Download or read book The Development of the B 52 and Jet Propulsion a Case Study in Organizational Innovation written by Mark D Mandeles, Dr and published by CreateSpace. This book was released on 2012-08-01 with total page 130 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The B-52 and Jet Propulsion: A Case Study in Organizational Innovation is a coherent and nonpolemical discussion of the revolution in military affairs, a hot topic in the national security arena. Mark Mandeles examines an interesting topic, how can the military better understand, manage, and evaluate technological development programs. We see Murphy's Law (anything that can go wrong, will go wrong) in operation. No matter how carefully the military designs, plans, and programs the process of technological development, inevitably, equipment, organizations, and people will challenge the desired expectations. Mandeles argues convincingly that recognizing the inevitability of error may be the single most important factor in the design of effective organizations and procedures to foster and enhance innovative technology and concepts. The book focuses on the introduction of jet propulsion into the B-52. This case study illustrates the reality that surprises and failures are endemic to development programs where information and knowledge are indeterminate, ambiguous, and imperfect. Mandeles' choice of the B-52 to illustrate this process is both intriguing and apt. The military had no coherent search process inevitably leading to the choice of a particular technology; nor was decision making concerning the B-52 development program coherent or orderly. Different mixtures of participants, problems, and solutions came together at various times to make decisions about funding or to review the status of performance projections and requirements. Three aspects of the B-52's history are striking because they challenge conventional wisdom about rationally managed innovation. First, Air Force personnel working on the B-52 program did not obtain the aircraft they assumed they would get when the program began. Second, the development process did not conform to idealized features of a rational program. While a rationally organized program has clear goals, adequate information, and well-organized and attentive leadership, the B-52 development process exhibited substantial disagreement over, and revision of, requirements or goals, and ambiguous, imperfect, and changing information. Third, the "messy" development process, as described in the book, forestalled premature closure on a particular design and spurred learning and the continuous introduction of new knowledge into the design as the process went along. Military innovations involve questions about politics, cooperation and coordination, and social benefits, and like other development efforts, there appears to be no error-free method to predict at the outset the end results of any given program. This study offers a major lesson to today's planners: improving the capacity of a number of organizations with overlapping jurisdictions to interact enhances prospects to innovate new weapons and operational concepts. We can mitigate bureaucratic pathologies by fostering interaction among government and private organizations. The B-52 and Jet Propulsion integrates a detailed historical case study with a fine understanding of the literature on organization and innovation. It is a story of decision making under conditions of uncertainty, ambiguity, and disagreement. In the pages that follow those who plan, manage, and criticize technological development programs will find new insights about the process of learning how to make new things.
Download or read book American Military Technology written by Barton C. Hacker and published by JHU Press. This book was released on 2007-11-29 with total page 230 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The growth of American engineering and science has affected military technology, organization, and practice from the colonial era to the present day—even as military concerns have influenced, and often funded, domestic engineering programs and scientific development. American Military Technology traces the interplay of technology and science with the armed forces of the United States in terms of what Hacker and Vining view as epochs: 1840–1865, the introduction of modern small arms, steam power, and technology, science, and medicine; 1900–1914, the naval arms race, torpedoes and submarines, and the signal corps and the airplane; and 1965–1971, McNamara's Pentagon, technology in Vietnam, guided missiles, and smart bombs. The book is an excellent springboard for understanding the complex relationship of science, technology, and war in American history.
Download or read book The United States Air Force and the Culture of Innovation 1945 1965 written by Stephen B. Johnson and published by . This book was released on 2002 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book The Development of the B 52 and Jet Propulsion written by Mark David Mandeles and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: National security decision makers face an uncertain world where the accelerated growth of knowledge has changed the character of technological advance and destabilized long-standing relations within and among the military services. Dr Mandeles separates the principles that guide decision making from the proverbs through a case study of decision making in the early post-World War II period. This study examines the impact of organization on the invention and development of jet propulsion-in the form of the B-52-and illustrates both the organizational conditions conducive to developing new operational concepts and the organizational innovations necessary to implement new technology. This study also examines how the Air Force organized to learn and acquire new technology, how the Air Force conceived or identified problems, and how it organized to ensure management would respond to program failure or errors. Attention is devoted to the origins of the weapons system operational requirement, the initial concept of operation, the evolution of technology, organizational structure, and implementation.
Download or read book Inside the Cold War written by Chris Adams and published by . This book was released on 2004-12-01 with total page 200 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: General Adams reflects on his experiences in the cold war, during which he served in both manned bombers and missile silos. He tells stories of famous and not-so-famous cold warriors, including some from the US Navy. Some stories are humorous; some stories are tragic. Having traveled extensively in Russia and some former Soviet Union states after retirement, General Adams tells us about his former adversaries, the Soviet cold warriors. In the process, he leaves no doubt about his respect for all who served so valiantly in the "strategic triad"-- the strategic command, the ICBM force, and the submarine Navy.
Download or read book The Development of the B 52 and Jet Propulsion written by Mark David Mandeles and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 1998 with total page 126 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bomber R D Since 1945 written by Mark A. Lorell and published by RAND Corporation. This book was released on 1995 with total page 100 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The authors conclude that relevant experience does, indeed, matter--firms develop valuable system-specific knowledge in ongoing work, and experience in important new technologies has a distinct advantage.
Download or read book Technology and the Air Force written by Jacob Neufeld and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2009-06 with total page 344 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Proceedings of a symposium co-sponsored by the Air Force Historical Foundation and the Air Force History and Museums Program. The symposium covered relevant Air Force technologies ranging from the turbo-jet revolution of the 1930s to the stealth revolution of the 1990s. Illustrations.
Download or read book The Evolution of the Cruise Missile written by Kenneth P. Werrell and published by . This book was released on 1985 with total page 308 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists written by and published by . This book was released on 1971-12 with total page 60 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.
Download or read book Aerospace power in the twenty first century a basic primer written by Clayton K. S. Chun and published by DIANE Publishing. This book was released on 2001 with total page 351 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Dr. Chun's Aerospace Power in the Twenty-First Century: A Basic Primer is a great start towards understanding the importance of aerospace power and its ability to conduct modern warfare. Aerospace power is continually changing because of new technology, threats, and air and space theories. However, many basic principles about aerospace power have stood the test of time and warfare. This book provides the reader with many of these time-tested ideas for consideration and reflection. Although Aerospace Power in the Twenty-First Century was written for future officers, individuals desiring a broad overview of aerospace power are invited to read, share, and discuss many of the ideas and thoughts presented here. Officers from other services will find that this introduction to air and space forces will give them a good grasp of aerospace power. More experienced aerospace leaders can use this book to revisit many of the issues that have affected air and space forces in the past and that might affect them in the future. Air Force officers will discover that Aerospace Power in the Twenty-First Century is a very timely and reflective resource for their professional libraries.
Download or read book Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists written by and published by . This book was released on 1977-04 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists is the premier public resource on scientific and technological developments that impact global security. Founded by Manhattan Project Scientists, the Bulletin's iconic "Doomsday Clock" stimulates solutions for a safer world.
Download or read book The U S Air Force in Space 1945 to the Twenty First Century Proceedings written by Air Force Historical Foundation. Symposium and published by Department of the Air Force. This book was released on 1998-09-02 with total page 216 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Contains papers presented at the Air Force Historical Foundation Symposium, held at Andrews Air Force Base, Maryland, on September 21-22, 1995. Topics addressed are: Pt. 1, The Formative Years, 1945-1961; Pt. 2, Mission Development and Exploitation Since 1961; and Pt. 3, Military Space Today and Tomorrow. Includes notes, abbreviations & acronyms, an index, and photographs.
Download or read book The Power for Flight written by Jeremy R. Kinney and published by Government Printing Office. This book was released on 2018-02-15 with total page 318 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The NACA and aircraft propulsion, 1915-1958 -- NASA gets to work, 1958-1975 -- The shift toward commercial aviation, 1966-1975 -- The quest for propulsive efficiency, 1976-1989 -- Propulsion control enters the computer era, 1976-1998 -- Transiting to a new century, 1990-2008 -- Toward the future
Download or read book Innovation with Purpose written by Lockheed Martin and published by . This book was released on 2013 with total page 271 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:
Download or read book Intelligence Revolution 1960 written by Ingard Clausen and published by . This book was released on 2012 with total page 260 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Overview: Provides a history of the Corona Satellite photo reconnaissance Program. It was a joint Central Intelligence Agency and United States Air Force program in the 1960s. It was then highly classified.
Download or read book B 52 Stratofortress written by Robert F. Dorr and published by Motorbooks International. This book was released on 1995 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An icon of the Cold War, Boeing's mighty B-52 is without a doubt the most famous jet bomber ever built, having now served for almost 40 years. The last in the line of Boeing 'heavies', the Stratofortress has gone on to break all records for longevity, firstly with Strategic Air Command, and more recently with Air Combat Command. This volume details the whole B-52 story, from its inception as the ultimate conventional 'Cold War warrior', through testing times over south-east Asia, to its extensive role in the Gulf conflict. Crewmembers from all four decades have provided an oral history of the 'Buff' both in war and peace within this authoritative volume. Detailed squadron histories, full technical specifications, production listings and never before published photographs make this book the work of reference on the USAF's most 'senior' combat aircraft.
