Civil aviation technology includes two tendencies. One tendency is to unify optimal, proven methods and techniques in construction, manufacturing and maintenance related to aircrafts and aviation in general. The other tendency is to broaden, virtually without limits imposed within the aviation industry, set of existing solutions exploited. This paper presents an analysis of these two tendencies, and context within which they evolve. We state a conjecture about the possible limits, i.e. the envelope of exploitation of diverse construction, manufacturing and maintenance methods and techniques.

Mechanical engineering