[V8] creative military billing (NAC, I hope)

[Mike Arman]

Had to smile at the comment about BAE's "creative" military billing . . .


Guy I knew (he's passed on now) had a Convair 240 refitted as executive transportation. (This was a 
just-post WW2 DC-3 wannabe replacement, tricycle landing gear, pair of big radial engines.)


He decided his clients would like to be able to watch TV, he happened to be near Convair in Texas, 
and dropped in to have a TV installed in the back of the airplane. He handed them a brand new 19" 
b&w TV and told them he'd be back in a week.

He was, and almost died of shock when presented with the bill: "Install customer-supplied television 
set into customer's Convair 240; $22,450.72."


"??????WTF?????"


Turns out they had a "standard" formula for modifications - it was based on the *cubic volume* of 
the desired work, and of course in those days, TV sets were big, boxy things, hence the $22K bill 
for about three hours of actual work. (Open cabinet doors, place TV in empty space, test, close 
cabinet doors.)


Oh, sir, if you want your airplane back, you have to pay us.

He did.


There was also a DC-7C freighter he bought for $10,000 out of a farmer's field in Indiana, and then, 
after ten month's constant work (plus rent on the field, which the farmer neglected to mention until 
AFTER he had the guy's $10K) flew it to Florida, where one of the four big radial engines on that 
airplane dripped oil on my head . . .

I helped him on doing a brake job on it, there are one hundred twenty eight separate and individual 
brake pucks on the main landing gear of a DC-7, so I do NOT ever want to hear any of us complaining 
about the measly four pads WE have to change on our V8Qs.

Best Regards,

Mike Arman
90V8Q (8 cylinders, 240 hp, four brake pads in the front, four more in the back, 16-18 or so MPG)

DC-7C (4 times 18 cylinder radial engines of 3,350 cubic inches and about 2,200 hp each, 128 brake 
pads on the rear wheels, none on the front, fuel consumption - don't even ask! PS - there are two 
spark plugs in each of those cylinders, so the airplane has a total of 144 spark plugs . . . )