The "Apollo" of Aeronautics: Aircraft Energy Efficiency Program 1973-1987

Apollo has become the symbol of American achievement, as demonstrated
through that familiar phrase that begins, “If we can put a man on
the Moon. . . . ” Though it is equally impressive that humans have been flying
in the sky for just over a century, this feat no longer is as wondrous as
it once was. In an era when aeronautics research is continually threatened
by funding cuts and disinterest, this monograph’s intentionally ironic title
serves as a reminder that aeronautics research it needs to overcome its secondary
status and reclaim some of its former prestige. The story told here
will demonstrate the significance aeronautics has played and continues to
play in the history of the United States.