Commercial Transport Technology Advances

This paper provides a perspective on commercial aircraft technology developments for the rest of the 20th century. It discusses primarily the airplane but includes observations on other parts of the transportation system. Historical achievements in commercial transport design are reviewed and form the basis for predictions of future progress in contributing aeronautical technical areas. A summary assessment of the positive aspects of current commercial aircraft development is given, along with a listing of issues, which must be considered in maintaining leadership in this field.