Originally Posted by
Shagpile
This thread is a classic
Early Adopters vs Laggards in Diffusion of Innovation theory. We are fundamentally different people with different personalities & risk profiles.
Laggards: Will wait 10-15 years and finally buy one once their next Robinson 12 year calendar is due, and the guy down the road in the sexier aircraft, with half the running cost, 2.5x the range & payload is taking all the business. Won't listen to early adopters and will still come up with excuses about why they were right when it's 6-18 months delayed. Will celebrate if the project fails, then complain when their Robinson rebuild is due. Has an opinion about why FADEC DO178C certification will never happen, but needs help with their VCR (but probably built their house with their bare hands). Looks into the rear-view mirror about why it won't work, rather than into technical reasons about why it can work. Yet somehow ignores historical success stories such as Frank Robinson doing it with a slide rule. Does not understand why somebody would support a grifter; after all, they should come up with their own capital, not risk customers deposits. Even though they aren't one.
Early Adopters: Finds the project online after researching the incumbents and realising they are all crap, and/or too expensive, or massive trade-offs in range/payload/speed/cost. Watches a few tech video's, does some basic due diligence, and puts in an order. Couldn't change the oil in their car but may enjoy reading about turbine blade super alloy metrology and active tip clearance control. Understands that the guy who made the last five Rolls Royce Engines probably has it under control. Enjoy and/or tolerate risk. Happy to drop a non-refundable ￡50k to secure a slot & ￡130k discount. Don't mind delays in the program. Would rather wait and have something 5x better than anybody else in the industry for 1/10th the cost, done properly. Enjoy having questions personally answered by the CEO in AMA/Forums, and feel personally part of the feedback loop. Generally the opinion leader in their peer group on new and emerging technologies.
https://www.ou.edu/deptcomm/dodjcc/g...2/theories.htm
Problem is, no one here said it couldn't be done. Everything can be done if you pour enough money into it.
We said it can't be done in time, with performance and price it was promised at. So far, timeline has slipped and price has gone up (more than just accounting for increased supplies prices). Performance is still to be seen.