If National wins ...

[winner69]

EZ - David not having a good week is he. Key running rings around unfortunately.

Has got so bad he sort of gives me the creeps just watching him speak on the news. I was hoping he would give Key a run for his money but alas not.

If that is how I feel then hard to see many who are not Labour diehards voting for him

Long way to go yet, things might change

[elZorro]

Iceman, here's a bit about the $154mill contract for aircraft. I don't know anything else about it, but it could have employed over 1,000 staff in NZ for a year. Or 200 staff for five years. They'd have all paid taxes, and received training or extended their experience. Instead we're looking at an increase in the current account deficit.

http://m.stuff.co.nz/business/965973...l-baffles-Goff


I didn't see D.C. on TV yesterday, so not sure what you mean there, W69. The press continued to hound him about the difference between paid parental leave and the baby bonus. On Thursday, when he made the speech on Monday? In that case, they are really helping National out with negative PR, without giving us any news.

[slimwin]

Rubbish. I'm ex airforce and an aircraft engineer. Nothing would have been sillier than trying to build an aircraft from scratch. It would have been a financial disaster. Money would have churned through NZ sure enough but they would have got and untried product of dubious quality.

Aviation just isn't that simple. Even the big boys get it wrong but they spread the cost of development and rectification over many buyers.

[elZorro]

Rubbish. I'm ex airforce and an aircraft engineer. Nothing would have been sillier than trying to build an aircraft from scratch. It would have been a financial disaster. Money would have churned through NZ sure enough but they would have got and untried product of dubious quality.

Aviation just isn't that simple. Even the big boys get it wrong but they spread the cost of development and rectification over many buyers.

Yes, I'm aware it's a very difficult area Slimwin, with no room for design mistakes. But PAC has put a turboprop into the CT/4 already. I don't know if $154mill is enough to complete development and build 15 aircraft and the backup with simulator, but they'll not be given the chance to show it was possible either. The airforce is already using CT-4s. The USA's Beechcraft doesn't look that different, but I admit I know very little about aircraft.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PAC_CT/4_Airtrainer

[fungus pudding]

Iceman, here's a bit about the $154mill contract for aircraft. I don't know anything else about it,

Exactly, just like what you don't know about building rail-carriages. And FYI here's a small glimpse at how we stack up without labour's R and D schemes, against competing economies.

http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/otago-po...potential-city

''[New Zealand] is the most inventive country by a factor of two. You convert 3% of your patents into merchantable product, the United States about 1.2%, the United Kingdom 0.8%. - See more at: http://www.odt.co.nz/campus/otago-po....f9wFkQvE.dpuf

[blackcap]

Bit of an own goal by Meteria Turei today/yesterday. Silly silly stuff.

[iceman]

Especially taking on Crusher Collins !

[slimwin]

Yes,I spent two years working on CT 4's.
Your arguing from a position of no knowledge.
It would have been absolutely ridiculous for them not to have gone with a proven airframe.

[elZorro]

Yes,I spent two years working on CT 4's.
Your arguing from a position of no knowledge.
It would have been absolutely ridiculous for them not to have gone with a proven airframe.

Unproven? There are at least 155 CT/4 aircraft already.

I do know that PAC would have walked over hot coals to get that contract, and as they've missed out on it, another way of looking at the situation is that the National Govt may have presided over yet another major business calamity for our manufacturers.

There are all sorts of businesses in Hamilton who can assist with some parts of aircraft manufacture, airframe testing, motor testing and overhauls, etc. $154mill could have helped build a centre of excellence, and once one local customer was sorted, export sales could have followed.

[craic]

A bit like the Trekka, eh!