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Boeing has been a pioneer in the utilization of strategic alliances with the Japanese in the design and production of aircraft. This strategy has been driven by the escalating costs of airframe and engine design and manufacture, and the significant competition of Airbus as well as domestic competitors in the global aircraft market. Boeing's alliances with Japan have worked well with several families of aircraft and appear to have produced a loyal customer; however, there have been sharp criticisms of Boeing for the closeness of its association with Japan. These criticisms have largely been aimed at the danger posed by unintentional and unavoidable transfer of aerospace technology. This paper examines the history of Boeing's Japanese coalitions, the benefits, and the dangers posed by Boeing's continued aerospace partnership with one of America's largest economic foes.

Marketing and corporate risk‐taking are always included as elements of industrial competitiveness and yet discussions of industrial policy are strangely silent on these important determinants of firm performance. The inability of Japanese industrial policy to develop these skills has been an important factor in determining the competitive position of the Japanese commercial airplane manufacturing industry. In this industry where domestic demand was not guaranteed, and where the Japanese competitors were not prepared to assume the risk‐taking position common to successful foreign competitors, Japanese industrial policy was unable to match its earlier success in basic industries.

Based on a lecture prepared as part of the celebration of Cranfield University's 50th anniversary. After briefly reviewing the early years, including Cranfield University's entry into this technology, discusses the nature of this industry, Some of the technology drivers, including environmental concerns, are examined to provide a background against which the development and the future of the industry can be considered. This is followed by a brief survey of some of the possible new civil aero gas turbine applications over the next 50 years, both the very likely and some curiosities. Finally, the changes that are likely to occur within the industry as a result of wider economic and political trends are considered, as well as the implications for those working within the industry. The development of the civil aero gas turbine has contributed, in large measure, to today's, US$ 300 billion civil aviation industry and is rightly seen as one of mankind's major engineering achievements. A single paper cannot do justice to this industry.

Downsizing in the aerospace industry is due to the cyclical nature of its business segments – defense and commercial. Erratic defense spending and fluctuations in commercial demand for aerospace products are the primary causes of this cyclical behavior. All employee groups are affected by aerospace downsizing initiatives, but the extent that each group is affected depends on product lifecycles. Economic impacts of aerospace downsizing efforts are substantial, both to the individual and communities, but are somewhat less today than in past years. As with all downsizing industries, the challenges of the aerospace industry include maintaining technological competitiveness in the areas of product development and human resources.

Military technology is traditionally shrouded in secrecy. Even joint research between allies can be a marriage of convenience. But with the end of the Cold War and greater European integration, the technological landscape is changing, and a closer interface is emerging between military and civilian technologies. A worldwide stagnation in defence spending is accelerating the take‐up of commercial off‐the‐shelf technologies, while in the aerospace sector, the factors of safety and the environment are becoming at least as important as cost.

AEM will be exhibiting in Hall 4, Stand G1. The exhibit will illustrate AEM's comprehensive range of accessory repair and overhaul services for electrical, hydraulic, avionic and safety equipment. Farnborough will also be used as the official launch of AEM's Boeing 737 Landing Gear Total Support Pro‐gramme, which encompasses a complete exchange and overhaul service. Copies of Aviation Accessory News will be available on the stand.

As part of the V.10 F programme financed by Service Technique de la Production Aeronautique (STPA), AEROSPATIALE and DASSAULT — BREGUET have joined forces to produce a single Falcon 10 wing entirely made of carbon fibre. This wing has just been sent from the AEROSPATIALE Company's Nantes factory to the Toulouse Aernautic Testing Centre. A second wing will also be built, but this time, by DASSAULT‐BREGUET Biarritz plant. The two wings will be used for static fatigue testing. The programme calls for another pair of wings, one to be made by each of the same firms. They will later be mounted to a Falcon 10 for flight testing.

Normalair‐Garrett Ltd., (Stand No. N31) part of the Westland plc Group of Yeovil, Somerset, is exhibiting a wide range of products which demonstrate the company's diverse capabilities in control systems and precision components for the aerospace industry.