BIONICS-BASE FOR INNOVATION: A MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW OF THE BIRTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF BIONICS AT WRIGHT FIELD,
Abstract
The report presents the story of a new technology which has produced a flight control system with a learning, or self-organizing, functional capability; a system which can adapt more quickly than even the most skillful pilot to the flight characteristics of an aircraft. It promises a radical step forward in Air Force operational capability by, in effect, invisibly adding a superman in the cockpit to share the flight control duties. The story is a retrospective analysis which traces the evolution of a major state-of-the-art advance from the serendipity of early Air Force research planners. It illustrates the fact that a well-chosen, carefully nurtured, and well-managed, research program without a specific initial military objective often can provide a series of startling breakthroughs in weapon system operational effectiveness. The background information which introduces the story provides a realistic picture of the time factor involved in bringing hitherto unrelated research ideas into a well-focused, applicationally-oriented reality. Woven into the story are recurring references to the evolution of long range planning concepts within the Air Force research and development community. (Author)
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1967
- Accession Number
- AD0660614
Entities
People
- K. W. Zahrt