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We can do little better than re-examine the warning set out in the "FORWARD" to the report entitled, AERONAUTICAL TECHNOLOGIES for the TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY written and published by the UNITED STATES, AERONAUTICS AND SPACE ENGINEERING BOARD & NATIONAL RESEARCH COUNCIL dated, September, 1992.
Quote: "Over the last decade, foreign Aircraft manufacturers have made significant inroads into the global market, to the detriment of U.S. interests. The commuter Aircraft market has been almost completely lost to foreign manufacturers, the subsonic transport market is seriously threatened, and foreign competitors are already positioning themselves to capture the future supersonic transport market.
Foreign governments, in close relationships with their Aircraft industries, have invested heavily in the basic aeronautics research and technology that is necessary for developing and maintaining a competitive posture, meeting future constraints on air traffic management systems capacity, and reducing the environmental impact of Aircraft. This is particularly true in the advanced subsonic market. Although the availability of advanced technology is only one of the factors that relate to overall competitiveness, without continued access to that technology the leadership that the U.S. subsonic transport Aircraft manufacturers now enjoy will continue to erode. Whereas technology alone may not ensure economic success in competition in the Aircraft industry, without competitive technology, U.S. manufacturers will fail economically.
Clearly, maintenance of U.S standing in the world industry is an imperative National need. The current effort of the U.S. Government to support basic aeronautic research and technology is inadequate to meet that need. Although the aeronautic research programme supported by the National Aeronautics & Space Administration contains elements that contribute to advanced subsonic Aircraft technology, the funding level is well below that needed to be competitive. The threat is growing, and the Nations Technological capability is not being positioned for the future.
In march 1985 the Aeronautical Policy Review Committee of the Office of Science & Technology Policy issued a report, National Aeronautical R & D Goals: Technology for America's future. Three priorities were defined first and foremost was advanced subsonic Aircraft, then high speed civil Aircraft, and finally transatmospheric flight vehicles. In February 1987 a second report was issued by that group entitled "National Aeronautical R & D goals". Agenda for achievement. It, too, emphasised the importance of advanced subsonic transport to both the National economy and the National Transportation infrastructure. Page four of the second report describes as the leading priority in subsonics: "A New Generation of Superior U.S Aircraft". That section concludes with the warning, we are approaching an important cross roads: one path leading to steady erosion of U.S participation in world markets; the other to economic growth and job creation." The WARNING has gone unheeded". End of Quote.
Consider, this document was put together by some of the most authoritative body's in the United States yet, examination of both the Boeing and Airbus Market forecasts are built upon retention and utilisation of modified versions of exactly the same conventional configuration which will have already existed for more the than six decades by the year 2017. The WARNING is still unheeded.
The Industry is already seriously committed to continuing to utilise conventionally configured Aircraft well into the next century
The cause of the failure of this vast Industry to act on the above WARNING is it's failure to recognise and understand that the factor limiting It's entire performance quite regardless and indeed in spite of all of it's undoubted technological brilliance, is the in built inherent limitation of the particular manner in which It has elected to utilise the 3rd Law of Motion.
The major limiting factor undermining the entire effort of this vast industry is no longer the efficiency of the jet engine, it's systems nor the aerodynamic efficiency of the Aircraft's airframe but, the particular manner in which the 3rd law of motion is utilised. This must change or this vast otherwise technologically brilliant industry will technologically drive itself into bankruptcy. Unless this is changed and soon the industry could well technologically, economically "self destruct" by, the year 2005.
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