Originally Posted by
Cleared Visual
Wishful thinking, but if that happened, is it conceivable that Lockheed, perhaps with some kind of subsidy, would see a viable opportunity to have another shot at the airliner market?
Not if they have a decent memory...
Commercial jet aircraft was an unmitigated financial disaster for Lockheed - they literally lost money on every one they sold. The L1011 was a fine aircraft, but it bankrupted the company requiring a large (at the time) bailout from the US Government.
The day after Lockheed announced they were pulling the plug on the L1011, their stock price soared.
For a more recent example of how hard it is to enter the commercial jetliner market and actually make money doing it, look no further than Bombardier and the C-Series - not only did they have to give the program away to remain solvent, it basically killed their regional jetliner program.