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To: Jim S who wrote (38810)	8/11/1999 4:00:00 PM
From: long-gone	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116762

re: Composits Now Jim, you know as well as I do how many mil-spec flying things are built in part of aluminum, but that is not exactly what I was talking about. I was talking about the national loss of manufacturing, natural resource production, moreover the danger to the broad national interest when we all become, this strictly, a service economy. Will we again be able to become(and become effective quickly enough) a great manufacturing, assembly, and fabrication power? How many skills will be lost for an entire generation? Will we be able to respond to a great demand in (for instance) machining skills? I read some time ago, a soldier in time of war burns four times more calories than the average office worker(and this was based on the 70's "average" prior to this level of computer assistance). Would we be able to grow enough food to feed a full army in time of war? We are now importing much of our sugar. This same soldier wears out clothing far faster than the person in the office, also increasing the demand for fiber. Can we change back and again grow enough cotton, and make enough man made fiber? If "push were to become shove" and we again needed these skills would we have them? Could technology substitute for everything? Will the Clinton "strong dollar policy" cause future problems? I've seen people from the retail environment thrown into the manufacturing world with less than great results. Having moved from a mil-spec inventory system to the retail world, I learned there is inventory accuracy, then there is real inventory accuracy. What will be the end cost of "these greatest of all times"?

To: Jim S who wrote (38810)	8/11/1999 5:44:00 PM
From: Hawkmoon	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 116762

Composites Thanks for answering that for me Jim. The only widespread use of Aluminum that I currently know us in the military is for certain aircraft like the C-130 and C-17, and a tremendous amount in naval ship building. However, as the technology increasingly becomes more inexpensive, use of composites is becoming more prevalent. Many of the parts of the C-17 are composites, as are the F-22 and other Stealth aircraft. (but you knew that). There is use of aluminum in Bradley fighting vehicles, but the M-1 Abrams uses a sandwich composite of ceramics and depleted uranium plates. Regards, Ron