AZjetgeek From United States of America, joined Jul 2004, 235 posts, RR: 2 Reply 2, posted (8 years 9 months 2 days 4 hours ago) and read 1618 times:
I would seriously doubt that Lockheed will re-enter the commercial aircraft market. The L-1011 was less than a dazzling success. It also created a tremendous drain on their resources.
Contrary to what was said in Reply 1, there is still an opening for a company to build RJ's here in the good old USA. Boeing is assisting with the development of the RRJ. Their domestic operations are focused primarily on the 7E7. If Lockheed were able to negotiate a deal with the Chinese company that bought the prototype and plans for the Fairchild-Dornier 728 family, they could have an impact on the market much sooner than if they were to develop one from scratch.
But, as I began, I still doubt that L/M will return to building commercial aircraft. They have a nice niche in military planes. Stick with what you know best.
EddieDude From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 7260 posts, RR: 45 Reply 3, posted (8 years 9 months 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1549 times:
I will take offensive replies with humility and silence if what I say is crazy, but I have one thought.
If at some point in time the idea of designing and developing a sonic cruiser is retaken, it might be the case that Boeing or Airbus, whoever has this idea, will need all the expertise it can get with respect to supersonic performance and, given the fact that Lockheed is a major military aircraft constructor, it could play an important role in such an undertaking (probably not as the leader of the project, but perhaps as part of a consortium).
EddieDude From Mexico, joined Nov 2003, 7260 posts, RR: 45 Reply 5, posted (8 years 9 months 2 days 2 hours ago) and read 1516 times:
That is absolutely true CactusHP, thanks for the reminder. I guess then that unless there is a very specific kind of expertise that Lockheed can bring to such a project (and that both Boeing and EADS may lack), then Lockheed will never again be involved in the commercial airliners industry.
Milesrich From United States of America, joined Jul 2003, 1860 posts, RR: 7 Reply 7, posted (8 years 9 months 2 days ago) and read 1427 times:
Lockheed will not build another aircraft period, unless the taxpayers cover their cost overruns and design defects. Can you say C-5A, C-141, F-22? The L-1011 program was bailed out by the Congress. The only aircraft they have built in recent memory without huge cost overruns is the C-130, and the costs of those have ballooned 20 times since the aircraft was first designed. Imagine if Henry Ford had raised the price of the Model T instead of lowering it. I am not saying the newest Herc is not much more sophisticated than its 1950's parent, but still, Lockheed makes money by raping the taxpayer, and without Sam Nunn and Newt Gingrich, they would have been belly up years ago.
Tavong From Colombia, joined Jul 2001, 834 posts, RR: 5 Reply 8, posted (8 years 9 months 1 day 23 hours ago) and read 1337 times:
I think they have a lot of work building those F-22, JSFs, and all the cargo planes for military, so i don't think lockheed wll go again on comercial planes.
gus
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