The documentary film NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes throws light on the functioning of the aircraft industry. In particular, much attention is paid to the cooperation of companies representing this industry with military agencies, especially the Department of Defense. The authors focus on the work of such companies as Lockheed and Boeing. These businesses are driven by the need to improve the cost-efficiency of their products.
These companies have to encounter several challenges. At first, they continuously have to develop innovative technologies. However, at the same time, they understand that their costly experiments may result in failures. Additionally, they should meet very rigid functional requirements set by military agencies. In many cases, these requirements are very difficult to reconcile. In particular, one should speak about such attributes as affordability of a plane and the use of stealth technologies.
Moreover, these companies have to reduce the number of engines that a fighter jet should have. It should be mentioned that Lockheed and Boeing had to compete for the right to become the leading contractor for the program known as Joint Strike Fighter. The selected company was supposed to create a new generation of fighter jets used by the U. S. Army. The outcome of this rivalry could profoundly shape the profitability of Boeing or Lockheed (NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes). Overall, this documentary is very informative since it illustrates various issues such as the financing of military organizations, their supply chain, the work of engineers, and so forth.
This film should be considered because it can enable viewers to see how manufacturing plants operate. The production of airplanes can involve processes that can pose a threat to the lives of workers, if certain safety rules are violated (NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes). Furthermore, one can see that even the most experienced engineers have to suffer defeat, even though they could spend months on a certain task. Additionally, the profitability of companies like Lockheed and Boeing depend on the results of these technological experiments. Moreover, this movie depicts the way in which aircraft companies and military agencies cooperate with one another.
In many cases, it may be difficult to explain that a certain goal cannot be achieved. In fact, the workers of companies like Boeing and Lockheed have to assume that there are no impossible projects. This attitude towards difficulties is vital for the sustainability of these companies. Therefore, this film is not only about the functioning of governmental institutions or corporations. It also explores the experiences of separate individuals whose decisions can have profound implications for organizations. These are the main details that can be identified.
The issues examined in this film should be considered by business administrators and entrepreneurs. In particular, this movie highlights how dangerous it is to be dependent on a single customer. In this case, one can refer to the Department of Defense that can dictate its terms to companies like Lockheed. This movie is also very inspiring because it can give many young individuals insight into the work of scientists, engineers, and designers. So, many viewers may decide to follow the path of these people.
On the whole, this movie can be of great interest to various viewers. In particular, one should speak about those individuals who may want to learn more about the work of engineers and scientists. Additionally, it is possible to mention those people who want to get a better idea about the cooperation between private companies and governmental organizations.
Works Cited
NOVA: Battle of the X-Planes. Ex. Prod. Liev Schreiber. New York: PBS, 2003. DVD.