Sir, Manufacturing industry is still on the decline and, moreover, particularly over the past ten years there has been a notable lack of Government encouragement for new start-ups (letters, Jan 13 and 16). I have spent my entire career attempting to further aircraft manufacture at the light end of the market. I had a high-profile project in the 1980s with the Optica slow-flying observation aircraft.
One could point the finger for our failure in many directions, but I would say that the principal one was lack of manufacturing expertise, particularly in management. We simply seem to have no national system for training people in the necessary management skills.
The idea that UK wages are too high to allow manufacturing, the usual reason cited for the current demise, is a complete myth. If it were not, then the largely foreign-owned automotive industry in the UK would not survive. The real problems are the lack of management expertise, combined with the overall cost of running a manufacturing company, particularly the cost of premises and the cost of intrusion by unproductive government agencies.
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Several people have had a go at resurrecting the Optica in the UK over the past 25 years, all without success. I have now regained control. We have an example aircraft flying, but where is the interest coming from for my small company to make some money? Not difficult to guess.
It is from overseas buyers wanting to use the aircraft as a basis for setting up a new manufacturing facility. The interest from UK manufacturing is zero, and I am now too long in the tooth to attempt to initiate another new start-up myself.
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John Edgley
Chairman, AeroElvira