Posted by Second Source Manufacturing: Lessons from the Second World War
From the Journal of Cost Analysis and Parametrics: Volume 11 | Issue 1 | April 2023
Downloadable File: JCAPv11i1-SecondSourceMgfgWW2-Johnstone
Abstract: Manufacturing defense systems at different sites is increasingly common due to foreign coproduction and international cooperative ventures. These situations challenge estimators, posing questions about the transfer of learning and relative efficiency of multiple production sites. This paper examines cost history from World War II, when U.S. bomber production lines were shared across multiple companies. The conclusions are tested against modern experience and guidance provided to estimators seeking help.
Author: Brent Johnstone is a Lockheed Martin Fellow and production air vehicle cost estimator at Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Company in Fort Worth, Texas. He has 34 years’ experience in the military aircraft industry, including 31 years as a cost estimator. He has worked on the F-16 program and has been most recently the lead Production Operations cost estimator for the F-35 program. He has a Master of Science from Texas A&M University and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Texas at Austin.