Summit machined the engine bay doors and side of body panels on the F-22.
Posted on 06/23/2006 12:08:36 PM PDT by CholeraJoe
Off the end of the runway of the Helena, Montana Regional airport stands a nondescript 2-story building with a parking lot full of assorted pickups and SUV’s. The sign in front says “Summit Aeronautics Group.”
One would never know that this inauspicious business is the number one mover of titanium on the entire planet. Every day, flatbed semis loaded with precast titanium pull up to the loading ramps and disgorge their precious cargo. Every day, different semis load finished aircraft parts and haul them off to Seattle, St. Louis and Marietta. They eventually find their way into F-16s, F-22s and soon, F-35s.
Machining titanium into aircraft parts to tolerances of a micron isn’t rocket science. It’s much tougher, and dirtier. The machine tools at Summit run 24 hours a day five and sometimes six days a week. The men and women who run the machines are tough, rawboned Montanans hardened by brutal winters and hot summers. Summit stays in business because they’re good and they’re fast. “Nobody can machine titanium faster or better than we can,” says one of the project managers. “That’s why Boeing and Lockheed-Martin use us.” The tailings from the machining process are sold for recycling to US companies and bring top dollar.
With much of the Air Force and Navy’s aircraft fleets nearing the end of their useful lifespan, and scheduled for replacement, the prospects for Summit are very bright.
I don't work for Summit but I know alot of people who do. There are millions of Americans just like them out there doing the jobs that illegals can't.
ping
Thanks for the post-
That was a good little read.
Who mows the lawn at the plant? ;)
Summit machined the engine bay doors and side of body panels on the F-22.
A white guy from Clancy, MT.
I'll play OBL traitor for a day. Outsource this operation to China our economic bibles says it is cheaper and will benefit all parties, and allow more unskilled workers in so more jobs will be created when they compete with these formerly well paid workers. That is my attempt at OBL traitor equal time, thank you.
If you want crap, you get what you pay for.
My 3rd son is an aerospace engineer major; just transferring from UF to USC on full scholarship. Will any of his professors have English as their first language? Hasn't been the case in FL. Hope he guts it out. Where are all of our math and physics whizzes?
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