read somewhere in a yanky aviation magazine about a revolutionary way to bond metal. They call it something like "liquid stir welding." The technology uses robots and precision to weld metal together using sheet metal and with a near flawless and flush finish. From memory the technology was being used for a prototype small-size twin jet in the U.S.A.
The technology would remove alot of labour and improve the workmanship. That would bring costs down.
Lets wait and see
U2