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As you've mentioned the B-47. Some of the 2,042 built were made by Douglas and Lockheed. Would that have taught them how to build flexible, high-aspect-ratio swept wings too? I take your points about the learning curve. Though wouldn't the lessons about economies of production et al or at least some of them have been learned from the B-47 and B-52 anyway?I'm not being sarcastic. I think the benefits that the 707/C-137 received from the 717/C-135 are overrated and I want to know if what I think is correct.Although I've poo pooed the Stratocruiser I think the lessons learned from that aircraft helped Boeing become the dominant maker of jet airliners if only to teach the Firm "how not do do it". Although they only sold 56 I think it's significant that the biggest customers were Pan Am (29 new aircraft) and BOAC (10 new and 7 second-hand). Had those airlines bought more Douglas and Lockheed airliners instead I think it likely that Pan Am would have bought 45 DC-8s in 1955 (instead of 20 707s & 25 DC-8s) and BOAC would have bought 15 DC-8s or VC.7s (instead of 15 Boeing 707-420s). Those airliners purchased a total of 157 B.707s (126 Pan Am & 31 BOAC including the 2 taken over from British Eagle) which is about 15% of the 1,010 built and would increase the number of DC-8s built from 556 to 713 an increase of 27%. It might also mean the 707 enters service a year or two later.
As you've mentioned the B-47. Some of the 2,042 built were made by Douglas and Lockheed. Would that have taught them how to build flexible, high-aspect-ratio swept wings too? I take your points about the learning curve. Though wouldn't the lessons about economies of production et al or at least some of them have been learned from the B-47 and B-52 anyway?
I'm not being sarcastic. I think the benefits that the 707/C-137 received from the 717/C-135 are overrated and I want to know if what I think is correct.
Although I've poo pooed the Stratocruiser I think the lessons learned from that aircraft helped Boeing become the dominant maker of jet airliners if only to teach the Firm "how not do do it". Although they only sold 56 I think it's significant that the biggest customers were Pan Am (29 new aircraft) and BOAC (10 new and 7 second-hand). Had those airlines bought more Douglas and Lockheed airliners instead I think it likely that Pan Am would have bought 45 DC-8s in 1955 (instead of 20 707s & 25 DC-8s) and BOAC would have bought 15 DC-8s or VC.7s (instead of 15 Boeing 707-420s). Those airliners purchased a total of 157 B.707s (126 Pan Am & 31 BOAC including the 2 taken over from British Eagle) which is about 15% of the 1,010 built and would increase the number of DC-8s built from 556 to 713 an increase of 27%. It might also mean the 707 enters service a year or two later.
