Mr Burbage is also confident that once production at the firm's mile-long factory in Fort Worth ramps up to 17 aircraft a month, as planned, the more pessimistic unit-cost projections will start to fall.

ECONOMIST: The defence industry

Some may disagree with me on my basic assumptions, either viewing them as over optimistic or over pessimistic, but I think a discussion centered on growth, profitability and the cost of growth is not only a healthy one but one that we should be having about all young, growth companies.

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