The Composite Wing

<p>The purpose of this study is not to denigrate the composite wing concept or reject it out of hand as so many of its critics have done. Obviously senior Air Force leaders believe in the idea and have taken significant far-reaching steps to transform the concept into reality. In just a short while Air Combat Command (ACC) will have at least three officially sanctioned composite wings in combat-ready configuration poised to support Air Force Secretary Donald Rice's Global Reach--Global Power philosophy. Therefore the purpose of this study is to survey more than seventy years of Air Force history distill and extract what lessons about composite units may be hidden there if any and if so apply them to today's concept to help planners avoid potential pitfalls that could destroy the composite wing's effectiveness. Specifically this study will endeavor to answer a number of questions. First of all what is the nature of the composite wing debate and is it a recent bone of contention? Second what exactly is a composite wing and has the term been applied consistently throughout Air Force history? Third if composite wings have existed throughout Air Force history how have they fared especially in combat? Fourth do today's aerial battlefields and aircraft differ enough from those of previous periods to make the composite wing workable? Finally what can airmen learn from past composite units' exploits--pro or con--that might allow them to mold today's composite wings into effective viable combat forces? Not surprisingly the answers to each of these questions and more are written in the pages of over seventy years of Air Force composite wing history.</p><p>This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore you will see the original copyright references library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world) and other notations in the work.</p><p>This work is in the public domain in the United States of America and possibly other nations. Within the United States you may freely copy and distribute this work as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.</p><p>As a reproduction of a historical artifact this work may contain missing or blurred pages poor pictures errant marks etc. Scholars believe and we concur that this work is important enough to be preserved reproduced and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.</p><br>