I am glad to see you again proton45.
I wish your father to keep stabler condition.
Please tell him my best wishes and respects.
I was working for Sumitomo Precision Products as a staff of Environmental Facilities Management Department till 2003 when I had health trouble to resign. I walked around in the factory and its yard of three acres every day to check machine conditions and ask workers their requests, opinions and complains about their working environments. It was a good job for me as I was also an engineer.
I knew how they felt well.
The company was originally an aero products division of Sumitomo Metal Industries to supply duralumin products as well as Hamilton propellers during the war and separated as an independent manufacturer after the war in 1961. It has contracts with JASDF mainly and some other local and overseas aircrafts companies like Mitsubishi, Shin-Maywa(old Kawanishi) and Hamilton.
I learned a lot not only about technologies but how to behave there willingly or unwillingly.
A simple truth was 'A sheet of paper is mighter than any good speech'.
I don't know well about situation in other countries but believe this is common in general Japanese organizations.
Sumitomo Precision Products Co., Ltd.
Thanks for your kind comments Thor, Gnomey and Aaron too!
There could have been thousands of parts for a set of Zero
Keep in touch.