"Tony Verhulst" wrote in message
...
ISoar wrote:
.... that may mean putting the financial survival of the firm on
the line. Maybe it will happen when a company has to choose between
inovatation of bankruptcy.


Yes. Very much like Boeing when it "bet the farm" to develop the 747.

Tony V.

IIRC, Boeing bet the farm on the B-17 (for which they received the German
swept wing research post-WWII which was immediately applied to the B-47),
the 707 (for which they eventually sacrificed winning military contracts for
decades), and the 727 (which really brought new innovations to aircraft
computer design and construction methods, not to mention lower service and
turnaround costs and a 40-year service life). The 747 was the first new
innovative airframe that Boeing didn't bet the farm on. What was really
incredible were the cottage industries that popped up as fourth level
subcontractors in the back of plumbing, electrical, and machine shops around
the area.

When I was young, we raised funds for our church group by selling 'snack'
trays which were the window punch outs from the 707 lines. They already had
the interior vinyl attached and were fairly attractive, plus the process
created a raised lip.

For many years, Boeing had one of the most fantastic surplus yards going.
It's still pretty good, but not like it was.

Frank Whiteley