Buitenzorg > yes, and particularly as MD is owned by a Dutch company. But MD _did_ sign a contract committing themselves to a greater MTOW than turned out to be feasible, even with a boom extension. If they ran out of money, then why would the bank (or funding source) forsake them if they had an order for 8 in the bag which could see them back on the road to recovery? It points to the MTOW being impossible to achieve
Where now for MD? Obvious severe financial pressure, and the only likely buyers of the company will be interested in the 500E/530F line for the Little Bird contract. Note the NOTARs though, sales oif which have not exactly been spectacular, with none of the 520N, 600N or Explorer lines yet delivering 100 airframes to customers. Put that alongside their competitors sales figures and you have a company in serious decline.
So, it's no surprise that there are stories like
- Sussex Police (UK) down for 5 weeks (14 months back - 2nd Dec 03 to 6th Jan 04) awaiting spares (not the Tactical Radio thing)
- Suffolk County PD (New York State, US) - grounded both aircraft late 2004 due to spares difficulties, and County have approved money to buy something different.
- a US EMS program have paid $1M+ deposit and aircraft stuck on the line - they fear they will never see their money or aircraft. Same program has another Explorer leased from Japan in mothballs due to lack of spares
- In Nov-04. Kaman announced a $21M write-off of investments in contracts with MD
- the MD Sales/Marketing Director (one time Air Hanson ops department) now on "garden leave"
The everyday situation now is spares availability. This seems to have been caused by financial difficulties, which in turn must have had something to do with lack of sales. For products of roughly similar cost (comparing the EC135 which I believe is slightly cheaper, and the 109E at slightly more), the implication has got to be that the product is less sale-able than its competitors.
Note, I am not saying it is less ABLE, just less SALE-ABLE. Is it possible for the NOTAR products of MD to exit this spiral?
MD600 Driver, what's your take on this?
NOTAR Fan, have you changed your defiinition of "fan" from supporter (like soccer) to air-pump yet, or were you always the latter?