I was part of the mechanics who contracted to build fabricate 8 lancair ES,4 lancair IV series kits for Police flight patrol/ training in 96. still flying today . learned composites from this program.
Everyone complaining about this plane not being completely made in the USA better stop buying anything from Walmart and most other stores. That also applies to all iPhones, computers, many cars, and pretty much everything you buy. If labour can produce the same quality for the same price in the USA companies won't build in other countries.
@HDaviator Your absolutely right its hard for US companies to stay afloat without offshore labor, there is alot of economic dynamics involved. Also Boeing has the 787 almost built entirely overseas. thats how you fix the labor unions!
Does anyone know of an aircraft component manufacturer that is in Cavite, Philippines, I remember seeing a video that had a tour of that factory? Thanks
It's been a year since you posted that comment - Have you found and bounght a plane that isn't made offshore? From my limited knowledge I get the impression that there isn't a single small aircraft company that makes *all* the components in the US. Even very American companies like Cessna and Boeing have started outsourcing heavily (the Skycatcher and 787 to give some examples)
The wings. And the tail. A company call RDD takes the plane and changes the wings and tail and engine I think and call it an LX7. Can fly it safer at slow speeds and it’s faster at the same time.
To all those objecting to the Philippine angle consider this. Lancair's cheapest " all inclusive kit" (includes airframe, engine , propeller and avionics ) the 2 seat FG-390 model , runs around 213k US (2016 pricing). If it were made in the US I would guess it would probably run twice as much AND the purchaser STILL has to put it together (50.1% or more of the labor for assembling the kit must be done by the owner per FAA regs ). It is estimated to take between 1000 and 1500 hours to assemble the kit. So if the kit was US labor made for an estimated 400k AND the owner has to put in 1500 hours to assemble it AND after that the FAA will only certify it in the "experimental" category with all it's limitations , why on earth would anyone buy it when one can just go to Cirrus (made in the USA) and buy a fully assembled SR22 (4 seater) with more bells and whistles and no "restricted catagory" airworthiness certificate for around 500k US?? Lancair would go belly up in a heartbeat were it not for cheap labor abroad. It's about survival and if you object then don't buy a Lancair and don't shop at Walmart and don't hire cheap undocumented laborers to do your landscaping.
Zenair,Van's Aircraft, Piper and Beech prop planes are all made in the US. I am sure some of the components like avionics have Chinese parts but the airframes and engines are made in North America. Because of the Skycatcher I and many others have written Cessna off. Because of labor unions Boeing has no choice but to offshore some of it's parts.
@klesmer Its just upsetting how we have hard working Americans out of work and big company's have no qualms about shipping the jobs overseas. She admits "there just labor". There has to be a way to keep the jobs in the US. Maybe have half the workforce but theres gotta be a way.
Very sorry to hear that Lancair has offshored their production in this way. After the quality issues Cessna had with composites built in an overly humid facility in Mexico, I would personally be pretty nervous about parts coming from the Philippines.
That's put a bad taste in my mouth, when American's need jobs. I feel that the inflation prone debt based currency system, especially in the Western world makes it very expensive and prohibits manufacturer's building products in their own country.
+Mike Kobb You should write congress as they passed the laws that made it impossible to build an aircraft in the US. The FAA alone makes it clear no "Experimental Aircraft can be used for profit or commercial use" that makes them simply hobbies. But I never thought of flying any aircraft a hobby. As they all have to pass certification, pilots be licensed to carry passengers and use the same runways. So its a mute point. So the real problem is Americans forgot what it is like to take chances and explore. They want safety and cheap. Which is an oxymoron as safety comes with a price and it's not cheap. Which is why the Wright Brothers couldn't invent what they created today. The cost of regulations alone would chock them to death! But you can sure as hell jump from Aircraft today. As the regulations are what people can afford and willing to take the chance and that is as American as you can get!
+Claude “Reviews4U” Rains the regs on experimental aircraft in America basically are written and lobbied for by the u.s. certified manufacturers!! how can a shade tree built airplane be safe!!it,s all crap! you buy a 1950,s technology 172 for half a million dollars! you can buy and build a RV 10 and put in modern glass cockpits for a little more than a 1/5 of that price!
Guess I won't be buying a Lancair kit afterall, I don't build airplanes that are made offshore, Phillipines,India,China or where ever.I have had enough dealings with other products-like firearms, learned my lesson the hard way. Japan or South Korea certainly, the Phillipines,never.
People want cheap so they Exploit different countries then turn around and say where helping them out.. Don’t want to pay US employees a good wage so will screw someone else!
I was part of the mechanics who contracted to build fabricate 8 lancair ES,4 lancair IV series kits for Police flight patrol/ training in 96. still flying today . learned composites from this program.
Wonderful video. It did not realize Lancair had a one to four week onsite builder assist program.
Hi Kim, like your tour...Dennis
Everyone complaining about this plane not being completely made in the USA better stop buying anything from Walmart and most other stores. That also applies to all iPhones, computers, many cars, and pretty much everything you buy. If labour can produce the same quality for the same price in the USA companies won't build in other countries.
@HDaviator Your absolutely right its hard for US companies to stay afloat without offshore labor, there is alot of economic dynamics involved. Also Boeing has the 787 almost built entirely overseas. thats how you fix the labor unions!
Very interesting thanks for sharing
Does anyone know of an aircraft component manufacturer that is in Cavite, Philippines, I remember seeing a video that had a tour of that factory? Thanks
awesome
It's been a year since you posted that comment - Have you found and bounght a plane that isn't made offshore? From my limited knowledge I get the impression that there isn't a single small aircraft company that makes *all* the components in the US. Even very American companies like Cessna and Boeing have started outsourcing heavily (the Skycatcher and 787 to give some examples)
A high-performance powerplant in a low-dollar "airframe". Great combination.
Does anyone know why Lancair IV's have such a high accident fatality rate??
The wings. And the tail. A company call RDD takes the plane and changes the wings and tail and engine I think and call it an LX7. Can fly it safer at slow speeds and it’s faster at the same time.
Because people die in them a lot.
To all those objecting to the Philippine angle consider this.
Lancair's cheapest " all inclusive kit" (includes airframe, engine ,
propeller and avionics ) the 2 seat FG-390 model , runs around 213k US (2016 pricing). If it were made in the US I would guess it would probably run
twice as much AND the purchaser STILL has to put it together (50.1% or
more of the labor for assembling the kit must be done by the owner per
FAA regs ). It is estimated to take between 1000 and 1500 hours to
assemble the kit.
So if the kit was US labor made for an estimated 400k AND the owner has to put in 1500 hours to assemble it AND after that the FAA will only certify it in the "experimental" category with all it's limitations , why on earth would anyone buy it when one can just go to Cirrus (made in the USA) and buy a fully assembled SR22 (4 seater) with more bells and whistles and no "restricted catagory" airworthiness certificate for around 500k US?? Lancair would go belly up in a heartbeat were it not for cheap labor abroad. It's about survival and if you object then don't buy a Lancair and don't shop at Walmart and don't hire cheap undocumented laborers to do your landscaping.
THIS HERE is a good video....
Zenair,Van's Aircraft, Piper and Beech prop planes are all made in the US. I am sure some of the components like avionics have Chinese parts but the airframes and engines are made in North America. Because of the Skycatcher I and many others have written Cessna off. Because of labor unions Boeing has no choice but to offshore some of it's parts.
@klesmer Its just upsetting how we have hard working Americans out of work and big company's have no qualms about shipping the jobs overseas. She admits "there just labor". There has to be a way to keep the jobs in the US. Maybe have half the workforce but theres gotta be a way.
This here. This here. This here. This here.
good job supporting US labor
Very sorry to hear that Lancair has offshored their production in this way. After the quality issues Cessna had with composites built in an overly humid facility in Mexico, I would personally be pretty nervous about parts coming from the Philippines.
That's put a bad taste in my mouth, when American's need jobs. I feel that the inflation prone debt based currency system, especially in the Western world makes it very expensive and prohibits manufacturer's building products in their own country.
+Mike Kobb You should write congress as they passed the laws that made it impossible to build an aircraft in the US. The FAA alone makes it clear no "Experimental Aircraft can be used for profit or commercial use" that makes them simply hobbies. But I never thought of flying any aircraft a hobby. As they all have to pass certification, pilots be licensed to carry passengers and use the same runways. So its a mute point.
So the real problem is Americans forgot what it is like to take chances and explore. They want safety and cheap. Which is an oxymoron as safety comes with a price and it's not cheap. Which is why the Wright Brothers couldn't invent what they created today. The cost of regulations alone would chock them to death!
But you can sure as hell jump from Aircraft today. As the regulations are what people can afford and willing to take the chance and that is as American as you can get!
+Claude “Reviews4U” Rains the regs on experimental aircraft in America basically are written and lobbied for by the u.s. certified manufacturers!! how can a shade tree built airplane be safe!!it,s all crap! you buy a 1950,s technology 172 for half a million dollars! you can buy and build a RV 10 and put in modern glass cockpits for a little more than a 1/5 of that price!
Guess I won't be buying a Lancair kit afterall, I don't build airplanes that are made offshore, Phillipines,India,China or where ever.I have had enough dealings with other products-like firearms, learned my lesson the hard way. Japan or South Korea certainly, the Phillipines,never.
This is BS, other makers can put together a product in the USA and make money. This company lost my respect.
Nothing wrong with Filipino parts mate.
People want cheap so they
Exploit different countries then turn around and say where helping them out.. Don’t want to pay US employees a good wage so will screw someone else!