On Mon, 25 Mar 2013 11:16:06 -0700, DaveC wrote:

Boeing didn't design the plane, or build it. That's the problem. The
whole shooting match was contracted out, with final assembly by
Boeing. Everything between "concept" and "final assembly" was
contracted out to the lowest bidder.

It was Alan Shepard, the US astronaut, who said "It's a very sobering feeling
to be up in space and realize that one's safety factor was determined by the
lowest bidder on a government contract."

Definition of an airplane - "a collection of compromises flying in
close formation"