Two notes on this:

• For most of the time that I was at United Defense (later BAE Systems), Elmer Doty was Vice President & General Manager, Ground. Systems Division
• Boeing has VERY aggressively spread technally “bleeding edge” portions of 787 manufacture to outside vendors, where potential delays are largely invisible. I would expect the 787 deliveries to be delayed, though perhaps not as much as the Airbus a380.

Boeing supplier Vought outlines 787 challenges

Key Boeing 787 supplier Vought Aircraft Industries has disclosed it is facing “ongoing schedule slippage” in obtaining parts it is supposed to install before shipping fuselage sections to Boeing, a company memo obtained by the Seattle press reveals.

Shortly after it was reported the head of 787 operations at Vought, Ted Perdue, had left the company, Vought CEO Elmer Doty sent a memo to employees setting clear the firm faced challenges but noting it was acting quickly to address the issues.”

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