On the face of it the A400M, a dumpy military transport made by Airbus, and Boeing's sleek 787 Dreamliner (pictured) have little in common other than that they both flew for the first time in the past few days. But they share a similar history: both planes finally took to the air more than two years late and far over budget. Moreover, both were developed in unnecessarily complicated ways, even though big aviation projects are difficult enough without taking on further risks.rnIn an effort to reduce the cost of developing an innovative new aircraft, Boeing recruited "risk-sharing" partners who became largely responsible for designing whole sections of the plane, while creating one of the most complex and extended supply chains in industrial history. But Boeing failed to supervise its partners' work adequately and has probably ended up spending more to put things right than it ever would have saved.
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