M55,
True about our very welcome ethnic friends from the new EU countries! I for one welcome them with open wallet ;-)
SSBob,
8 years from contract to first flight is still almost unheard of. This is not a re-worked MR2 it's a brand spanky new jet - only the fuselage is retained. The bid was way to low to start with - that explains the majority of the 'overspend' and good old DPA have moved the goalposts on several occasions too.
Let me see if I can remember just how late and over budget the EAP (1983) - sorry Eurofighter 2000, sorry Typhoon 2005 is?? But then again - its a great little pilots toy to show off in the display season!!