Proud to be British - Finally !

[lukemg]

Watched a documentary about Rolls Royce making jet engines last night, it was bloody brilliant. The level of engineering design and execution was staggering, attention to detail, pride and absolute excellence of staff was amazing. They set out to make the best engines on the planet and do so, I was nearly on my feet saluting by the end.
THIS is the level which we need to be competing at and satellite design and build is comparable, forget trying to mass produce stuff as cheaply as Bob, you have no chance. The order book stands at 40 billion currently. One place was growing a single component from an individual metal crystal (it’s the only way to make sure it can take the likely stress) – What happens if they fail testing and are returned ? I don’t know says the chap, it has NEVER happened.

[Gibbon]

Watched a documentary about Rolls Royce making jet engines last night, it was bloody brilliant. The level of engineering design and execution was staggering, attention to detail, pride and absolute excellence of staff was amazing. They set out to make the best engines on the planet and do so, I was nearly on my feet saluting by the end.
THIS is the level which we need to be competing at and satellite design and build is comparable, forget trying to mass produce stuff as cheaply as Bob, you have no chance. The order book stands at 40 billion currently. One place was growing a single component from an individual metal crystal (it’s the only way to make sure it can take the likely stress) – What happens if they fail testing and are returned ? I don’t know says the chap, it has NEVER happened.

Please feel free to salute

[doodab]

UK companies also operate at this level in the world of audio & video and there used to be some active in telecommunications.

[Paddy]

Watched a documentary about Rolls Royce making jet engines last night, it was bloody brilliant. The level of engineering design and execution was staggering, attention to detail, pride and absolute excellence of staff was amazing. They set out to make the best engines on the planet and do so, I was nearly on my feet saluting by the end.
THIS is the level which we need to be competing at and satellite design and build is comparable, forget trying to mass produce stuff as cheaply as Bob, you have no chance. The order book stands at 40 billion currently. One place was growing a single component from an individual metal crystal (it’s the only way to make sure it can take the likely stress) – What happens if they fail testing and are returned ? I don’t know says the chap, it has NEVER happened.

... and thanks to Ted Heath!

[gingerjedi]

I've worked at Rolls Royce, BAE, Airbus and Westland helicopters on both engineering and IT projects, they have always been the best gigs and the ones I strive to get as I love working in those high tech environments.

Loads of Bobs at Rolls Royce Filton mind so not quite as easy as it was, not sure how they're doing it though as SC is mandatory on site?

[DaveB]

Same series looked at buildng nuclear submarines in Barrow-on-Furness last week. Very much in the same vein.

[cailin maith]

Same series looked at buildng nuclear submarines in Barrow-on-Furness last week. Very much in the same vein.

That one was brilliant, I really enjoyed it.

Only saw a bit of the Rolls Royce one this week though... pretty sure it's on iPlayer.

[SupremeSpod]

I've worked at Rolls Royce, BAE, Airbus and Westland helicopters on both engineering and IT projects, they have always been the best gigs and the ones I strive to get as I love working in those high tech environments.

Loads of Bobs at Rolls Royce Filton mind so not quite as easy as it was, not sure how they're doing it though as SC is mandatory on site?

Possibly in the same way we do here, the last cleared person to leave kicks the Bobs and other uncleared people out.

[DaveB]

That one was brilliant, I really enjoyed it.

Only saw a bit of the Rolls Royce one this week though... pretty sure it's on iPlayer.

Should be on iPlayer for a week or so after broadcast.

The bit that impressed me with the RR one was the way they created honeycomb interiors in the fan blades. Stick three layers of titanium alloy together with secret sauce, heat it to god knows how hot for a week in a furnace and the middle layer expands like corrugated cardboard. Very, very clever!

[lukemg]

Agreed, but there was a large element of keeping the skills alive and building the subs for us (although I know we export huge quantities of other defence tech), this is a Brit company competing across the world and doing extremely well.
Yes, Ted Heath did have to bail them out, they bet the farm on building the next generation of engines and nearly went under because of the problems that had to be overcome, good luck to anyone trying to do this from a standing start, even with back-engineering.
Unlike millions poured into failing industries like cars for political reasons, this was to get over a short term issue and was a brilliant investment.