First of all, it uses extensive advanced composites, and uses advanced techniques to reduce RCS using proprietary techniques during manufacturing.
It also uses advanced Al and Ti alloys and isn’t quite the same as the legacy Hornet, even featuring about 40% fewer parts than the Hornet despite being larger. And Boeing is quite well known for its improved productivity rates thanks to Lean principles applied during the manufacturing process on the shop floor itself. they even consulted with HAL to improve their productivity using Lean techniques.
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This is just one such article. You can google it up easily and see Boeing advances in super plastic forming, etc.
Cant comment on coatings for RCS, dont know about it. With regards to hole drilling etc, well its nothing new in manufacturing and the learning is not only with Boeing but also with companies such as ABB, Kuka, Kawasaki etc etc…They will function as system integrators to automate the standard operating procecures.
Titanium is a anoying material to work with or process but it has been used for some time and yes it is an advanced alloy but it is not new to the industry, India should have the details of how to process it.
What i am trying to get across and doing so very badly is that it isnt in all that sixe sigma or lean understanding but the composite/metal manufacturing and fabrication where the crown jewels are for India.
The manufacturing understanding would be taught at any good university as part of a course in Six Sigma and all those other wonderful flash buz words. Whether a business uses these practises is a matter of choice not down to lack of knowledge.
India first needs to learn how to produce Aerospace structures including inspection methods and stressing methods (which thanks to TATA etc it is doing) and then worry about the speed and business costs. If it can do both at the same time (and no reason for it not to) its even better!
With keeping the above in mind with newer aircraft you may not only get the modern manufacturing techniques and best practises but also meld them with latest composite processing technologies.
Remember unless Boeing has been re-certifying its production process for composites its base techniques or standard operating procedures will still be old, no matter what technologies it uses to make them faster.
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