THE TRIO THAT TRIED

摘要

I finally couldn't take it anymore. Standing in a bookstore staring at yet another book about aviation's biggest flops I was trying to grasp what would compel a writer to explain what alleged failures certain aircraft were, and how many precious taxpayers' dollars had gone to waste in the building and testing of them. One step short of tabloid journalism, these books preyed on the casual airplane aficionado's sensibilities, focusing on odd-looking or unusual configurations, or innovative concepts that, for whatever reason, never reached production Yes, certain designs may have been failures, but it was the late Ben Rich, former President of the Lockheed 'Skunk Works' who said the reason so many great Lockheed airplanes were so successful over the years was because "we weren't afraid to fail". While driving home that day the thought struck me that I should set the record straight, one airplane at a time, examining the less-than-stellar attempts to advance aviation progress form the perspective of what they may have ultimately led to. No wonder that book was prominently propped up on the bargain clearance table.