The Dod C 17 Versus The Boeing 777

In 1995, two significant aircraft made aviation history as they lifted off runways in different parts of the country. One, the Boeing 777, a wide-bodied, two-engine passenger plane created by private enterprise, made its first commercial transoceanic flight in June 1995. The other, the C-17, a military cargo plane created by the Department of Defense (DOD), received initial operating certification in January 1995. Each aircraft exhibited innovative design and high-tech features, but neither boasted an unprecedented level of untried technology. They were similar in many ways-both intended to ferry passengers or cargo with appropriate ease from one point to another. Yet each of these aircraft had a unique story of development-one a straightforward narrative of almost 9 years, the other a complex, convoluted yarn spanning 24 years. Even after Congress approved funding, the C-17 time table was greater than the Boeing 777. This study compares and contrasts the histories of these two aircraft to determine why a private-sector company was able to develop and produce the 777 in significantly less time than the government took to develop and produce the C-17. The 777 originated in the late 1980s during market research by the Seattle-based Boeing Company. To determine what the market would bear, Boeing solicited input from commercial airlines, asking them what they wanted in a new aircraft. Once Boeing determined the type of aircraft to build, the company set a timeline, initiated innovative development procedures, and then followed a set of guidelines to produce the aircraft.

In 1995, two significant aircraft made aviation history as they lifted off runways in different parts of the country. One, the Boeing 777, a wide-bodied, two-engine passenger plane created by private enterprise, made its first commercial transoceanic flight in June 1995. The other, the C-17, a military cargo plane created by the Department of Defense (DOD), received initial operating certification in January 1995. Each aircraft exhibited innovative design and high-tech features, but neither boasted an unprecedented level of untried technology. They were similar in many ways-both intended to ferry passengers or cargo with appropriate ease from one point to another. Yet each of these aircraft had a unique story of development-one a straightforward narrative of almost 9 years, the other a complex, convoluted yarn spanning 24 years. Even after Congress approved funding, the C-17 time table was greater than the Boeing 777. This study compares and contrasts the histories of these two aircraft to determine why a private-sector company was able to develop and produce the 777 in significantly less time than the government took to develop and produce the C-17. The 777 originated in the late 1980s during market research by the Seattle-based Boeing Company. To determine what the market would bear, Boeing solicited input from commercial airlines, asking them what they wanted in a new aircraft. Once Boeing determined the type of aircraft to build, the company set a timeline, initiated innovative development procedures, and then followed a set of guidelines to produce the aircraft.

This study-a comparison of the Boeing and Department of Defense approaches to developing and producing an airplane-was undertaken to find out why the DOD approach results in development and production programs that span 11 to 21 years, while Boeing develops and produces planes in 4 to 9 years. The C-17 and 777 were chosen because both use similar technology levels.

Genetic engineering, nanotechnology, astrophysics, particle physics: We live in an engineered world, one where the distinctions between science and engineering, technology and research, are fast disappearing. This book shows how, at the dawn of the twenty-first century, the goals of natural scientists--to discover what was not known--and that of engineers--to create what did not exist--are undergoing an unprecedented convergence. Sunny Y. Auyang ranges widely in demonstrating that engineering today is not only a collaborator with science but its equal. In concise accounts of the emergence of industrial laboratories and chemical and electrical engineering, and in whirlwind histories of the machine tools and automobile industries and the rise of nuclear energy and information technology, her book presents a broad picture of modern engineering: its history, structure, technological achievements, and social responsibilities; its relation to natural science, business administration, and public policies. Auyang uses case studies such as the development of the F-117A Nighthawk and Boeing 777 aircraft, as well as the experiences of engineer-scientists such as Oliver Heaviside, engineer-entrepreneurs such as Henry Ford and Bill Gates, and engineer-managers such as Alfred Sloan and Jack Welch to give readers a clear sense of engineering's essential role in the future of scientific research. Table of Contents: Preface 1. Introduction 2 . Technology Takes Off 2.1 From Practical Art to Technology 2.2 Construction Becomes Mathematical 2.3 Experimenting with Machines 2.4 Science and Chemical Industries 2.5 Power and Communication 3. Engineering for Information 3.1 From Microelectronics to Nanotechnology 3.2 Computer Hardware and Software 3.3 Wireless, Satellites, and the Internet 4. Engineering in Society 4.1 Social Ascent and Images of Engineers 4.2 Partnership in Research and Development 4.3 Contributions to Sectors of the Economy 5. Innovation by Design 5.1 Inventive Thinking in Negative Feedback 5.2 Design Processes in Systems Engineering 5.3 “Working Together� in Aircraft Development 5.4 From Onboard Computers to Door Hinges 6. Sciences of Useful Systems 6.1 Mathematics in Engineering and Science 6.2 Information and Control Theories 6.3 Wind Tunnels and Internet Simulation 6.4 Integrative Materials Engineering 6.5 Biological Engineering Frontiers 7. Leaders Who Are Engineers 7.1 Business Leaders in the Car Industry 7.2 Public Policies and Nuclear Power 7.3 Managing Technological Risks Appendix A. Statistical Profiles of Engineers Appendix B. U.S. Research and Development Notes Index I am impressed by the scope of Engineering - An Endless Frontier, and fascinated by Sunny Auyang's comprehensive knowledge of the subject. This is just the kind of book the National Academy of Engineering has been encouraging to promote the importance of engineering to the public. It will have a long shelf-life in that it pulls together material that is not readily accessible, and will serve as a reference for anyone interested in engineering as a profession. Engineering needs this book! --John Hutchinson, Harvard University Engineering - An Endless Frontier is extraordinary in scope. Sunny Auyang describes the different kinds of contemporary engineering practices and productions, attempts to provide historical background, explains the scientific basis for engineering innovation in different fields, and addresses the broad, systems level managerial, entrepreneurial, and design activities of professionals. It's rare to find a single author who can grasp and explain the essential features of modern technologies across such an array of industrial sectors and engineering disciplines and explain how they work, why they work they way they do, and what is required for their innovation, development and, yes, even maintenance. --Louis L. Bucciarelli, Professor Emeritus of Engineering and Technology Studies, MIT