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I guess I was under the impression that it wasn't so much that China intended to completely copy whatever they steal the plans for. Simply knowing the plans wou
by jonknee 12y ago
I guess I was under the impression that it wasn't so much that China intended to completely copy whatever they steal the plans for. Simply knowing the plans would seemingly make it easier to know its true capabilities (and cost, weak points, etc).
It's similar to why there's a market for complete tear downs of electronics--competitors are interested in the guts and components even if they never intend to rip it off. Knowing how someone else solved the same problem you're working on is always valuable.
- etrevino 12y agoFor systems as complex and interrelated as airplanes they sometimes do build a direct copy. That reveals for them the failures in their own techniques and materials. Also, it serves as a general prototype for the next iteration.
- bediger4000 12y agoDo you have any idea what kind of copy? I mean, McDonnel Aircraft used to build what they called "iron birds", dimensionally accurate, but maybe not made of exactly the right stuff, as an iron bird was used to see if wiring harnesses and tubes fit through various runs. Using titanium parts for the iron bird would have been a gross misuse of money. There were also dimensionally correct copies made of the right materials, but usually without piping and wiring, for dynamic testing. I forget what they called those. I suppose CAD has eliminated a lot of the need for iron bird-style copies, but maybe not.