THE MOST INTERESTING, exciting, and promising new general aviation aircraft today have one surprising/ depressing thing in common: They all came from Europe. Sport airplane standouts such as the JMB Aircraft VL3 (see "Eurovision" p. 50), Blackshape Gabriel, Tarragon, and Shark are sleek, composite two-seaters with constant-speed propellers, and retractable landing gear. These fast, modern, highly efficient airplanes also have exceptional speed and range. What's wrong with U.S. manufacturers? Is this a replay of the old automotive story that began in the 1970s when U.S. car makers stopped innovating and eventually lost the domestic market to foreign imports?
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