Official Fulqrum Publishing forum - Ethics of pilots fighting for the sides in WWII

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Originally Posted by Splitter (Post 206085)

I don't know how the Swiss do it, but a government spec on something as simple as a switch or a desk can take up several pages. And in most instances, a contractor must charge the government less than its' largest commercial clients. When I sell to the government, I am usually making 10% gross profit, about half what I make off of any commercial entity.

Tell me...
We had a gov. Contract too, we made about 15% instead of >33%.
But we wanted the contract come hell or high water. Of course there was also a perspective for future contracts(which would more than make up for the discount) from other agencies and some media coverage.
It worked. :)

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The waste in government really comes from the 12 agencies that wrote the spec for each part. In each agency the spec was reviewed by dozens of people. They all have their opinions and they all write in their own little part of the spec. In the end, that little switch that cost the manufacturer $3 to make costs the government $20 to procure in quantity, more if they buy one or two.

It gets really funny when they change the specs although they are already field testing the product.
One of those example is was the swiss development of the P16 Fighter-Bomber.
It was doomed - the wing however saw later use in the Learjet.
http://www.leica-geosystems.com/down...seum_CS_en.pdf

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No business could operate the way the government does.

Splitter

Not very long, lol.

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I am pobably wrong, but don't they earmark sections of autobarns/major roads for use as airfields as part of their contingency plans?

No, you 're right
Germany has them too btw:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qx7Meo7w-pY

They Swiss were last time tested in 1991.
The concept was abandoned 1995.

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This would require a fairly robust airframe. I wonder if they use arrestor wires for 'short' strips ?

No sir.