Coming attractions: the Eastern bloc
Article Abstract:
Economics say it will be at least 15 years before Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union recover and the countries will probably not be allowed to join the European Community much before that. There are many difficulties: converting Eastern Europe money into "hard" currency, dealing with bureaucratic red tape, and infusing Eastern Europeans with the Western work ethic. One estimate is that it would take $18 to $25 trillion to bring Eastern European living standards to within 50-60 percent of Western Europe. The EC's poorest members, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, and Greece, worry that large investments in Eastern Europe will reduce efforts to bring them up to the standards of the other Western Europe countries. East Germany is seen as the most promising region for investment, especially high-tech, followed by Hungary, Czechoslovakia, and Poland. The economy of the Soviet Union is said to be in the worst condition of all with a gross national product no more than 28 percent of that of the US. Basic research is a major strength of the Soviet Union and Eastern European countries.
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1990
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Aging aircraft: too old to fly?
Article Abstract:
Airplanes often outlast their intended design life, as was the case with an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737. The Boeing 737 that ripped apart on Apr 28, 1988, was designed for 75,000 flights and 51,000 hours. The Aloha 737 had accumulated 90,000 flights. A 5.5-meter-long section of the fuselage tore away from the aircraft at 24,000 feet, killing one person. Findings of the accident have not yet been released by the National Transportation Safety Board but extensive fatigue and corrosion in the fuselage skin and inadequate maintenance to compensate for a corrosive environment near salt water are considered probable causes for the accident. In addition to chronological age and flight environment, the number of flight cycles and compressions and decompressions during flight affect the plane's condition. Critical parts and skin panels need to be replaced at regular intervals
Publication Name: IEEE Spectrum
Subject: Engineering and manufacturing industries
ISSN: 0018-9235
Year: 1989
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