| Author | Message | ||
     Roy Davis Unregistered guest |
Release to the general press. Express Aircraft Company New Management/Owners Press Release, Tumwater, WA, 17 October, 2003 Express Aircraft Company, LLC is pleased to announce the addition of Roy Davis and Nancy Moon in management positions to strengthen the organization and improve the ability of the company to meet customer expectations. Roy Davis said, "I want to tighten the focus of EAC around building a first-class kit for the 2000FT fixed gear and the 2000RG retractable models, doing a good job of supporting customers through the Builder Assist Program, and getting those planes flying. The turbine-powered model is off the radar at this point, and I want to concentrate on basic planes that low-time pilots like myself feel safe in even under IFR conditions." Express suffered a setback in the tragic loss of President Larry Olson who died in the company turboprop prototype on the way to the Oshkosh air show. Roy will be assuming the role of president bringing 30 years of project engineering and small-business start-up experience. He served as president of Dukar, Ltd., at its inception in 1977, and it is still a thriving custom-electronics manufacturer in the Midwest. Roy is also a principal and columnist in the ComputorEdge magazine, published over 20 years. The majority of his 35-year, electrical-engineering career has been spent participating in design projects that include the radar and infrared display used in the F-111, the horizontal situation indicator (HSI) also used in the F-111 and other aircraft, the Skyphone UHF airborne radio telephone, and microwave antenna systems for radar simulators. He directed other projects such as a portable satellite earth station, a hand held satellite phone including 20 million transistor custom-integrated circuits that made it possible, and a PDA/cell smart phone. Nancy has a background of technical-project administration support as well as schedule tracking and organization. She is used to a factory environment and understands the importance of getting product out the door on time. Nancy and Roy are a husband and wife team who has completed their Express 2000FT aircraft through the Builder Assist Program this year; and it is now in the EAC Factory Finish shop for final assembly, as are several other customer's airplanes. Nancy said, "I am looking forward to implementing process, material control, and tracking procedures I have used in building cell phones and ships." "Nancy and I have worked together for years," replied Roy, "meeting deadlines and getting products manufactured and in customers hands when they expected them. Having just finished our last builder-assist session two weeks ago, we are very aware of where we can improve things." The story of Nancy and Roy's Builder Assist Program is available on their personal Web site at http://www.nancymoon.com/. Nancy and Roy have acquired the assets and liabilities in EAC in their entirety from Paul Fagerstrom and Ila Olson and will be bringing new financial resources to enable the flow of materials and labor to turn them into finished products. "We are carrying on the legacy of Larry Olson and Paul Fagerstrom who pioneered the Builder Assist Program," said Roy. "Those two guys put together a system where someone can do their 51% in three sessions of two weeks each. I didn't have to wait until I retired to build my own airplane. The generosity and support of Paul and the Olson family made our participation in the operation of EAC possible." Express Aircraft Company, LLC, manufactures kits for the 2000FT and 2000RG models, both high-performance, composite-construction aircraft that are fast, yet maintain low-landing speeds while carrying a 1,000 pound payload AND 140 gallons of fuel. It is a long-distance cruising airplane that can carry a family of four in comfort and accommodate their luggage in a spacious cabin. More details are available on the company Web site at http://www.express-aircraft.com/. | ||
| Roy Davis Unregistered guest |
I’d like to further amplify on the press release that I just posted. I wanted something up as quickly as possible. Allyn Roe is back at work and is updating the EAC Web site right now. He’s got a whole list of things to make it a better communication tool and make it more informative. It will be continually evolving. Feedback and questions are welcome. It’s going to be a very tight ship around here and the focus will be on producing what has been promised. The first question that pops up is, “what about the turbine?” I intend to everything I can do to support the current customer, but it can't take away from getting other aircraft out the door. We are working on building a relationship with a shop that has turbine experience and get that plane built. If someone comes in the door today and wants to build a turbine I’ll tell them right up front that we can supply the airframe and support and that an outside contractor will be involved. On the other hand I am going to have the turbine model removed from the Web page so that folks don’t think we have a turnkey solution at this time. It’s a project for someone who is willing to be involved in some development work. My understanding is that is pretty much how the Lancair turbine came about. I think turbine engines are the right technology for aircraft, and I wish I could build one for myself. I took the easy way out and built the piston engine version because I wanted to go flying. I wish some company would make it easier by making a complete package that fits the light aircraft market at a reasonable price. As I said it’s going to be tight. Cash flow in any small business drives many painful decisions. Having spent 35 years in the electronics business I’ve sat on both sides of the table too many times when it was time for down sizing. I’ve gone over the numbers and sorted out the staff that is directly involved with getting product out the door. Unfortunately some things had to go. We are going to give up the separate office facility and the full time staff there. The office function will be relocated to the clean room area of the large hanger. This will bring the remaining staff closer together so we can be more efficient and have better communication. The stand-alone avionics shop that does other than Express work is also eliminated. The current work will be finished up and the staff will be dedicated to doing Express only work. I want to make sure the panel is not the hold up in finishing a plane. I have some ideas about a standard IFR panel that will be low cost (by avionics measure) and work with the FADEC engine to make a very modular and easily maintained package. When we get some experience with it we may even be able to offer it for the home builder who can assemble it with minimum support from an avionics tech. The FADEC engine eliminates the vast majority of the noise prone sensors under the cowl and a modular and connectorized power protection and switching unit will eliminate most of the wiring behind the panel. I like to communicate by e-mail. Please give me feedback at roydavis@express-aircraft.com or on this forum. I’ll do my best to answer questions and take advantage of your suggestions. Thank you. Roy Davis | ||
| Hans Georg Schmid New member Username: Hgschmid Post Number: 14 Registered: 02-2001 |
Good luck to the new management! I especially like what I hear regarding customer relations, efficiency of the company, standard IFR panel and engine. Personally I worked very well with Allyn. I am glad he is back. All the best from Switzerland. I keep my fingers crossed. Hans Georg Schmid | ||
| Kevin Dennes New member Username: Kdennes Post Number: 69 Registered: 01-2001 |
I agree with George. Five words . . . . "I like what I hear" sums it all up. Nancy and Roy. Congratulations. I hope that everything works out very well for you and EAC. Kevin (from Downunder) | ||
| Martin Vandenbroek New member Username: Martin Post Number: 1 Registered: 05-2003 |
As we bought our Expess we landed in the middle of the trouble with our 2000 RG. We followed with great interest the devellopments these last weeks. Our partly built kit is waiting for shipment to The Netherlands, delayed by some missing parts of the the landinggear. We are glad to hear that Allyn is back in charge and we feel that we can get all the support we need from Nancy and Roy. This will be the start for a bright future for Express and we hope also in Europe. We wish you all the very best. Martin and Toon from the Nehterlands. | ||
| rvz Unregistered guest |
I think you should do something *really* revolutionary and just GPL the plane. Release all the prints and documentation to the public. Expand the Builder Assist program to the limits. Let builders rent time with your molds, templates, and fixtures, working under your employee's supervision. I'm talking about *all* the stuff, not just an alignment fixture here and there. If a guy wants to make his own skins or ribs, let him, help him. Adopt a marketing strategy that caters to more than just the deep pockets that took an early retirement, and reflects a committment to the true homebuilder as well as the kit assembler. (And no that's not a dig at the latter, just an observation that there's more than one way to build a plane, and one size doesn't fit all). I know, I know. Everyone over 50 reading this is rolling their eyes and wondering if crack is really that good. The rest just think I'm joking. Let me just toss out a few conclusions I've come to after 30 years of watching the homebuilt movement. Homebuilt manufacturers, every single one of them, sooner or later, are going to go broke. It may be an economic downturn, some PR disaster for the company, a nut running the company into bankruptcy, a nut running a magazine running the company into bankruptcy, or some other unexpected turn, but the fact is that eventually they'll all fall thru the thin ice that our beloved homebuilding industry exists upon. We all know that the odds of survival in this business are rather slim, so I won't beat the subject to death with countless examples. My point is if EAC intends to beat the odds, you better come up with an approach that fills a need(s) not currently addressed. Otherwise the Express is destined to become just another expensive kit with a checkered corporate history. Point two. Attaining critical mass seems to be a deciding factor in a companies success or failure. I'll never understand why anyone would want to build yet-another-RV6, but the fact is a lot of people do simply because it is yet-another-RV6, and they seem to feel there's safety in numbers. True or not, EAC might want to consider strategies that are designed to put the greatest number of Expresses on the flightline at OSH. Providing access to the factory, parts, and plans on more than one level may not generate the highest immediate return, but I suspect it would do wonders for PR and the long-term success of the company. P3. If I've understood the history of this plane correctly, and I think I have, it's still around today largely due to the efforts of those who kept the spirit alive by volunteering of their time, in one form or another. My impression from reading 27 newsletters in the last 2 weeks is that whatever entity happened to be holding the reigns at the moment gained more than just free labor. They received the benefit of the builders point of view, their feedback, and the countless improvements to the design, many of which are incorporated in the current models, to quote EAC. These hordes of GPL loving homebuilding hippies converging on EAC's factory/commune may not make you rich, but they'll pay the rent and maybe even have a good idea now and then, I suspect. This may be brutally honest, but the obvious fact is that the new management is probably more experienced at managing than airplane building. In this company, and at this point in its evolution, they may or may not be just what is needed. If I were in their positions, surrounding myself with as many foot soldiers, aka actual builders, as I could would seem prudent. OK, I'm done now, almost. Like most of us, I'm too far removed from the situation to do anything more than armchair quarterback with suggestions. As far as comments on the rather bizarre week they've had, I have none. I wouldn't know Roy and Nancy from Adam and Eve. Time will tell if the decisions they've made, and will make, are appropriate. Rather than close with some saccharin-dripping Best Wishes, I'll just say that the Express is probably one of the finest airplanes ever designed, and deserves far better than what fate has handed it so far. I hope you guys are up to the task. Good Luck, Bob | ||
| M. Hunter Unregistered guest |
With all due respect Bob... while it would be wonderful and *revolutionary* to do that, your idea is a GUARANTEED recipe for quick financial ruin in this industry. Having actually lived in the industry for the last couple decades (as opposed to just observing), the wonderful world of kit aircraft just doesn't (and can't financially) work that way my friend. The infrastructure and "costs of doing business", even on the simplist of scale, will never support that formula to generate a profitable operation.. not even a break even one. When you look deep inside at the particular failures of a kit company, it usually comes down to one of 2 factors: Individual mismanagent and insufficient funding from the start. Mismanagement comes in many forms (financial, PR, etc), and each have played major roles in company failures. The bottom line is that aircraft manufacturing, no matter how "simple" you make it, is an expensive endeavor any way you look at it. There are also so many unique elements of it that even a Harvard MBA gives you little advantage. One thing to keep in mind is that to develop a single new design on the scale of an Express today, a company will typically invest well over $400,000 just in engineering, analysis, tooling and a basic prototype. Add in the ongoing costs to support a 'business', and you can start to see why it costs so much to exist in this world. Somewhere in there you also want to make a profit too. But it is an interesting idea, I'll give you that. Maybe I'll go cook up some crack too ;-) - Mike | ||
| Jeff Turner Unregistered guest |
Roy, First of all, I would like to wish you and Nancy the best of luck and a successful future in this most monumental task that you have taken on. So far I like what I here. I do believe that the decision to get "lean" and concentrate your efforts on the "bread and butter", the business of producing aircraft kits that get completed, is a wise one. These decisions are never easy ones but are necessary for the survival of the company. I am also glad to here that Allyn is back, he was always very helpful and timely in his follow-up with me on various issues. My one concern is that you don't forget about the many builders who have persevered for many years with they're Wheeler and EDI projects and are now close to flying. My hope is that the support will continue for those of us with older kits. The Express family has lost a great friend and invaluable resource in Larry Olsen. He was always willing to give of his valuable time to help "this" builder by answering many questions, even though my kit was not purchased from him and he owed me nothing he was still around to help. I hope those of us with the older kits are not forgotten about. There is an extraordinary group of people out there who have worked tirelessly to keep this fine aircraft from becoming extinct. People like the Copeland brothers, Jerry Sjostrand and I'm sure many others have been the true champions of the Express Aircraft throughout the years of ups and downs. These gentlemen have been huge supporters, counselors, and friends to many of us in the Express family and would be a very valuable resource to you should you decide to form a Board of Directors/Advisors for the new company. Myself and many others will be cheering you on in your new endeavor... Best Wishes and much success!! J.K. Turner | ||
| Roy Davis Unregistered guest |
I wrote this early this morning and before I got a chance to post it there were two others that addressed many of these issues. Good to know that some others are thinking the same way. ********** First I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the folks who have written here and on private e-mail with encouragement, complaints, comments and ideas on how to go forward. It’s all very valuable to me and forces me to think some things through. I don’t believe that EAC has ever had a mission statement before. Ut-oh, one of those management class exercises! It sounds hokey but a business really does need to know what it’s trying to do before it can do it well. I woke up at 5 AM (the latest I’ve slept lately) thinking about the inputs I’ve received and I knew it was necessary to put my concept of EAC out there. This is going to be rambling, because it has to to gather the thoughts together. I’ll refine it and post it on the EAC Web site. It’s also far from a done deal, and I know it will evolve as we interact. One other thing before we get too deep. There is an article on page 39 in the November issue of KitPlane magazine that describes what it takes to start your own kit plane company. I didn’t learn anything new from it, but it’s nice to have someone else come to some of the same conclusions. One of the major points to take away from that article is that kit plane manufacturers derive almost all of their income from selling the special components that make up the design. They don’t make money on the high dollar items such as engines and avionics. My review of the accounts here makes that obvious. While I was attending our builder assist sessions I was lucky enough to have Larry Olson discuss with me his take on the purpose of EAC and who the customers are. The majority of people who buy the Express and fly it are professionals with busy and successful careers. If they had to buy a certified plane it would be a Bonanza or Saratoga, heavy lifter, long distance cruiser. Those planes are obsolete technology and the new Cirrus and Columbias are a bit too lightweight and cramped. They really want to build a plane in the garage, but finishing it and flying it are more important. At that intersection of competing desires and limitations is the market for EAC and where it has been most successful. The lifeblood of EAC is the manufacture and finishing of composite parts and airframes. If I take $100 worth of resin and glass cloth, add $100 of labor to it, I can then sell that part for $500. The margin has to cover the overhead of building rent, electricity and gas and the investment in engineering, design and tooling that it took to be able to make that part. Some people will say that they if they had the plans they could buy the $100 worth of materials and do it all in their garage, and there are a few who could. My hat is off to you. The majority of people will look at the $500 price tag and realize that doing it themselves will take hundreds of hours and will consider it a bargain compared to the rest of the airplane and buy the finished part. Since there are a lot more people in the second category, that’s where EAC is going to concentrate their business. And it is a business. There may be some aircraft designers out there that have the time and wherewithal to draw up a complete set of plans and sell them at a low price, but there has been much too much investment in the Express design and tooling to just give it away. The investment is on going and a long way from anything that could be called profit. Also trying to support the scratch builder would take resources away from the kit builders, and resources are very limited. So the business has been and will be the selling of kits, the Builder Assist Program and factory finish services that get charged by the hour. There are partial kits and individual parts available for those who have purchased Wheeler kits and want to upgrade them to the latest configuration. EAC will do its best to support the whole range of Express products out there. Those parts are not cheap, and the price reflects the costs that have been associated with the support required by those mix-and-match construction projects By the way, if you think I am motivated by profit, I am not taking a salary for at least 6 months and EAC will never be able to match my income from my previous career. I’m doing this because I love it, Nancy loves it, and we believe building Express aircraft will bring happiness to a lot of people. That is more satisfying to me than a bigger fancier house or an expensive car. | ||
| Jim Oyler New member Username: Midniteoyl Post Number: 42 Registered: 07-2003 |
Have to agree with Roy - This is a business. Sure its a dream also, but as a 'Kitplane' manufacturer selling off the plans and techniques only would be tantamount to placing a knife to your own throat. There are ways to support both camps, and I'm sure Roy will address this, but the survival of EAC as a Kitplane manufacturer *must* be placed first. Not only are there current builders at stake, but jobs as well. Roy - after talking to you personally, I know the where's and why's you took this on - no worries. Jim | ||
| Kevin Dennes New member Username: Kdennes Post Number: 76 Registered: 01-2001 |
Greetings all. I have just had a good look at the Express Web Site which I hadn't visited for a little while and I simply wish to publicly pass on my congratulations to all who are involved. It is VERY professional, with excellent information, layout and links and is a pleasure to look at. The information is valuable and should answer the questions that any aspiring buyer would desire. Kevin (from Downunder)} | ||
| Nancy Moon New member Username: Nmoon Post Number: 2 Registered: 01-2004 |
EAC REPAIR/REPLACEMENT PARTS ORDERING EAC has now created a new e-mail account so customers can send in repair/replacement parts requests directly to our office. parts@express-aircraft.com This new ordering system will be easier and more cost effective for you, the customer, and more efficient for us here at EAC. Hope Ziegler, our project assistant, has been working closely with Roy and Allyn to create a parts-list database. Hope is now very familiar with EAC parts and their prices and will be able to send out the correct parts to you without error or duplication. So, we are now asking every customer to use this email account instead of phoning in requests for parts orders. This new ordering system will allow Roy and Allyn to concentrate on needed engineering and factory projects. And, to assist you in ordering parts, we are in the process of developing a parts price list on the EAC Web site. This table will be finished in the very near future. Be sure to check out Hope's beautiful smile at EAC Headline News www.express-aircraft.com Nancy Moon |