>Fellow SOLers,
>Just finished watching Wings on the Discovery Channel. They were describing
>the Soviet supersonic transport program and the British/French Concorde. The
>Tuploev TU-144, the Soviet's SST, had engines that were not fuel efficient
>(as SSTs go, anyway). So the Soviets contacted Lucas Electronics for a fuel
>management system! When the British government heard about this, they told
>the Soviets, NO WAY! Because the Brit's felt that the Soviets would use the
>technology for military purposes. The Brit's knew that the TU-22 Blinder, a
>Soviet supersonic bomber, used the same engines as the TU-144 passenger
>aircraft.
>Now, just think, if the cold war had not ended, and things heated up, WE
>could have averted WW3. How, you ask? Well, when the Ruskies would email
>the problem they were having with the ENTIRE TU-22 fleet, we could have
>warned our government. They would, hopefully, launch a preventive strike.
>Either that, or the Lucas Electronics would have p*ssed the Ruskies off, and
>they would have just launched their ICBMs instead.
>Just thought you guys might have enjoyed knowing this
>bit of Lucas trivia.
>Ron Nottingham
>Dalton, Ga
>77 Spitfire 1500 - daily driver, no Lucas problems yet - knock, knock,
>knock!
Truth be told, Lucas Aerospace is a major player in the aerospace electronics
market, both civil and military. Their products can be found on the Concorde,
the Harrier jump jet (both the Hawker version and the McDonnell-Douglas version
built under license for the U.S. Marines) and the Mcdonnell-Douglas/Northrop
F/A-18 Hornet, DeHavilland DASH-8, and the BaE 146 shorthaul commuter jet.
Although I don't know for certain, it is quite likely that they are fitted to
many Boeing aircraft as well, particularly those equipped with Rolls-Royce
family turbofans.
I had more problems with the electrics on my '71 Datsun 510 than on any British
car.
So next time you're cruising at 35,000 feet in Rolls-Royce equipped 747, maybe
think a few kind thoughts about old Mr. Lucas.
Cheers,
Kurt (still trying to figure how to fit a Merlin in my Mini) Oblinger
Redondo Beach, Ca.
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