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Old March 23rd, 2009, 05:10 AM   #4
ChrisPappas
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Join Date: Sep 2002
Posts: 23

Default Re: Flight Stick Battlestar Galactica

Quote:
Originally Posted by Capt. Lunaryn View Post
Is there any further news of the Flight stick/casting?
Yeah, any news on this?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gold Cylon View Post
Don't forget Pappas offered up replicas (non working) copies for $250 a while back. I am sure he isn't a happy camper the beans on this now found item can be bough maybe cheaper on eBay, real, and working.
Why would you think I'm not happy? I'd love to see some quality replicas out there.

Some time ago I did make an offer of replica flight sticks, both working and non-working, but there wasn't enough interest to go ahead with the run. Probably the price ($225/$265). There are a few people who don't seem to get that when there is a short run, a larger portion of the development costs are incorporated into each piece.

An oversimplified example to copy a widget:

Tooling:
$100 - Molding rubber
$200 - Setup labor

Production:
$ 10 - Resin
$ 25 - Casting labor

One guy wants a widget, $335. (100 + 200 + 10 + 25)
Two guys, $185 each. (100 + 200) / 2 + 10 + 25
Ten guys, $65. (100 + 200) / 10 + 10 + 25
300 guys, $36. (100 + 200) / 300 + 10 + 25

See? And it gets more expensive per piece when the raw castings are cleaned, primed, painted and finish work applied. Even more expensive if there is custom labeling, or a complicated paintjob, etc. Even more expensive when each unit has a myriad of processes like, casting, trimming, laser cutting, electronics, etc. Oops. I left out research and procurement for out of production parts.

So, like I said, I'd love to see some quality replicas out there. Starting with the flight stick. Oh, and make sure that it has the correct trio of working switches and a functioning trigger and the proper labeling and be super careful when you mold it because it doesn't come apart and there are lots of nifty places for your rubber to seep into! And when this flight stick production run is thought out and all the materials and labor are counted up and divided across the interested parties, I'd love to know what the per piece finished price will be. And it's got to look like an actual flight stick, not an it's-the-best-I-could-do-and-I'm-the-only-game-in-town version.

After all the these things and those things and other ands and ands and ands are tallied, I believe that you'll find that the price creeps up very quickly. Unless, of course, you like to work for free, in which case, I'll take two!

Chris
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