Checklist for Reliability of Older Audis

[Scruggs Family]

Marc, regarding you comment, "Major airlines still fly DC-10's or even
older, alongside 777's, and they achieve comparable reliability by doing
more maintenance on the older members of the fleet."  While your observation
that aircraft reliability is not strictly a function of age is quite correct
there is more to the story when comparing aircraft and automobile
maintenance.  

While working at Martin-Marietta in the late '70s a discussion with fellow
engineers occurred regarding the engineering extremes required of the
aerospace field.  One recalled an exercise they did a few years earlier
where it was determined that if aerospace companies were to produce
household refrigerators with the same degree engineering thoroughness and
rigorous testing to achieve aerospace industry performance and reliability
standards they could be produced for about $10k each.  That was in 1975 when
a very good refrigerator was $400.

That cost reflects only materials and development and not marketing
considerations like 'how much should a lifetime light bulb cost.'  

Too, automotive maintenance is 'recommended' but aircraft maintenance is
'required.'  For the aviation world maintenance is not only the regular
replacement of certain items but it includes thorough inspections of the
rest of the systems and structure.  This applies to all aircraft, new and
old.  Generally when something fails on our cars we are little more than
inconvenienced but in aviation lots of people die and lawyers get richer.  

Aircraft companies front load the design and manufacturing process with lots
of testing and rigorous component specifications.  They start out with a
much more thoroughly designed, engineered and developed product that
responds well to the prescribed maintenance required of it.  I'm not sure
the same can be said of the automotive industry.  

I have the feeling that Huw, Cody, Mike, et al, are right when they suggest
carrying a spare parts kit and a few tools.  So I guess that 40 years of
owning Rover sedans has been good preparation for keeping my aging '87
5kCStq... right? 

Regards,
Gross Scruggs
Annapolis MD