View Single Post
  #6  
Old May 2nd 16, 07:17 PM posted to alt.binaries.pictures.aviation
R2D2
external usenet poster
 
Posts: 65
Default The British 707 that could have been

On Mon, 2 May 2016 11:59:22 +0100, RiŠardo
wrote:

On 01/05/2016 17:44, Byker wrote:
The British aircraft manufacturing industry of the postwar era was a mess.
There were petty disputes among companies, redundant research because no
one
wanted to share anything, lack of public funding (this one is
understandable), and failure to adapt to the new era of air travel.

"We have handed to the Americans, without a struggle, the entire world
market for big jet airliners." — George Edwards, Vickers managing director


So the de Havilland Comet, albeit flawed (from which much was learnt by
the world aviation industry) never led the way? As we know "the pioneer
doesn't always get the best land, sometimes he ends up dead in a ditch
with arrows in his back."

As for "no one wanted to share anything", and supposed "redundant
research", we did share a great deal but, unfortunately, it seems it was
with the wrong people.


Add giving away to the USSR the engine powered 2 geenrations of Migs
and the Il-28...