"Titanium is in short supply," says Brandon Goering, purchasing director at sports airplane kit producer RANS Inc. in Hays, Kan. He's not alone, either. Buyers at several aerospace, medical equipment, sports gear and other consumer goods producers are reporting capacity issues with their titanium suppliers. That's why titanium sheet leadtimes have been averaging 11 weeks for the past several months—with neither buyers nor suppliers expecting any quicker delivery soon. Mills have plans to expand capacity but supply probably won't be boosted for at least a year.