It may be a typo, but a capability of good additive manufacturing design allows for printing complex shapes the may allow several individual components (constrained by limitations of traditional manufacturing means and also requiring assembly) to be manufactured as a single complex piece.
This is very sad news. It seems to be yet another illustration of how “General Aviation” has stagnated; being the very last industry to adopt this technology.
I don’t think anybody is giving the FAA enough credit here… By the time Piper gets PMA approval, the big 200 percent discount will be a 200 percent increase. A $25 3D printed air vent will cost $250 once the FAA runs it through their friendlier streamline certification process. But hey, at least it will be “safe”.
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I was going to ask the same thing. What does that even mean?
Some of us give the FAA, et al, plenty of credit constantly.