Originally Posted by
Navaleye
I do since the UK project is costed around two hulls not three and the French will have paid 1/3 of the design costs so far.
I do too, but not because the foul & most foreign have paid 1/3 of the design costs. They've chucked in £100M and are reportedly livid when they actually saw what they had paid for. Design costs currently stand somewhere between £450 and £500M already - there is a fair old way to go yet to complete the design, so I'm told.....
We have come too far to bin it now. The design (such as it is) is very good from an aviation PoV - changing it won't help. We need to crack on, get it done and then NEVER get to such a potmess again. The procurement process needs a complete overhaul - write a simple (knowledgeable) spec, get it approved, contract for it and get on with it. Not for the first time Smart Procurement is proving anything but.......