[net.aviation] General Dynamics to Acquire Cessna

wolit@alice.UucP (Jan Wolitzky) (09/14/85)

General Dynamics, makers of F-15s, Trident subs, cruise missiles, and rich
admirals, today announced that it will acquire Cessna Aircraft Corp.
Remember what happened when Gulfstream took over the Grumman American
line?  They held on to the juicy G-II bizjets and dumped the unprofitable (but
excellent) light plane segment, which promptly went belly up.  Anybody care to
guess how long it is before GD decides that a decent interval has elapsed,
keeps the Citations, with their 37% market share, and dumps the 152s and
Skyhawks on some poor slob who loves small planes and is dumb enough to think 
he can make a living from them, with a third of their selling price going into
liability insurance premiums and nobody buying?
-- 
Jan Wolitzky, AT&T Bell Labs, Murray Hill, NJ; 201 582-2998; alice!wolit
(Affiliation given for identification purposes only)

betser@ucla-cs.UUCP (09/16/85)

In article <4314@alice.UUCP> wolit@alice.UucP (Jan Wolitzky) writes:
>General Dynamics, makers of F-15s, Trident subs, cruise missiles, and rich
>admirals, today announced that it will acquire Cessna Aircraft Corp.

The F-15 is made by MacDonnel Dug, Jan.  GD makes the F-16, mind you.
Both companies make fine aircraft, and a good living off their products.


							Joe B.

p.s.  I do have some hard time recollecting when Lear Seigler dropped the
      Piper line once acquired.