Attendees
C. TyrrellProgram Manager, Acme Aerostructures
G. TalmadgeVP of Operations, Executive Sponsor
R. KesslerQuality Engineering Lead (AS9100 QMS Owner)
M. OseiManufacturing Engineer
L. VanceMaterials / NDT Engineer
A. WhitfieldTooling Engineer
S. PhamSupplier Quality Engineer
D. OkaforProgram Coordinator
Meridian Program OfficeCustomer Program Management, Meridian Aircraft Co.
Purpose
Align Acme's delivery team and Meridian's Program Office on program scope, the stage-gate approach, quality expectations, and working cadence before Critical Design Review begins. This is a one-time program-level kickoff — each phase gate (CDR, Tooling Qualification, FAI) gets its own dedicated review, not a repeat of this meeting. See the Program Kickoff Deck for the actual presentation walked through in this meeting.
Agenda
| Time | Topic | Led By |
|---|---|---|
| 9:00–9:10 | Welcome & program context (why Acme was awarded the CWP-700 production contract) | G. Talmadge |
| 9:10–9:25 | Program Charter walkthrough — scope, success criteria, budget | C. Tyrrell |
| 9:25–9:40 | Meridian's engineering baseline & source data handoff plan | Meridian Program Office |
| 9:40–9:55 | AS9100 quality system, FAI, and MRB process overview | R. Kessler |
| 9:55–10:10 | Stage-gate approach: CDR → Tooling Qualification → FAI → Phase 2 Release | M. Osei |
| 10:10–10:20 | Staffing plan & two-phase resourcing approach — see the Resource Plan | D. Okafor |
| 10:20–10:30 | Open Q&A, next steps (CDR prep begins today) | C. Tyrrell |
Key Discussion Points
- Meridian's Program Office confirmed the engineering source data (drawings, specs, tolerances) would be fully baselined by CDR, with no major spec changes expected during Phase 1 — this became a standing assumption in the program's risk register.
- S. Pham raised that the primary composite prepreg material has only one currently qualified source, and asked whether dual-sourcing should be evaluated proactively rather than reactively — this concern was logged and revisited later in the program as RAIDD Risk R-01.
- M. Osei proposed adding a Critical Design Review gate ahead of tooling fabrication — not originally a standard step in Acme's production playbook, but adopted here as the aerospace-appropriate equivalent of an Architecture Review Board, given the cost of discovering a design issue after tooling is cut.
- D. Okafor presented the initial staffing plan for Phase 2 production ramp; the plan was accepted as proposed at kickoff and only later found — once real steady-state throughput needs became clear — to be undersized (see RAIDD Decision D-05).
Decisions Made
Decision 1Adopt a Critical Design Review (CDR) gate ahead of tooling fabrication, in addition to the standard Tooling Qualification and FAI gates — confirmed in the Program Governance Model and Work Breakdown Structure.
Decision 2Meridian source inspection will witness and hold formal acceptance authority over First Article Inspection and major/structural MRB dispositions — not a delegated Acme self-certification.
Decision 3Weekly internal Program Status Review, bi-weekly Quality Review Board, and monthly Joint Program Review with Meridian confirmed as the standing review cadence.
Next Steps
- Critical Design Review preparation begins today; CDR targeted for Month 2
- Tooling design kickoff following CDR sign-off
- First Joint Program Review with Meridian scheduled for mid-June 2026