I just happened to be in Aurora CO yesterday and was looking for something to do. I decided against a movie (what, too soon?) and instead popped into Univair Aircraft.
I was expecting a parts counter and a warehouse and maybe a few cubicles of sales type folks. I was surprised when the first thing the lady at the front desk did was offer me a tour. I was genuinly and happily surprised to see ever piece of their manufacturing. All metal parts are produced onsite. I met the welders who build the fuselages, struts, engine mounts, etc. I watched them stamp cowls in their giant hydro form press. I met the QA team and engineers that they have in staff. Was allowed, heck encouraged, to poke through all the parts racks and bins in the J3 section. I was most amazed at the level of knowledge and skill every single person I met had.
I was under the impression when I drove into their parking lot that they shopped out their manufacturing and were charging God awful prices because they were greedy. I figured most of this stuff was actually built in china and then "finished" by Univair. I am still shocked at how wrong I was.
I gladly paid top dollar for a new engine mount and before I even made it out of the parking lot had already begun to catalog the parts I'll be buying from them in the future. I watched the care that was put into each step of manufacturing and the skill at which they operated the incredible equipment that they have invested in to make these parts.
The only troubling thing I came away with was they are getting out of the wood spar business. I did talk to them about creating an STC that would allow us red headed step chile cub owners (F and L) to be able to legally run all metal wings.
In my mind, the reason they charge so much for their parts? It's because they are worth it.
Disclaimer: I paid full price and received no favors, this is an honest assessment/review.
Ed
I was expecting a parts counter and a warehouse and maybe a few cubicles of sales type folks. I was surprised when the first thing the lady at the front desk did was offer me a tour. I was genuinly and happily surprised to see ever piece of their manufacturing. All metal parts are produced onsite. I met the welders who build the fuselages, struts, engine mounts, etc. I watched them stamp cowls in their giant hydro form press. I met the QA team and engineers that they have in staff. Was allowed, heck encouraged, to poke through all the parts racks and bins in the J3 section. I was most amazed at the level of knowledge and skill every single person I met had.
I was under the impression when I drove into their parking lot that they shopped out their manufacturing and were charging God awful prices because they were greedy. I figured most of this stuff was actually built in china and then "finished" by Univair. I am still shocked at how wrong I was.
I gladly paid top dollar for a new engine mount and before I even made it out of the parking lot had already begun to catalog the parts I'll be buying from them in the future. I watched the care that was put into each step of manufacturing and the skill at which they operated the incredible equipment that they have invested in to make these parts.
The only troubling thing I came away with was they are getting out of the wood spar business. I did talk to them about creating an STC that would allow us red headed step chile cub owners (F and L) to be able to legally run all metal wings.
In my mind, the reason they charge so much for their parts? It's because they are worth it.
Disclaimer: I paid full price and received no favors, this is an honest assessment/review.
Ed
