Accounting Pronouncements (Details)	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2017
ASU 2014-09 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2014-09 and its related amendments (collectively, the New Revenue Standard) are effective for reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017, and interim periods therein, using either of the following transition methods; (i) a full retrospective adoption reflecting the application of the standard in each prior reporting period, or (ii) a modified retrospective approach with the cumulative effect of adopting recognized through retained earnings at the date of adoption. The New Revenue Standard is expected to change the revenue recognition practices for a number of revenue streams across our businesses, although the most significant impacts will be concentrated within our aerospace units. Several businesses, which currently account for revenue on a “point-in-time basis,” will be required to use an “over time” model as they meet one or more of the mandatory criteria established in the New Revenue Standard. Revenue will be recognized based on percentage-of-completion for certain U.S. Government aerospace contracts; and aerospace aftermarket service work performed on a time and materials basis. For these businesses, unrecognized sales and operating profits related to the satisfied portion of the performance obligations of contracts in process as of the date of adoption will be recorded through retained earnings. The ongoing effect of recording revenue on a percentage-of-completion basis within these businesses is not expected to be material. In addition to the forgoing, our aerospace businesses will also incur changes related to the timing of manufacturing cost recognition and certain engineering and development costs. In most circumstances, our commercial aerospace businesses will identify the performance obligation, or the unit of accounting, as the individual original equipment (OEM) unit; revenues and costs to manufacture each unit will be recognized upon OEM unit delivery. Under current practice, the unit of accounting is the contract, and early-contract OEM unit costs in excess of the average expected over the contract are capitalized and amortized over lower-cost units later in the contract. With the adoption of the New Revenue Standard, any deferred unit costs in excess of the contract average will be eliminated through retained earnings and will not be amortized into future earnings. As of September 30, 2017, capitalized deferred unit costs in excess of the contract average are $357 million, which is expected to increase prior to adoption of the New Revenue Standard. With regard to costs incurred for the engineering and development of aerospace products under contract with customers, we generally expense as incurred unless there is a contractually guaranteed right of recovery. Any customer funding received for such efforts is recognized when earned, with the corresponding costs recognized as cost of sales. The New Revenue Standard requires customer funding of OEM product engineering and development to be deferred and recognized as revenue as the OEM products are delivered to the customer.   The New Revenue Standard also requires product engineering and development costs to be capitalized as contract fulfillment costs, to the extent recoverable from the associated contract margin, and subsequently amortized as the OEM products are delivered to the customer.  For contracts that are open as of the adoption date, previously recognized customer funding will be established as a contract liability. We continue to evaluate the implications of the standard change. We intend to adopt the New Revenue Standard effective January 1, 2018 using the modified retrospective approach.
ASU 2015-14 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2015-14, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606): Deferral of the Effective Date - delays the effective date of ASU 2014-09 by one year.
ASU 2016-08 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2016-08, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Principal versus Agent Considerations (Reporting Revenue Gross versus Net) - clarifies how an entity should identify the unit of accounting (i.e. the specified good or service) for the principal versus agent evaluation and how it should apply the control principle to certain types of arrangements.
ASU 2016-10 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2016-10, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Identifying Performance Obligations and Licensing - clarifies the guidance surrounding licensing arrangements and the identification of performance obligations.
ASU 2016-12 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2016-12, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Narrow-Scope Improvements and Practical Expedients - addresses implementation issues raised by stakeholders concerning collectability, noncash consideration, presentation of sales tax, and transition.
ASU 2016-20 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	ASU 2016-20, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606), Technical Corrections and Improvements - addresses loan guarantee fees, impairment testing of contract costs, provisions for losses on certain contracts, and various disclosures.
ASU 2016-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments - Overall: Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. This ASU modifies how entities measure equity investments and present changes in the fair value of financial liabilities. Upon adoption, investments that do not result in consolidation and are not accounted for under the equity method generally must be carried at fair value, with changes in fair value recognized in net income. As discussed in Note 12, we have approximately $24 million of unrealized gains on these securities recorded in Accumulated other comprehensive loss in our Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet as of September 30, 2017. To the extent currently unrealized gains or losses on these investments are not realized through sale or other actions prior to the date of adoption, these amounts would be recorded directly to retained earnings upon adoption. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2017.
ASU 2016-02 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016- 02, Leases (Topic 842). The new standard establishes a right-of-use (ROU) model that requires a lessee to record a ROU asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for all leases with terms longer than 12 months. Leases will be classified as either finance or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations. In addition, this standard requires a lessor to classify leases as either sales-type, finance or operating. A lease will be treated as a sale if it transfers all of the risks and rewards, as well as control of the underlying asset, to the lessee. If risks and rewards are conveyed without the transfer of control, the lease is treated as financing. If the lessor doesn’t convey risks and rewards or control, the lease is treated as operating. ASU 2016-02 is effective for fiscal years beginning after December 15, 2018, including interim periods within those fiscal years. A modified retrospective transition approach is required for lessees for capital and operating leases and lessors for sales-type, direct financing, and operating leases existing at, or entered into after, the beginning of the earliest comparative period presented in the financial statements, with certain practical expedients available. We expect that upon adoption we will recognize ROU assets and lease liabilities and that the amounts could be material. We do not expect the ASU to have a material impact on our cash flows or results of operations.
ASU 2017-01 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. This ASU provides a new framework that will assist in the evaluation of whether business combination transactions should be accounted as acquisition of a business or a group of assets, as well as specifying the minimum required inputs and processes necessary to be a business. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2017, with early adoption permitted. We plan to adopt the new standard effective January 1, 2018.
ASU 2017-07 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	In March 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-07, Compensation—Retirement Benefits (Topic 715), Improving the Presentation of Net Periodic Pension Cost and Net Periodic Postretirement Benefit Cost. This ASU requires an employer to report the service cost component of net periodic pension benefit cost in the same line item or items as other compensation costs arising from services rendered by the pertinent employees during the period, with other cost components presented separately from the service cost component and outside of income from operations. This ASU also allows only the service cost component of net periodic pension benefit cost to be eligible for capitalization when applicable. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2017. Provisions related to presentation of the service cost components versus other cost components must be applied retrospectively, while provisions related to service cost component eligibility for capitalization must be applied prospectively. This ASU primarily impacts the presentation of net periodic pension cost/benefit and therefore we do not expect this ASU to have a material impact on net income, however it will result in changes to reported operating profit.
ASU 2017-12 [Member]
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
New Accounting Pronouncement or Change in Accounting Principle, Description	In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities. This ASU will make more financial and nonfinancial hedging strategies eligible for hedge accounting. It also amends the presentation and disclosure requirements and changes how companies assess effectiveness. It is intended to more closely align hedge accounting with companies’ risk management strategies, simplify the application of hedge accounting, and increase transparency as to the scope and results of hedging programs. The provisions of this ASU are effective for years beginning after December 15, 2018, with early adoption permitted for any interim period after issuance of the ASU. In the case of early adoption, the effect of the adoption should be reflected as of the beginning of the fiscal year of adoption. We do not expect this ASU to have a significant impact on our results of operations or financial position.