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The traditional value chain has changed under the influence of globalisation, lean thinking and the value leverage towards suppliers in the supply chain. The leverage of value by the focal original equipment manufacturer (OEM)‐company to the supply chain has caused the focal OEM‐company to transform into a large‐scale system integrator (LSSI). The LSSI was defined according to the Petrick's definition. Indicators that measure the value‐leverage by these LSSI companies have not been found in literature. The purpose of this paper is to describe indicators that measure value‐leverage and illustrates that LSSI companies in the aerospace industry have a value‐leverage capability, using these indicators.

The authors' main research question is: “How to measure value‐leverage by LSSIs in the aerospace industry?”. As value‐leverage indicators have not been studied before, a literature study was carried out to develop a set of indicators which were tested in a quantitative analysis, using secondary data from 41 aerospace companies. Second, the value‐leverage indicators were applied to the aircraft LSSIs. The industry samples consisted of the global companies in the aircraft OEM industry and the relevant financial and company data were collected from the companies' public financial data, spanning a time frame of 14 years (1996 to 2009). A case study was performed on large‐scale aircraft system integrators, as a sample of the aerospace OEM industry, to demonstrate the effects of value‐leverage by aircraft LSSI companies.

With the new indicators, this research shows value leverage of aerospace OEMs and aircraft LSSIs as a sub group of the sample. The related indicators showed a change in leverage over time, indicating the leverage capability of aerospace OEMs. More in‐depth analysis on aircraft LSSI companies showed that aircraft LSSI with high correlation on the value‐leverage variables are more in value balance compared with aircraft LSSI companies scoring lower on the variables.

This research has been limited to the aerospace OEMs. Data from secondary (public) sources were used, such as financial reports over a period of 14 years. Further research is necessary to develop indicators for other sectors of industries, such as automotive, medical instruments and construction, as well as to further improve the understanding of the outcomes of this study.

The new indicators measure value‐leverage of aerospace OEMs in general and aircraft LSSI companies. These companies could be compared on their capability of value‐leverage. Management of these firms can use the indicators to further improve their capability of value‐leverage on the supply chain regarding co‐development and co‐production of aircraft and related systems.

It is useful for the executive management of aircraft LSSIs to balance the value leverage of their companies regarding R&D, customer demand and supply chain based production.

The paper identifies indicators that measure the capability of the aerospace OEMs to leverage value on supply chains. The found indicators form a preliminary model, which contributes to the usage of theories on lean manufacturing, supply chain management, value networks and open innovation.

The purpose of this paper is to study a new approach by combining a multilayer perceptron neural network (MLPNN) algorithm with a GM(1, N) model in order to estimate the development cost of a new type of aircraft.

First, data about developing costs and their influencing factors were collected for several types of Boeing and Airbus aircraft. Second, a GM(1, N) model was constructed to simulate development costs for a civil aircraft. Then, an MLPNN algorithm was added to optimize and revise the simulative and forecasting values. Finally, a combined approach, using both a GM(1, N) model and an MLPNN algorithm was adopted to forecast development costs for new civil aircraft.

The results show that the proposed approach could do the work of cost estimation for new types of aircraft. Rather than using a single model, the combined approach could improve simulative and forecasting accuracy.

Scientific cost estimation could improve management efficiency and promote the success of a new type of civil aircraft development. Considering that China’s civil aircraft research and development is at its very beginning stages, only very limited data could be collected. The development costs for civil aircraft are affected by a series of factors. The approach outlined by this paper could be applied to development cost estimations in China’s civil aircraft industry.

The paper has succeeded by constructing a cost estimation index system and proposing a novel combined cost estimation approach comprised of a GM(1, N) model and an MLPNN. It has undoubtedly contributed to improving the accuracy of cost estimations.

following extracts from the Plowden Committee's report on the aircraft industry cover the ing chapters of ‘The Case for an Aircraft ry’ and gives excerpts from later chapters ning the market and collaboration prospects, y procurement, and the future for civil aircraft. In conclusion, the major part of Section 10 relationship between Government and Industry’ n. The full report, Command 2853, is ob‐le at 10s. from Her Majesty's Stationery

THE conference opened with the paper by Mr Woodward‐Nutt, which, together with the other papers, is summarized below. After the first session the conference luncheon was held, and the principal speakers were the Mayor of Southampton, Alderman R. E. Edmunds, who welcomed the conference to Southampton, and Sir Edward Boyle, Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Supply, who referred to current concern about delays in fighter deliveries. He said that there had in the last year been setbacks, but the delays were due to difficulties of development rather than of production. The comparison which was often made of deliveries during the last war was not fair, because the aircraft in question had then been developed. The Spitfire took five years to develop, and this did not compare so unfavourably with the development of the Hunter, when the increase in complexity and the aerodynamic difficulties of the transonic region were considered. Flight trials were the only indication of many of these troubles, and modifications were necessary after the tests. It was for this reason that the Ministry had adopted the policy of ordering up to twenty development aircraft, with the intention that by the time the last one had been built it would be in a form suitable for the production version.

WHEN Mr Handel Davies, the Deputy Controller of Aircraft (Research and Development), Ministry of Technology, gave the twenty‐first Louis Bleriot Lecture in Paris on April 5 under the auspices of the A.F.I.T.A.E., he emphasised that the purpose of his lecture was to look forwards and to attempt to foresee some of the things that had to be done to ensure that Britain and France would remain in the forefront of the great progress in aeronautics that still lay in front of us.

A monthly feature giving news of recent Government and professional appointments, industrial developments and business changes, etc.

FOR many months the aircraft industry has been waiting for a promised statement by the Minister of Supply on the future of aircraft research and development. The Minister, as our readers will no doubt know, made a statement on May 13, but there is a widespread feeling that it was so vague as to provide little help in future planning.

IN order to meet aircraft constructor requirements for higher performance/ longer life airframe and flying control bearings, AMPEP has developed and established their new ‘XL’ system. This is a true third‐generation friction pair significantly applicable to bearings used in active flight control mechanisms on helicopters, fixed wing and tilt‐rotor aircraft.

A series of examples illustrates the application and results of the method previously given for improving the conditioning of the primary redundancies. The transformation matrix giving locally orthogonal redundancies for the parent station is used also to generate the primary self‐equilibrating stress systems for sections with different (but related) geometry and varying ring stiffness. A double‐cell cross‐section is also treated and a brief investigation shows that the general methods developed for establishing primary redundancies in the fuselage can be usefully and economically applied to certain kinds of wing structure. Preparatory to a detailed discussion of cut‐outs and modifications in the fuselage structure, the necessary general theory is collected and summarized.

A new department has been formed by Bristol Aircraft Limited to design, plan, and co‐ordinate work on the interior furnishing of Britannia airliners. Known as the Britannia Furnishing Department, it is believed to be the first specialist unit of its kind to be set up in the British aircraft industry. Mr A. G. L. Langfield and Mr Donald Diamond have been appointed respectively Manager and Designer.