Parker Bertea to Work on MD-12

Orange County’s struggling aerospace industry scored a rare victory when Parker Bertea Aerospace announced Tuesday that it has won a subcontract from Douglas Aircraft Co. to build flight control systems for the planned MD-12 commercial airliner.

The subcontract--the first awarded by Douglas for the MD-12--could potentially generate $1 billion in revenue over a 20-year period for a contracting team headed by Parker Bertea. But the amount Parker Bertea ultimately gets depends on Douglas’ success at marketing the MD-12 to the world’s airlines.

The long-range jumbo aircraft, a cornerstone of Douglas’ long-term strategy in the commercial aerospace business, is scheduled for initial delivery in 1997. But Douglas has not announced any orders since it began marketing the 400 to 500-seat jet in October, 1991.