18 Dec 03. What a shame that the U.K. has not made more of the Centenary of Flight and that it took Boeing to take a three page spread in the FT to celebrate the occasion. The U.K. has been in the forefront of aircraft and engine development for many years building many fine civil and military products, some world-beating.

Those of our readers who were fortunate enough to see the Channel 5 programme ‘Building The Ultimate’, would have been surprised to find that the technology discussed, wing and turbine design, jet engine advances and aluminium hull jet technology were all derived from UK technological advances!

The Comet disasters, as the programme discussed, paved the way for the advanced techniques used today on airliners made in the US and Europe, with wing and engine design performing a major part of the success of Airbus products against the U.S. Boeing designs.

There was no mention of the event at the BAE press event on Tuesday and it took Bombardier’s excellent annual ‘Shorts’ lunch to present its guests with a fine collection of prints celebrating the event.

What is wrong UK Ltd, is being in trade still regarded as ‘below stairs’?