[nemo]

Boeing has run into occasional problems by holding to imperial rather than moving to metric and these will only get worse, esp. with their model of using vendors around the globe. In aerospace it's ugly since imperial is so entrenched, but other industries have retooled, there are examples to learn from for efficient transitions.

GM already went metric.

Lockheed destroyed a half-billon dollar space mission by clinging to imperial.

[ScottBurson]

> Lockheed destroyed a half-billon dollar space mission by clinging to imperial.

If anyone wants more details: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mars_Climate_Orbiter

[XorNot]

Aerospace is the origin of the insanity which is modern pipe thread specifications. The metric version is still in inches, but whatever 1/8" means, the pipe it goes in no obvious dimension represents that size.

Like, I know there is a system and calculations behind it, but they are in no way friendly to any user.