities). Ouch.

        Well, based on Ian's last e-mail, they seem to be

        getting their act

        together and the

        production rates are

        onece agin going up.

        Hopefully I will hear in

        the next couple of

        weeks about a delivery

        date for SR22 s/n 17.

        Paul, until then, how's it going? I need more SR22 trivia to keep living vicariously!

        Marty
8

Regardless, the 1,700

hour number is astonishing. Even

complex homebuilts only take in the 3,000 -3,500 > hr. range. My guess is they meant

to say 700 hours, but I could easily be wrong.

well, even if they did cut 1,100 hrs from the procudtion time of the wing, the means they are saving about $30,000 per plane. That is great news for everyone. Who ever figured that out deserves one heck of a bonus!