Originally Posted by
WindowSeat123
True, but not always the case. Design elements that were used in the past may be used again in the future. The Northrop YB-49 was a prototype bomber with a unique flying wing design. It never entered production, but the same flying wing design turned up decades later when Northrop re-used the idea for their B-2 bomber.
Likewise, the blade-shaped tail cone of the Boeing 777 was derived in part from the same type of "beaver" tail cone from the older MD-80. So for the aviation industry, some manufacturers do look back from time to time.
and aftermarket providers adapt features from one manufacturer's design to another's as well ... on the A310 and A320, Airbus introduced winglets that extended both above and below the wing surface; Aviation Partners Boeing developed "blended winglets" for the 737 family and later offered them for the 757/767
Airbus now offers "
sharklets" for the 320 series, and Aviation Partners Boeing recently introduced "
split scimitar winglets" for the 737