Late ‘Father of 747’ urged caution about globalization

Headlines around the world hailed the Boeing legend’s legacy when he died at 95 late last month. He was known as the “Father of the 747,” and was instrumental in designing the planes that have bookended the commercial jet market since the 1960s — Boeing’s 737 and 747. His career spanned more than 70 years, all at Boeing.

However, the soft-spoken engineer had reservations about the direction of the industry that he helped revolutionize. Today, the aerospace industry increasingly relies on globalization while jetliners are ever more complex machines.

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When Boeing leaders considered putting 747 production outside Washington, “I told them it would be a big disaster,” given the accelerated development schedule, he said.

“The quickest and easiest way to get a program done is to have everybody together,” he said.

Major aerospace companies today often stretch programs across time zones and international borders. For example, Boeing spread 777x design work among company engineering offices around the U.S. and even overseas. And Airbus assembles A320s in France, Germany, China and the U.S.

Breaking work across locations can be efficient and give companies flexibility, among other benefits.

However, it can create problems, too, Sutter said. “When you’re spreading your work all over the world, you have language problems and more things to try and control. So, it’s a harder job, it’s a tougher job.”

Boeing learned that lesson when it aggressively outsourced much of its 787 program. It had to take over design and production work done by suppliers and program partners.

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