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This is such an absurd statement. What US aerospace has created post 1969 is nothing short of remarkable in comparison. (And we can be proud of the Apollo era t
by mrcwinn 3mo ago
This is such an absurd statement. What US aerospace has created post 1969 is nothing short of remarkable in comparison. (And we can be proud of the Apollo era too.)
- A_D_E_P_T 3mo ago> This is such an absurd statement. Oh come on, it's hardly "absurd." > What US aerospace has created post 1969 is nothing short of remarkable in comparison. (And we can be proud of the Apollo era too.) What are you referring to? If you want to chart progress over time, consider this: In 1919, people were still flying biplanes and civilian aviation barely existed. Fifty years later, in 1969, you've got the 747 -- consider the progress made over those fifty years! Fifty years from then, in 2019, you've still got the 747 -- alongside, as the article notes, smaller and less remarkable aircraft "that are more efficient, but far less majestic and memorable." So what, pray tell, is so remarkable?
- ReptileMan 3mo agoThe efficiency and the safety. Modern planes are disgustingly safe to the point that hull loss is almost unheard of. For 50 years the industry has optimized for safety and fuel efficiency. And the modern machines are marvels in that.
- rbanffy 3mo agoTrue, but still incremental improvements over proven designs - maybe a sign of very strict safety standards making new designs and differentiation more expensive than just the development.
- aunty_helen 3mo agoOr more likely, that’s exactly how you make incredibly safe systems. Not by introducing clean sheet unproven designs but by taking what works and improving any deficiencies over and over again.
- Waterluvian 3mo agoThe onboard WiFi was terrible prior to 1970.
- rayiner 3mo agoToday’s airliners cruise slower than a 747.
- rootusrootus 3mo agoNot due to any technical limitation, and that is just one single metric.
- decimalenough 3mo agoBut they do so much more efficiently, and the speed difference is minimal (Boeing 747-8 cruises at 706 mph, 787 Dreamliner at 690 mph).
- rayiner 3mo agoThere’s nothing sexy about incremental efficiency advances.
- dcrazy 3mo agoFor very rational economic reasons, underpinned by the same fundamental physical principle that makes my car more fuel-efficient doing 60 instead of 85.