The preservation of U.S. aeronautical leadership is an economic and military necessity, but it is by no means assured. The rise of Airbus, Ariane, and Embraer has been lightning fast; tomorrow could see the development of Japan's FSC or Israel's Lavi. Our competitors are well organized and often enjoy the support of their governments. Our capabilities are no longer unique; thus our future work is clearly defined for us.The key to continued U.S. preeminence in aerospace is to be found in the further research, development, and application of a group of revolutionary technologies in the areas of propulsion, numerical and symbolic computation, laminar flow modeling, and advanced materials and structures. Exploitation of the emerging technologies in these areas by industry, government, and universities will significantly impact the performance and cost of future aerospace vehicles and systems. Materials science and engineering, particularly the discipline of nondestructive evaluation, will play a major role in making such continued aerospace leadership a reality.From the use of plastic and glass radomes in the first jet engine demonstrators to the composite parts of today's most advanced aircraft, the need to ensure reliable materials has always been critical. Advanced materials and structural concepts offer the opportunity for significant airframe improvements on all types of aircraft. Indeed tomorrow's aerospace structures, such as the National Aerospace Plane, the Space Station, as well as the ATF and SDI-related items will employ a myriad of exotic materials that must be extremely reliable and highly producible.
Japan Advanced Materials Science and Engineering Society Holds Inaugural Symposium