Possibilities of AIRCRAFT STRUCTURES in Ground Vehicles

ALTHOUGH the possibilities of aircraft types of structures for commercial ground vehicles are latent, they do exist, Mr. Short concludes from his research work and study of the subject.

The successful application depends as much on the urge and ingenuity of the engineer, he adds, as it does upon having available ideal forms and materials. Airframe construction as an art is probably more a form of inspiration to the truck and bus engineer than a tool to be used directly in his design.

The appreciation of light-weight structures, however, must be developed cautiously, Mr. Short warns, notwithstanding the fact that a pound of structural overweight is a pound of payload lost for the life of the vehicle.