Note 9: Financial Instruments (Details) (USD $)	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended		12 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011
Notes to Condensed Consolidated Financial Statements [Abstract]
Four Quarter Rolling Average of Notional Amount of Foreign Exchange Contracts Hedging Foreign Currency Transactions	$ 11,300,000,000		$ 11,300,000,000		$ 10,400,000,000
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Derivative Asset, Fair Value	123,000,000		123,000,000		114,000,000
Derivative Liability, Fair Value	41,000,000		41,000,000		165,000,000
Unrealized Gain (Loss) on Foreign Currency Derivatives, Net, before Tax	146,000,000	(125,000,000)	83,000,000	(25,000,000)
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) Reclassified to Earnings, Net	7,000,000	17,000,000	26,000,000	93,000,000
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Gain (Loss) to be Reclassified During Next 12 Months	(33,000,000)		(33,000,000)
Gain (Loss) on Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments	(19,000,000)	(51,000,000)	(21,000,000)	(23,000,000)
Business Acquisition [Line Items]
Equity Method Investment Other Than Temporary Impairment			103,000,000		66,000,000
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Recurring Long Term Receivables Fair Value Disclosure	478,000,000		478,000,000
Recurring Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	328,000,000		328,000,000
Recurring Short Term Borrowings Fair Value Disclosure	(5,224,000,000)		(5,224,000,000)
Recurring Long Term Debt Excluding Capitalized Leases Fair Value Disclosure	(26,784,000,000)		(26,784,000,000)
Net Gains on Non-recurring Fair Value Measurement			220,000,000
Net Gains of Sale of Controlling Interest			357,000,000
Non Cash Net Gain			272,000,000
Net Gains On Previously Held Interests			34,000,000
Income Statement Balance Sheet And Additional Disclosures By Disposal Groups Including Discontinued Operations [Line Items]
Disposal Group Not Discontinued Operation Gain Loss On Disposal			32,000,000
Commercial Aerospace [Member]
Accounts Notes And Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Amount, Asset	2,800,000,000		2,800,000,000		2,300,000,000
International Aero Engines AG [Member]
Accounts Notes And Loans Receivable [Line Items]
Fair Value Disclosure, Off-balance Sheet Risks, Amount, Asset	538,000,000		538,000,000
Carrying Amount [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term receivables Fair Value Disclosure	517,000,000		517,000,000		283,000,000
Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	350,000,000		350,000,000		309,000,000
Short Term borrowings	(5,224,000,000)		(5,224,000,000)		(630,000,000)
Long-term debt (excluding capitalized leases) Fair Value Disclosure	(23,421,000,000)		(23,421,000,000)		(9,575,000,000)
Estimate of Fair Value, Fair Value Disclosure [Member]
Fair Value, Balance Sheet Grouping, Financial Statement Captions [Line Items]
Long-term receivables Fair Value Disclosure	478,000,000		478,000,000		276,000,000
Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	328,000,000		328,000,000		297,000,000
Short Term borrowings	(5,224,000,000)		(5,224,000,000)		(630,000,000)
Long-term debt (excluding capitalized leases) Fair Value Disclosure	(26,784,000,000)		(26,784,000,000)		(11,639,000,000)
Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	778,000,000		778,000,000		926,000,000
Derivative Assets	123,000,000		123,000,000		114,000,000
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(41,000,000)		(41,000,000)		(165,000,000)
Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	440,000,000		440,000,000		13,000,000
Business Dispositions, Fair Value Disclosure	97,000,000		97,000,000
Quoted price in active markets (Level 1) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Recurring Long Term Receivables Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Recurring Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Recurring Short Term Borrowings Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Recurring Long Term Debt Excluding Capitalized Leases Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Quoted price in active markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	778,000,000		778,000,000		926,000,000
Derivative Assets	0		0		0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		0
Quoted price in active markets (Level 1) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		13,000,000
Business Dispositions, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Recurring Long Term Receivables Fair Value Disclosure	478,000,000		478,000,000
Recurring Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	328,000,000		328,000,000
Recurring Short Term Borrowings Fair Value Disclosure	(4,996,000,000)		(4,996,000,000)
Recurring Long Term Debt Excluding Capitalized Leases Fair Value Disclosure	(26,583,000,000)		(26,583,000,000)
Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		0
Derivative Assets	123,000,000		123,000,000		114,000,000
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	(41,000,000)		(41,000,000)		(165,000,000)
Significant other observable inputs (Level 2) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	440,000,000		440,000,000		0
Business Dispositions, Fair Value Disclosure	97,000,000		97,000,000
Unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Recurring Long Term Receivables Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Recurring Customer Financing Notes Receivable Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Recurring Short Term Borrowings Fair Value Disclosure	(228,000,000)		(228,000,000)
Recurring Long Term Debt Excluding Capitalized Leases Fair Value Disclosure	(201,000,000)		(201,000,000)
Unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		0
Derivative Assets	0		0		0
Derivative Financial Instruments, Liabilities, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		0
Unobservable inputs (Level 3) [Member] | Fair Value, Measurements, Nonrecurring [Member]
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring and Nonrecurring Basis [Line Items]
Equity Method Investments, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0		0
Business Dispositions, Fair Value Disclosure	0		0
Other Assets, Current [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Asset at Fair Value	36,000,000		36,000,000		69,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset at Fair Value	40,000,000		40,000,000		40,000,000
Other Assets [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Asset at Fair Value	44,000,000		44,000,000		3,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset at Fair Value	3,000,000		3,000,000		2,000,000
Assets, Total [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Asset at Fair Value	80,000,000		80,000,000		72,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Asset at Fair Value	43,000,000		43,000,000		42,000,000
Accrued Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	9,000,000		9,000,000		81,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability at Fair Value	29,000,000		29,000,000		40,000,000
Other Long-Term Liabilities [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	0		0		43,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability at Fair Value	3,000,000		3,000,000		1,000,000
Liabilities, Total [Member]
Derivatives, Fair Value [Line Items]
Foreign Currency Cash Flow Hedge Liability at Fair Value	9,000,000		9,000,000		124,000,000
Foreign Currency Derivative Instruments Not Designated as Hedging Instruments, Liability at Fair Value	$ 32,000,000		$ 32,000,000		$ 41,000,000