What's the old saying?
 

I dimly remember an old saying referring to various aircraft makers. Something along the lines of "in a perfect world aircraft would be designed by X, built by Y, and marketed by Z...."

Can anyone remember what that was? Thanks

Don't know the one you're thinking of but here's a couple...

Boeing pilots break ground and fly into the wind.

Airbus pilots vice versa.

Boeings are designed by geniuses to be flown by idiots.

Airbuses vice versa.

Like a many of us, I've flown both brands. ;)

I think:

Designed by Lockheed, built by Boeing, marketed by Douglas.

air-bub . . .. . that is priceless.

have a camel stamp

(pom goes back to the drawing board .. not cramped enough. . not enough sharp protrusions to take off strips of skin. . .. a shoe horn to get in .. a packet of salts to get out. . . yank had that sorted from the start. . . room for the whole family. . and the dog . . . while down under a good compromise of both till the whole industry was gutted. . . sold down the drain. . .the pollies and the bureaucrats running off the field triumphant to the end.. 'oh lack-a-day')

Quote from FlightlessParrot:
"Designed by Lockheed, built by Boeing, marketed by Douglas."

Don't know the answer to the OP's intriguing question, and that may well be it. But if, for example, you compare the B707 with the DC-8, my impression is that the latter was better built (certainly corrosion-wise), but not so successfully marketed overall. Unfortunately for that example, there was no Lockheed equivalent, unless you count the C-141. (Are we extending the discussion into the military?)

Going back to the period between WW2 and 1958, Boeing's only offering that springs to mind is the B-377 Stratocruiser, which was impressive but a commercial (and reliability) disappointment.

Perhaps you are thinking more of the L-1011, B747 and DC-10?

http://www.pprune.org/aviation-histo...ml#post8349193

From Chris Scott:
Just to be clear, I have no views on the substance of the matter: I was just offering what I thought was the saying. Perhaps, indeed, the saying exists in various forms?

Quote:
"...I have no views on the substance of the matter..."

Pity, but perhaps better than many of us, who have firm views of no substance... :sad:

I love the snippet from the test pilot's report on the Blackburn Botha - " ... entering the cockpit of the aircraft is difficult. It should be made impossible."

McDD certainly showed their near-LA base on occasion. An article describing the sales trip of the DC-10 prototype that went through Istanbul and led to the THY order (and thus to the Paris crash) had them taking key Hollywood entertainers along (Sammy Davis Jr seems to ring a bell, although I'm open to correction), to keep the politicos and hangers-on feeling important in a grand floorshow.

If you understood the notably small THY fleet and network of the time, you would wonder just what possessed them to go for such a large type in the first place ...

I have heard of a place where the police are German, the cooks are British, the mechanics are French, the lovers are Swiss and it is all run by Italians.

Going Boeing - they have control columns so you can see what the copilot is doing.

in the first instance you never said a truer word. . . . you probably have at times exhibited a whim of iron
. .. . . . also along the lines of he whom many think an idiot for being so silent . .. . it is only when he opens his mouth all doubt is removed . . .. . a new pilot fresh out of Point Cook the RAAF basic training base was posted to a distant squadron . . his file having attached to it a note from CO to CO . ."Harry . . do what what you can with this man . . . he does tend to push on doors marked pull ..

way off topic there . . in the second instance mention of the abysmal Botha is typical of so many droll comments and marginal notes on multitudes of types a compendium of which today would be entertaining .

e.g. this aircraft exhibits a great reluctance to leave the ground .. . either a design fault or radical safety measure

Seen elsewhere but seems (almost) relevant to this thread:

Pilots are people who drive aeroplanes for other people who can't fly.

Passengers are people who say they fly, but really just ride.

Fighter Pilots are steely eyed, weapons systems managers who kill bad people and break things. However, they can also be very charming and personable. The average fighter pilot, despite sometimes having a swaggering exterior, is very much capable of such feelings as love, affection, intimacy and caring. (However, these feelings don't involve anyone else.)

Flying is a hard way to earn an easy living.

Both optimists and pessimists contribute to society. The optimist invents the aeroplane; the pessimist, the parachute.

Death is just nature's way of telling you to watch your airspeed.

As a pilot only two bad things can happen to you (and one of them will):
a. One day you will walk out to the aircraft, knowing it is your last flight.
b. One day you will walk out to the aircraft, not knowing it is your last flight.

There are rules and there are laws:
The rules are made by men who think that they know how to fly your aeroplane better than you.
The laws (of physics) were ordained by God.
You can and sometimes should suspend the rules, but you can never suspend the laws.

About Rules:
a. The rules are a good place to hide if you don't have a better idea and the talent to execute it.
b. If you deviate from a rule, it must be a flawless performance (e.g., if you fly under a bridge, don't hit the bridge.)

Before each flight, make sure that your bladder is empty and your fuel tanks are full.

He who demands everything that his aircraft can give him is a pilot; he who demands one iota more is a fool.

There are certain aircraft sounds that can only be heard at night and over the ocean. Most of them are scary.

The aircraft limits are only there in case there is another flight by that particular aircraft. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no limits.

An old pilot is one who can remember when flying was dangerous and sex was safe.

Airlines have really changed; now a flight attendant can get a pilot pregnant.

Thank you for the quick answer. That's exactly what I was looking for.
Sorry for the delay in responding. The post was moved after I asked it.
Cheers.

The worst sound for a pilot is when it all goes very quiet.
The old saying, there are old pilots, and bold pilots, but never old, bold pilots

Sticker on a vintage instrument panel:

"All aeroplanes bite fools"

Flies, floats or is female it will cost you.

Tits or tyres it will end in tears.

So slow she has "bird strikes on the trailing edges"..