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Very interesting. I understand the conservatism of aviation engineering, but this is a clear example of how stagnation in an industry can cause even conservati
by easp 17y ago
Very interesting. I understand the conservatism of aviation engineering, but this is a clear example of how stagnation in an industry can cause even conservative adoption of innovations proven in other realms to lag by decades.
- lutorm 17y agoMy impression that this is not the conservatism of aviation engineering but rather the conservatism of aviation manufacturers. Whether this is due to product liability concerns (I just eyed through http://www.avweb.com/news/avlaw/181885-1.html http://www.avweb.com/news/avlaw/181885-1.html) or something else, who knows. It definitely seems that all "technologically advanced" aircraft are in the experimental category. I wonder if Burt Rutan can be subject to a product liability lawsuit for problems with a Vari-Ez et al?
- jeffcoat 17y agoExperimental aircraft (all amateur-built planes are registered with the FAA as "experimental") fall under an entirely different set of laws and regulations specifically designed to avoid that sort of of problem. That's not to say that experimental designers are completely immune lawsuits, but I've never heard of it happening, and doubt such a thing would survive long in court. The net result is that home-built aircraft tend to have dramatically better performance numbers than comparable certified aircraft.
- spitfire 17y agoQuickie aircraft corporation - the guys who made the quickie Q2 (based on a Rutan design) were sued out of existence back in the 80's. They had a fantastic plane, fast, fuel efficient and affordable. Then someone died and their widow sued. They won the suit but the debt from defending crushed them.
- towndrunk 17y agoDo you have a link to that?
- lutorm 17y agoI looked around and found http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/N82X-Jewett.htm http://www.check-six.com/Crash_Sites/N82X-Jewett.htm
- jeffcoat 17y agoThanks for the reference -- I hadn't heard that story. Definitely the nightmare of the small company selling kit planes or plans. (Edit: Aside from the nightmare of someone getting hurt and it actually being your fault. (I've written too many defects recently.))
- easp 17y agoJames Fallows wrote an interesting book a decade ago called Free Flight. Part of the book covered the dismal state of general aviation, resulting from a death spiral in which product liability suits played a prominent role. The rest of the book is about attempts to revive the industry. So, yes, this is about a stagnant industry that has invested little in engineering over the last 50 years or so. Most general aviation aircraft have a lot in common with cars in Cuba. With that context, I took some of the comments in the article as being directed not at the conservatism not of manufacturers, but of owners doing retrofits and experimental plane builders.