A HISTORICAL RETROSPECTIVE: DESCRIBING THE EVOLUTION OF FIGHTER AIRCRAFT IN TERMS OF TECHNOLOGY AND PERFORMANCE

摘要

Many authors have drawn an evolutionary analogy to describe how technology changes over time. This paper examines the technological evolution of piston-engined fighter aircraft from World War I through World War II. Examining technological divergence by era allows describing the interaction between emerging and established technologies. In addition, regression models are used to predict maximum aircraft speed using aerodynamic, performance and combat attributes by era. Overall, this analysis illustrates how technological evolution may be quantitatively portrayed to assist designers and managers in making well-informed decisions based on the predicted success of an end-item's technological cluster.