But Institution of Mechanical Engineers Warns Work Is
Needed
News about the future of aerospace has been somewhat dominated
lately by the rapid growth of aviation in China and anticipation of
commercial space providers in the US, but other nations are also
counting on the industry to provide jobs and economic growth.
The UK's Institution of Mechanical Engineers, or IMechE for
short, has issued a report titled "Aero 2075" which anticipates
aircraft with blended-wing designs to improve efficiency and reduce
noise, the return of supersonic airliners, hypersonic scramjets
which could carry passengers at five times the speed of sound, and
even the flying of airliners in a "V" formation to take advantage
of the aerodynamic secrets of the birds, all by the end of the
current century.
The report notes that the aerospace sector generated £29
billion in sales in 2010 and employs about 100,000 people
throughout the country, and that the British government eyes
aerospace as an important component of balancing the nation's
economy to avoid over-reliance on the financial and services
sectors.
But IMechE notes that the UK aerospace market, currently number
two in the world behind the US, will not stay there for long
without work. "Research and development investment is at an
historic low and core capabilities, key facilities and
infrastructure are all slowly eroding," warns the report. "If the
UK does not create an economic vision for the future, we may well
see one of our most important industries fall into decline –
like so many other sectors of British manufacturing over the past
two decades."
IMechE also anticipates political obstacles. "The growth of
global air travel will be matched by increasing levels of
legislation on emissions and noise, and a desire to reduce fuel
consumption while carrying ever more people by aeroplane."
Specific suggestions in the report include setting out a
long-term strategic vision for investing in the UK’s
aerospace sector, establishment of a UK Advanced Technologies
Aerospace Research Centre, measures to to ensure UK PLC is an
attractive investment location, and restoration of research and
development funding to pre-recession levels.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineers was originally founded
in 1847 and is based in London. The report is available as a free
download, in two parts, using the FMI link below.